Finally did the butcher

[FT Chickens]

well finally took the time and butchered my two Roos this morning and I gotta say it was not worth the time and effort. Next time I get some Roos I am either going to give them away or let them just run wild and let nature take its course

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know the details of how old they were or what breeds, and don't know what you did. I agree that giving them away instead of processing them yourself is the right answer for some people. I will not criticize anyone for doing that.

I do not recommend just letting them loose in the wild. It is probably illegal unless it is on your land and it may take nature years to run its course. They might become a problem for you or someone else if they go feral.

 

[FT Chickens]

We live out in country and it would be my land, No nieghbors would be bothered

 

[Morrigan]

Depending on your area resources, it is potentially cruel to lock the rooster out of the coop and away from food and water. Realistically, it's chances of survival are very low, and its changes of dying rather unpleasantly are high.

Giving extra roosters someone who would quickly dispatch them for food is the more responsible thing to do in my opinion.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

"leaving nature to take its course" is really not the best idea, aside from the abandonment of basic good husbandry, you have the issue of teaching predators that your house is a good place to come to find a meal. Once the intended targets are taken out they're going to keep coming back looking for more food and will begin to look at the flock that you don't want taken and working to get to them.
I totally understand not wanting to process for your own consumption, but that does not negate the responsibility of animal husbandry which would dictate that you either offer a quick end and don't complete the processing for consumption or sell or give them away to someone who would like to use them for such purposes.

 

[FT Chickens]

Sorry I should have been more specific. They would have access to water, pond and a close by ditch. Plenty to eat free ranging, just would not have provided the coop at night for protection from predators. Same conditions as they would have had in nature before we cooped them up.

 

[123RedBeard]

I don't understand the "not worth it part" ...

Was it a small amount of meat?

Tough meat?

Strong/gamey taste?

Lots more work/time than you planned?

Too gross?

Emotional pain of taking a life?

 

[snow5164]

I feel for you , we have had luck giving some away , but we are in an area that loves their soup ! They call it zuup !

I’ve also thought of setting them free, but with my luck they walk to the highway and since I’m the only house for miles I’d cause a 10 car pile up and go to jail and never see my chickens again .......

We kill them and throw them in the field

 

[FT Chickens]

I don't understand the "not worth it part" ...

Was it a small amount of meat?

Tough meat?

Strong/gamey taste?

Lots more work/time than you planned?

Too gross?

Emotional pain of taking a life?

It was a lot of work compared to what cleaned and ready to eat chickens from the local butcher costs

 

[trudyg]

So-what did you do and why do you feel this way? Roosters' skin is attached very tightly, so that was one problem I had. I couldn't tear it off, but had to cut all those things that attach it to the flesh. Also, I had tried to shoot my first rooster (several years ago) with a pellet gun and the pellet just stunned him, then he went off squawking like a maniac. He was a real pia, so still had to finish the job. Then I cut myself pretty good and gave it up for that one. Felt like such a quitter!.

Let your feelings on this settle, analyze what went wrong. You may change your mind, I know I did.

As far as letting him loose-- I wouldn't. I had one young cockerel who I couldn't get to go roost one night, so left him out. Something got him and then, night after night, I had something nosing around. Was so worried he'd dig under and get in the coop! That made me reinforce my perimeter and resolve never to leave another bird out. This one that got left out had roosted on the top pole of my wooden swingset--should have been out of reach but wasn't.