How do I find a new home for a rooster I don't want?

Unfortunately, as you've learned, sexing is more of an art than an exact science, so when you buy day-old chicks, there's always a small risk of receiving a mis-sexed bird. We're sorry if this has happened to you, whether you purchased your chicks from us or from another hatchery or feed store.

It can be stressful to try to find a home for your unwanted rooster, and sometimes the most stressful part is having to part with him at all. Juvenile roosters are usually very friendly, and almost invariably are the favorite "hen" of the flock, so the disappointment can be terrible. (As they grow, roosters tend to lose their friendliness, and hens tend to get more friendly, but knowing that can be small comfort when it comes down to parting with a pet!) 

Do you really have to get rid of your rooster?

First, consider whether you really have to part with your rooster. Our No-Crow Rooster Collar is a humane solution to control a rooster's loud crowing; it dramatically reduces the volume and frequency of crowing, so you may be able to keep your pet rooster after all.

If you're sure you have to rehome your rooster

We've found the following sources to be the most helpful, listed in order of importance:

1. Find a local chicken enthusiast group on Facebook or Meetup, and post a picture of your handsome guy.
2. Find a small farm near you. Many have a few "show" chickens and especially like fancy varieties.
3. Call a local feed store to see if they know of anyone who might want an extra rooster (this is great for finding small farms, too). Some feed stores will even take your roosters for free, and keep them until they can sell them to people interested in a pet rooster of their own!
4. Ask around at your town's farmer's market; one of the vendors may be interested in additional roosters or know someone who is. (Just don't take the rooster there; that may be a violation of your state's health code!)
5. Local 4-H clubs often have members that are excited to take an extra rooster, especially if it is a fancy breed!
6. Craigslist can be a good place to find someone who will take your pet rooster.

Don't forget to take advantage of sexing guarantees

• Remember, most major hatcheries will refund you for any sexing errors that amount to more than 10% of your order; at My Pet Chicken, we refund any and all sexing errors in full. Sometimes farm and feed stores will have the same 90% guarantee--and sometimes they will have no guarantee at all! Hatcheries typically have a period of a month or two during which any errors can be reported, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the reporting period when you order.
• If you purchased from My Pet Chicken, you will have read and accepted our guarantees when you placed your order (you must do so before you complete your purchase). To re-read the details of our sexing guarantee, please refer to the "sexing errors" section of our policies page.

My Pet Chicken's Refund Policy for Sexing Errors:

We will refund you for any bird which has been incorrectly sexed, provided you notify us with in the following time frames: 

• Any breed except Silkies: notify us between 10 to 22 weeks of the original shipment date.
• Silkies: notify us between 19 and 29 weeks of the original shipment date.
• Started Pullets & Six-Week-Old Chickens: notify us between 4 to 16 weeks of the original shipment date.