Cochin Roosters: Butcher at What Age?

VetsJetsnGuns

In the Brooder
11 Years
Jul 15, 2008
36
2
24
Wisconsin
1.) I have two ugly 6-month cochin roosters, and I'm wondering how long I should let them grow before they are fully fleshed out and ready for butchering.

I've been told that cochins will get stringy or tough before they flesh out enough to butcher, but I've also read that soaking in the refridgerator for 48 hours in a citruis marinade will take care of this.

2.) The American Brahma club consensus was 10 months for the Brahmas, or all you'll get is feathers, bones and a little flavorless meat; should I assume 10 months for all heavy breeds?

3.) (a little off topic) I have too many roosters (see signature) and the poor hens are taking a beating. I was thinking of beak-trimming the roosters if it would give the hens a break.
 
I would butcher them ASAP. I have bantam cochins and butchered them at a few months old, not stringy, actually very tender (luckily I had several because those bantams don't make much of a meal on their own. Actually they may be a little on the tough side waiting until 6 months to butcher them. And your comment on having too many roosters, if you plan to keep them, make a bachelor pen and keep it away from the hens if you can. I saw in a magazine where someone had about 20 Roos in a tractor that they moved around one part of their property that was no where near the hens and the boys all got along fine together because they were not competing for the hens. If you don't have the room for this, consider culling as many roos as you don't need. Just my suggestion and the way I look at the matter.
 
I did one a t 12 weeks and one at 14 weeks. very nice meat. very easy to pluck. The earlier the better,if you wait till 10 months it will be very stingy and not very good. I put them in a large zip lock bag with salt water for 2 days in the fridge and then put them in the slow cooker for the day. save the drippings for soup stock and package out them meat in small quart size ziplocks for later use in meals.

Dirt
 
Quote:
An UGLY Cochin? Is that even possible? All that fluffiness??
ASAP time to butcher. Roos get tough.
What part of the hen is getting beat up? Is it the comb or the back? If it's the comb, I think I would trim the beak, as for the back, I put on saddles.
Christina
 
I have two black cochins that are pretty, but the two splash cochins are ugly. They were supposed to be blue cochins (all 4 of them, actually.)

two of the hens have actualy been wounded just behind the head, probably from roosters grabbing on, and several are loosing saddle featherage. It's debatable whether its easier to de-beak and trim the nails on 6 roosters or saddle 15 hens. I'm only hoping to put off butchering until I at least get 50's temperatures (late feb, early march; I don't want the stink inside or the frozen fingers outside; I've gutted enough deer to know handling knives with numb fingers=bad)

ps- these are heavy cochins; roosters are supposed to get to 11 lbs or so.
 
Hey I have a Cochin roo that was supposed to be a hen. I need to butcher him, but he doesn't seem to hold a lot of flesh. Should I just do it now or feed him for two weeks and hope ?
 
No later then 4 months. After that the start to get tough and stringy. Very good meat. Almost like a Cornish Game hen,but a bit smaller.
 

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