Culling cockerels

[RubySue]

Hello!
We have two cockerels the hatchery sent us out of 6 pullets. Today is the day. I have separated them for fasting and they have been crowing since 3 am Must not be happy. They are 18 weeks today. A Brown Leghorn which started crowing at 12 weeks and an Easter egger that just started to crow at 17 weeks. I did notice the BL testing me a little side stepping towards me appearing as though he will become aggressive.

Anyway, what I really want is just a few tips. I’ve studied up on this and my fiancé grew up on a chicken farm in Guam. But they are my chickens and I need to be able to do it. I have hunted before. I have a kill cone that I will use. And I plan on using a filet knife. I am not happy about it but not sad either. I just don’t want them to suffer beforehand. I plan on resting them for 24 hrs in the fridge from what I have read then freezing.

Any tips, tricks, well wishes? Are the ages correct to still use as fryers or will they be tough?

Thanks!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Rest them longer. 3 days. I would not fry at 18 weeks. There is going to be a lot of chew, particularly if their hormones have come in.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

At 18 weeks I think they're good for soup, shredded chicken and a tenderizer

 

[U_Stormcrow]

^ complete agreement. Or grind and season heavily.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Have you decided on a dispatch method?

 

[SourRoses]

We're going to make our older cockerels into dog food. Doggies like chicken too!

 

[Isadora]

Hello!
We have two cockerels the hatchery sent us out of 6 pullets. Today is the day. I have separated them for fasting and they have been crowing since 3 am Must not be happy. They are 18 weeks today. A Brown Leghorn which started crowing at 12 weeks and an Easter egger that just started to crow at 17 weeks. I did notice the BL testing me a little side stepping towards me appearing as though he will become aggressive.

Anyway, what I really want is just a few tips. I’ve studied up on this and my fiancé grew up on a chicken farm in Guam. But they are my chickens and I need to be able to do it. I have hunted before. I have a kill cone that I will use. And I plan on using a filet knife. I am not happy about it but not sad either. I just don’t want them to suffer beforehand. I plan on resting them for 24 hrs in the fridge from what I have read then freezing.

Any tips, tricks, well wishes? Are the ages correct to still use as fryers or will they be tough?

Thanks!

They're a bit old for fryers. I would be concerned they would be tough.
Make sure your filet knife is very sharp. The feathers can be rough on the blade, too. You're only doing a couple so it should be fine but my husband realigns his knife after he kills several birds to maintain the edge.

 

[Molpet]

Sharp sharp sharp knife.

Different ages are cooked differently, or it's like eating rubber bands lol

 

[CNJ]

Hello!
We have two cockerels the hatchery sent us out of 6 pullets. Today is the day. I have separated them for fasting and they have been crowing since 3 am Must not be happy. They are 18 weeks today. A Brown Leghorn which started crowing at 12 weeks and an Easter egger that just started to crow at 17 weeks. I did notice the BL testing me a little side stepping towards me appearing as though he will become aggressive.

Anyway, what I really want is just a few tips. I’ve studied up on this and my fiancé grew up on a chicken farm in Guam. But they are my chickens and I need to be able to do it. I have hunted before. I have a kill cone that I will use. And I plan on using a filet knife. I am not happy about it but not sad either. I just don’t want them to suffer beforehand. I plan on resting them for 24 hrs in the fridge from what I have read then freezing.

Any tips, tricks, well wishes? Are the ages correct to still use as fryers or will they be tough?

Thanks!

I batter fried a Buff Orpington rooster at that age and it was too tough. I had to simmer it in a stew to soften it up.

I pressure or slow cook old chicken and have been enjoying Ohio Chicken sandwiches with them.

A skinny chicken can feed a lot of people, since the common Ohio Chicken sandwich recipe use a filler like ground stuffing and I prefer to use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup.

 

[FunClucks]

I'm looking at possibly having to cull a 8-12 month production red/RIR red mix cockerel/rooster, so I'm in a similar position. Would pressure cooking (canning) make the meat tender enough to eat? I'd use it for shredded chicken tacos.