First time to butcher - questions

[karmlacres]

I have an orpington that started crowing. So, since he'd rather crow than lay eggs, I don't have room to keep him. So we're going to get him butchered. I've seen talk about letting a bird rest after butcher but I'm wondering if there is something I need to do to this big boy before his fateful day comes. Is there anything I should do in the way of food/feeding? He's a gorgeous bird, but I have too many roosters so he's going.

Thanks!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Withhold food the night before. Let him have water.

Pick him up and give him a gentle pinch. If he's fat, that's the end of it. If he is really lean, add some cracked corn to his diet between now and then. You want some fat on your bird because it gives flavor and juiciness.

If he is high quality (exhibition quality) I'd offer him for sale for a few days. If no takers, into the stew pot with him. This is a really bad time of year to try to sell roosters and I can't see giving one away when you can get a good meal for all the feed you've put into him.

 

[karmlacres]

Thanks for the info. I'll try to catch him and pinch him. He can have a bad attitude at times. It's an orpington, so really big looking. I think he's gorgeous, but he probably doesn't have much use other than fertilizing eggs. When he was young, my pups got into the chicken pen. He's lucky he survived, because not all of them did. He had one wing ripped off. You can't tell now due to all the fluff on him. And as I recall, he lost some of his tail-end. I don't know if all those feathers grew back or not. I just have too many boys and the family needs to eat....