18 1/2 week old Blue Laced Wyandotte

[MKetter]

At 20 weeks, Stu the Roo is in the fridge.

 

[Beau plus penny]

What about not killing him. I just don't think of wyandottes as meat birds

 

[MKetter]

What about not killing him. I just don't think of wyandottes as meat birds

They are dual purpose birds. I don’t want a rooster for a pet. My neighbors probably don’t want me to have one either.

 

[MKetter]

You can butcher him at any age you want. The question is how to cook him. Regardless of age they need to be aged past rigor mortis, allow rigor to pass or he may be so tough he is inedible.

At that age I would not fry or grill him. That leaves a lot of options. I typically butcher cockerels between 16 and 23 weeks of age and bake them. I cut into serving pieces and put that raw meat and bones in a baking dish with a good cover. I add chopped carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. Also herbs like oregano, thyme, and/or basil. Bake on 250 Fahrenheit for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Remove with a slotted spoon as the meat may fall off of the bone. Strain the liquid and you have excellent chicken broth.

There are lots of other ways to cook him, crock pot, pressure cooker, or stewed are popular.

Good luck!

Would you do the same length of time if you baked it whole rather than cut up? Or would you change the temperature?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Would you do the same length of time if you baked it whole rather than cut up? Or would you change the temperature?

No

 

[MKetter]

Imagine eating Rubber bands

I understand eating rubber bands. I baked him in the oven for 3.5 hours at 250°. Since I’ve only ever had store-bought chicken, I never knew chicken could get tough. Stu the Roo was rubber bands. I guess I’ll use the carcass to make chicken stock. The meat, as you said, is like chewing rubber bands.

 

[Molpet]

I understand eating rubber bands. I baked him in the oven for 3.5 hours at 250°. Since I’ve only ever had store-bought chicken, I never knew chicken could get tough. Stu the Roo was rubber bands. I guess I’ll use the carcass to make chicken stock. The meat, as you said, is like chewing rubber bands.

I'm surprised he was still tough.
I have pressure cooked a 2 year old rooster for a couple hours. Made great pulled chicken. If you have a pressure cooker you could try that. It makes great stock at the same time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The problem is rigor mortis. If you cook them while rigor mortis is set up, they are going to be tough whether pullet, cockerel, hen, or rooster. Pressure cooking may be able to overcome that, I've never tried. But if you don't age them to get past rigor mortis you are probably going to have a problem. There is an exception to this, seems there are always exceptions. If you cook it before rigor sets up it does not get tough.

Store bought chicken is aged before you buy it. You would not be exposed to rigor from that.

 

[SnackMeat]

You can also have them in a smaller pen and feed them a lot of corn and dairy or something equally calorie rich to help build in a little fat. I don't know too much about it but I want to say 1-2 weeks. You can also still free range them for a shorter period but limit a lot of their exercise for most of the day with penning them.

You can also brine for 2-3 days in salted ice water in a cooler to help with rigor and to soften. And if you're worried how it will turn out, you can also freeze after this time, and then save it for a stew in the winter.