Do I seriously have 8 cockerels?

[Tesumph]

Ahh, that stinks!
Am impressed with your investigative commitment tho.
They must have been pretty tiny and you knew what you were looking for, eh?

I looked up a couple references and knew they’d be on the spine between the heart and lungs. I couldn’t find a picture of a bird as young as mine, so I’m only 99% sure of what I found lol.

But yea, very tiny, I’m not sure I would have known what to look for if it had been a pullet.

 

[aart]

But yea, very tiny, I’m not sure I would have known what to look for if it had been a pullet.

Lack 'O Nads?
You might not have found these had you not carefully opened the way you did.

Slaughtered a few 15wo cockerels last week, was surprised how big theirs were, about nickel sized end to end...no pics.

 

[MROO]

Lack 'O Nads?
You might not have found these had you not carefully opened the way you did.

Slaughtered a few 15wo cockerels last week, was surprised how big theirs were, about nickel sized end to end...no pics.

There's a whole, long, hysterical thread on how to cook and eat them ... well worth hunting for ...

 

[Tesumph]

Lack 'O Nads?
You might not have found these had you not carefully opened the way you did.

Slaughtered a few 15wo cockerels last week, was surprised how big theirs were, about nickel sized end to end...no pics.

True, but I would’ve been paranoid I just missed the little suckers!

I was actually surprised at how small they were. No wonder cockerels are such a headache, I can only imagine the raging hormones as their testes grow so rapidly.

 

[AAchicks]

I looked up a couple references and knew they’d be on the spine between the heart and lungs. I couldn’t find a picture of a bird as young as mine, so I’m only 99% sure of what I found lol.

But yea, very tiny, I’m not sure I would have known what to look for if it had been a pullet.

You found correct for the male. Easiest way to know is do you see what look like 2 rice grains. For the female at a young age before the oviduct makes it obvious, you will look in the same area, but you would see a pinkish single but flat organ. It will be very similar in color to the kidneys, just a bit paler (this would be on a fresh dissection, not sure how long it would stay that color if found later).

 

[Tesumph]

You found correct for the male. Easiest way to know is do you see what look like 2 rice grains. For the female at a young age before the oviduct makes it obvious, you will look in the same area, but you would see a pinkish single but flat organ. It will be very similar in color to the kidneys, just a bit paler (this would be on a fresh dissection, not sure how long it would stay that color if found later).

Ah, thank you! I will keep that in mind for the future—not that I hope to need it.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Just wondering,
Would this have been a good opportunity to try to teach oneself vent sexing?

 

[AAchicks]

Just wondering,
Would this have been a good opportunity to try to teach oneself vent sexing?

I thought vent sexing had to be done within the first 24 hours of hatching?

 

[Tesumph]

Just wondering,
Would this have been a good opportunity to try to teach oneself vent sexing?

Yea, pretty sure that’s only somewhat reliable in the first 24-48 hours.

 

[aart]

There's a whole, long, hysterical thread on how to cook and eat them ... well worth hunting for ...

Have read that one......but I don't eat organ 'meat'.
I am tho, an anatomy nerd and find it all fascinating.
After learning about chickens and slaughtering them was a bit tickled to ID nads in grocery birds, just didn't recognize what they were until my chickeneering education began.

@Tesumph how old was that little nad carrier?