Butchering your roosters!

[Parront]

I never knew that about the Cornish -- that they get too fat to walk (and live). So glad I didn't get any of those.

Actually, the Cornish-X are what most people grow for meat. They are just made for meat, don't try to grow them past 8 weeks. Six weeks is all that they are really meant to live, 42 days. You can't save them from their fate, it is genetic. Just do not make them your "Mama's Boys"!

There are some slower growing broilers that I may try, they have been invented since I had Cornish-X in the 90's. At least, I did not know about them then! But, for the most meat for the least feed invested, Cornish-X wins hands-down. You can get out a calculator and know how much meat for how much chicken feed you bought, just multiply feed x 2.5 = Cornish-x you get. That is why you do not see anything else in the store. Here is a place that specializes in meat birds: http://www.welphatchery.com/cornish-rock-broilers/
Don't knock until you try it. rjohns39 on here somewhere else has a lot of experience with them and posted about raising them in cages on grass. That is what I will do next time I raise them. The family is just used to that kind of chicken. Raising your own Cornish-X they will have a better chicken life than store birds, and the taste is noticeably better, too. Lots of us are spoiled by the size and mildness of the store birds and, as you know, don't even know how to cook a tougher older standard breed chicken!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You could do that -- but the feathers would not be nice to save, like she wanted. Depends what you want, pretty feathers or nice roast for dinner! You have 2, try one each way!

I've skinned birds before and in reality once you get the dunking and water temp right plucking is faster and easier. The feathers are not damaged. You'll have a bucket of them for any use later. They are just wet and can be dried.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Lots of other cockerels out there to practice on besides mama's boy! (Even Mama's Boys get too annoying and go to the crock pot sometimes).

Yep -- I think you're right. Mama's boy bit the hand that feeds him tonight. Not happy.

I'll pass on the Cornish. It's so fun to see my happy chickens running across the yard

I've skinned birds before and in reality once you get the dunking and water temp right plucking is faster and easier. The feathers are not damaged. You'll have a bucket of them for any use later. They are just wet and can be dried.

The feathers don't get all messed up? Seems they would.

 

[kokosmom2]

Yep -- I think you're right. Mama's boy bit the hand that feeds him tonight. Not happy.

I'll pass on the Cornish. It's so fun to see my happy chickens running across the yard


The feathers don't get all messed up? Seems they would.

Can't you remove the feathers you want to use for lures before you dunk for plucking? Or did you want to use most of the feathers for lures?

 

[Parront]

Can't you remove the feathers you want to use for lures before you dunk for plucking? Or did you want to use most of the feathers for lures?

I think that fly tying guys like to use skins, here is a link to Cabella's :http://www.cabelas.com/product/fish...8080/cabelas-saddle-skins/741442.uts?slotId=3
They are $44.95 per neck hackle, worth more than the bird.

 

[Parront]

Any photos of the guy with the pretty feathers?

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Well, it looks like I will have 2 roosters to butcher. Ol' Mamas Boy, aka Pearl, bit me for the last time. I love him know and I will still love him in the pot. Hoping to do this Sunday if my friend and her hubby are available and we aren't too tired after the Luke Bryan Farm Tour the night before.

Can't you remove the feathers you want to use for lures before you dunk for plucking? Or did you want to use most of the feathers for lures?

I suppose I could do that, but unsure how easily they pull out if not dunked in hot water.
I will try pulling some before skinning, even though we will be skinning both.

I think that fly tying guys like to use skins, here is a link to Cabella's :http://www.cabelas.com/product/fish...8080/cabelas-saddle-skins/741442.uts?slotId=3
They are $44.95 per neck hackle, worth more than the bird.

Thanks for that link. I did some looking around at it seems they don't actually use the skin -- they simply pull off whichever feathers they need. Some skins are salted and some have cornmeal to dry them out. I'm not planning anything professional (flies) or even soon, but do want to save some feathers (a few handfulls) for crafting or whatever. I won't be keeping the skin intact though. Here is a good short video that explains their use.

Any of you butchering a lot of roosters might be interested in saving & selling your saddles and hackles on Craigslist or something.

 

[Parront]

Well, it looks like I will have 2 roosters to butcher. Ol' Mamas Boy, aka Pearl, bit me for the last time. I love him know and I will still love him in the pot. Hoping to do this Sunday if my friend and her hubby are available and we aren't too tired after the Luke Bryan Farm Tour the night before.



I suppose I could do that, but unsure how easily they pull out if not dunked in hot water.
I will try pulling some before skinning, even though we will be skinning both.



Thanks for that link. I did some looking around at it seems they don't actually use the skin -- they simply pull off whichever feathers they need. Some skins are salted and some have cornmeal to dry them out. I'm not planning anything professional (flies) or even soon, but do want to save some feathers (a few handfulls) for crafting or whatever. I won't be keeping the skin intact though. Here is a good short video that explains their use.

Any of you butchering a lot of roosters might be interested in saving & selling your saddles and hackles on Craigslist or something.

The skin just keeps them in one place. I never went into how to prepare the skin, thanks! (Man, that's a lot of roosters)!

 

[Parront]

I save Dylan's shed feathers, in baggies, just because I think her red feathers are beautiful. I have not decided what I might make with them, since I only have a few. I just think they are too pretty to throw away! Let me know what you use your feathers for!

 

[Parront]

Here is a BYC thread about fly tying feathers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...reserving-rooster-hackles-and-saddles.527143/