Are banty roo's worth butchering?

[AK-Bird-brain]

We eat our extra silkie and D'Uccle roosters. Brine them overnight and let sit for a few days then cook. Perfect little single serving size meals. I've slow cooked and deep fried and have no complaints either way.

 

[DaffyLvsChicks]

I have been wondering the same thing(whether it's worth the bother to butcher a bantam)!!! I have a beautiful pair of Black Sumatras. Let 7 of their eggs incubate(under a hen that actually stayed on them). 6 hatched, got 3 girls & 3 boys! Couldn't believe my "luck" at getting that many girls! Now, what to do with the boys....thought people would want them...they are so pretty. Start out sweet too! That little daddy is the meanest rooster I've had!!! We deal with each other fine, but don't want any more! Maybe will get around to making a snack. Found that using the pressure cooker does a fabulous job of tenderizing older poultry and cooking time is very short!!

 

[Milliemay]

I have a few frizzle mutts, 3 turken mutts, and a few puffheads. The turkens are pretty good sized, but the rest are pretty small. We'll have to give them a try. Thanks everyone! I bought them all from the same person, and just my luck I picked 10 out of 12 roosters from the chicks!

 

[Chuntgray]

MY Banty roo attacts me all the time as well. I keep telling him he is going to be stew. He goes after the dog she grabs him and pins him down. It does not even affect him he just walks away like nothing happend.

 

[simplyscrambled]

Well, I just processed a tiny young bantam roo that started crowing. He had less meat on him than a 7 week jumbo quail!

 

[millerwb]

I butchered 9 OEGB roos last week. They were a bit bigger than quail but not a store size cornish hen. We brined them and smoked them! They were great. Wish I have another 20+!

 

[purelypoultry]

Bantam roos are worth butchering if they have muscle. Feel their breast and their legs? do they have chicken meat on them?

 

[robbdebbie]

I ordered straight run banties, and my first one is starting to crow. I have been reading about meat bird, how to butcher and such. I am thinking about trying to kill one of my banties first to see how it goes. Does that sound like a good idea, or is it going to be harder that way (mentally and the actually cleaning?)

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Butchering a bantam is easier in that there are less feathers to pluck, or less skin to pull if you're skinning. The only thing that would make it more difficult is if you allow yourself to get emotionally attatched because they're little & cute. But if you have a batch of straight run bantams, the surplus of roosters will help make them seem less adorable. I do mine at about 20 weeks, they have enough meat then to make it worthwhile.