Cochin roosters

[Raisingpeeps]

We ordered straight run Cochins and surprise surprise 5 of the 6 were roosters. The two
Partridge Roos are evil and we need to cull. They just turned 16 weeks old. What is the best age for Cochin to be culled and eaten? Thank for the advice!

 

[Poultry parent]

when they are fully feathered

 

[donrae]

Cochins are pretty slow to mature, so there's not going to be much meat at this age. For the most meat, you'd want to wait until around 6 plus months as they'll continue to fill out until about a year or so.

that said, mean birds don't need to hang around for months just so you get another pound or so of meat. Go ahead and cull them now. You can grill them or use them for stock. If you slow cook them and pick the meat from the bones there will be enough for some good chicken salad or some enchiladas, etc.