Another year full of cockerels....

[MROO]

A good rule of thumb is, "Never name anything you are going to eat"! Or have someone else slaughter them for you, such as a larger Chicken Farm. Years ago, I got 25 Cockerels with 25 lbs of feed. So I bought two bags. 50 free Roosters that free ranged all summer. When they reached eating weight, I would take two of the bloodiest birds (Because they would fight) and one was Sunday dinner, the other went in the freezer. I had chicken dinner every week for a whole year this way. Worked out perfect because of Easter and Christmas, which was either a Duck or Goose! And do you hate to pluck chickens? I think I was the originator of "Skinned Chicken". A lot faster and more healthy for you. Just bake in a baking bag to prevent drying out in the Oven.

If I can associate an animal's face with my dinner, I can't eat it! Most of our beef comes from my sister's dairy farm, usually when a milk cow has a "change of career." The Guernsey calves all start out in the 4H program, so they all have names and have been handled a lot (translated ... spoiled a bit!) As a result, I know most of them, "personally." My sister laughs at me, but when I pick up beef, I always ask her if it was a name or a number!

 

[Beccazon]

Whatever comes along, bottom line for me is I enjoy them very much. Raising them, watching them, or eating them.

Very true! Definitely a bummer when you are looking to have more egg layers but a chicken is a meal. If you ever run out of options for what to do with a cockerel and don't want to eat it, take it to slaughter and donate it/them to food pantries or soup kitchens. Some soup kitchens or shelters would be so grateful they would arrange to pick thrm up and take to slaughter themselves. In the meantime I hope your next brood is heavy on the pullet side!! It has to get old trying to rehome or otherwise get rid of all those boys!

 

[Beccazon]

If I can associate an animal's face with my dinner, I can't eat it! Most of our beef comes from my sister's dairy farm, usually when a milk cow has a "change of career." The Guernsey calves all start out in the 4H program, so they all have names and have been handled a lot (translated ... spoiled a bit!) As a result, I know most of them, "personally." My sister laughs at me, but when I pick up beef, I always ask her if it was a name or a number!

Don't name them. When "that black one" proves to be a boy, eat it. When "that red one" clearly is a girl, she has earned the right to be called "Ginger". Problem solved

 

[mesalina87]

Sorry you have so many cockerels but you do have wonderful chicken meat for: chicken n dumplins, chicken n rice, chicken soup, chicken ala king ect ect ect….

 

[MROO]

I don't even understand what you are arguing about lol, I haven't had enough coffee yet for this sort of nonsense. Carry on.

I am SO "with you" on that!

 

[MROO]

I had a hatch where every chick was a male, half my eggs hatched and I would assume all the females died due to a mistake I made (assumed). If only there was a reverse mistake.
When I hatch out my sexlinks I humanely gas my males and freeze them, then post free Reptile food on craigslist, or I charge a very small fee.

If you figure it out, please let us know!!!

 

[goldysgirl]

Well I need to rant too. One pullet out of 13 chicks

That is a chicken nightmare! Unless if couse you were hoping for a flock of roos. I would be crying.

 

[ariri30]

But you can "Eat your mistakes"! My Chickens free roam most of the time, so they eat a lot of Grasshoppers and other bugs, keeping my feed bill down. So it doesn't cost me as much as some people to raise them to maturity. And they eat anything that we eat. And I have a big garden which helps a lot. Then they are salable at a profit. Or I look at them as a cheap meal. Whatever comes along, bottom line for me is I enjoy them very much. Raising them, watching them, or eating them.

Cool

 

[Matilda Belle]

Geez this thread really took off. I guess I'm not the only one with this cockerel issue.

Good news is the three satins I bought, 2 of them appear to be pullets. Cross your fingers!!

 

[jspeese]

I've experienced the same thing myself. It may be temperature dependent. I love seeing babies with their mothers, but I don't hatch my own chicks for that very reason. I'll admit that I've been spoiled by the modern broiler industry and by comparison, roosters that aren't broilers aren't worth eating. Even large breeds are more bone than meat and IMHO aren't worth raising. Roosters are beautiful and if I accidentally get one in an order of "pullet" chicks, I will usually keep him because he is nice to have around. But if you have more than one, they begin fighting as they get older if hens are around. Again in my opinion, if you want a sustainable meat bird, ducks are the way to go. You get a much better meat to bone ratio and in hatching my own ducklings, I seem to get close to a 50/50 duck to drake ratio. As for chicks, I prefer to get pullet chicks whenever I want to start a new flock.