Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[FortCluck]

So I'm not just butchering 1 cockerel, I'm going to do the other 2 as well. They're causing havoc in my flock. I keep telling myself... Only 11 more days

 

[FortCluck]

Tall but scrawny. He is larger than the barnyard hatchery mix cockerels but not much heavier. I'll hazard a guess at 4 pounds live weight. Time to put him on the scale. Great idea!

The last Barnyard cockerel went to 14 weeks and had a lot more meat than the first 10 (1.5-2# dressed). He was the only broody chick to live and didn't have crowing competitions like the incubator mob.

NN isn't loud yet. I pushed my luck before, but let's see how far we get this time.

My 3 Cockerels are causing havoc in my flock. I'm about to say screw waiting till March 7th they're little turds!

 

[Molpet]

My 3 Cockerels are causing havoc in my flock. I'm about to say screw waiting till March 7th they're little turds!

Bachelor pad is in your future.... makes life so much easier

 

[aliciaplus3]

Bachelor pad is in your future.... makes life so much easier

I have 2 pens with cockerels only, they are different age groups. when the pullets get big enough that the cockerels start harassing them then I move the pullets to their laying house and leave the cockerels in the growout till I have time to process them. also buys me some time to decide if any are keepers. I am not fond of processing pullets if I can avoid it but have no trouble making a meal from a cockerel. I have decided to try and have fewer Late summer hatches because the cockerels are ready to butcher when its so cold I do not want to mess with it.

 

[FortCluck]

Bachelor pad is in your future.... makes life so much easier

They can party in my freezer I didn't separate them because I didn't know until last week that they were all Cockerels. I'm going to separate them next time though. I have the new chicks and I already see a few Cockerels

 

[Morrigan]

I've had cockerels crow as early as 7 weeks, but 12 to 15 weeks is more normal in my flock.

My 9 NN/broiler eggs are in lockdown and hit day 20 tonight. I'm hoping to wake up and see some pips.

 

[jolenesdad]

Not really related, but sort of related, I’ve got a THIRTY WEEK old laced mix orpington cockerel that doesn’t crow.

i wonder if he crows before I’m up and out... but I have never heard him and I’m always around them or outside. But rarely before 8....

He didn’t exhibit a single male characteristic behavior until 24 weeks or so. But he dances for and feeds the girls, is the first to check everything out, and I’ve got some fertile eggs so he is mating some although never when I’m around or even nearby.

 

[FortCluck]

Not really related, but sort of related, I’ve got a THIRTY WEEK old laced mix orpington cockerel that doesn’t crow.

i wonder if he crows before I’m up and out... but I have never heard him and I’m always around them or outside. But rarely before 8....

He didn’t exhibit a single male characteristic behavior until 24 weeks or so. But he dances for and feeds the girls, is the first to check everything out, and I’ve got some fertile eggs so he is mating some although never when I’m around or even nearby.

Squatch always is the first to look in my scraps bowl. He's funny.

 

[Kusanar]

Not really related, but sort of related, I’ve got a THIRTY WEEK old laced mix orpington cockerel that doesn’t crow.

i wonder if he crows before I’m up and out... but I have never heard him and I’m always around them or outside. But rarely before 8....

He didn’t exhibit a single male characteristic behavior until 24 weeks or so. But he dances for and feeds the girls, is the first to check everything out, and I’ve got some fertile eggs so he is mating some although never when I’m around or even nearby.

From what I have read on here, a submissive rooster will not crow or mate in front of a dominant one. Could be that you are the dominant rooster and he just behaves himself when you are around.

 

[jolenesdad]

From what I have read on here, a submissive rooster will not crow or mate in front of a dominant one. Could be that you are the dominant rooster and he just behaves himself when you are around.

I’ve thought that but sort of discounted it. I don’t know though.

he has always had an older cockerel around the entire time he has been raised. He has been in with the hens and other cockerels since 7-8 weeks. He was around an older cockerel until 3 months ago. Then a cockerel younger than him seemed to become more dominant, crowing and mating hens. That one hasn’t been here in 6-7 weeks. He is my only boy right now.

I’ve only been growing out cockerels to the point they can even act like cockerels this last year. I’d hardly count on me being the “dominant” one, although I have tried and tried to implement a “keep to yourself” mentality. I do have a very firm yet soft demeanor from dealing with so many horses. I feel like my timing is pretty good to release any pressure when I get what I want. I’ve noticed that a quick release when I get what I’m looking for builds a lot of respect from chickens just like it does in horses. It must be that they’re both prey animals.

he is probably more of just a really great boy. I should be keeping him.... but I’m downsizing for the move. I have multiple laced orpingtons and I know he can go with them and they can all stay together. Better for all of us. I cannot stand rehoming cockerels or hens individually, so I’m trying to only downsize by rehoming at least three together at a time.