How to explain to kids we are culling the cockerel

[Acre4Me]

Accidental cockerels do happen. We bought 7 female chicks from a hatchery, but 2 were male. We’ve bought straight run, and got males. Some were dinner, some went to auction.

Since your husband hunts and likely processes the meat to some extent, use this as a learning tool. Typically I approach these kind of things in a matter-of-fact way. Just state what the situation is, and what will occur. Give them the option of seeing the process. Yes, they should know he will be dinner, even if they don’t eat any.

Don’t forget to let the carcass rest for 2-3 days in the fridge. More tender that way.

 

[noregerts]

IMO things are sheltered to much from kids. Death and the way of nature is two main one. If you explain it in a way that helps them understand that chickens are food for people. And sometimes when a rooster is mean he is food. I personally can’t eat a pet. I give them away but let whoever take it that he was mean. As long as I don’t know he was dinner and not my dinner it doesn’t bother me. I have always been this way. I got attached to one of our calves growing up. When he was butchered I refused to eat beef for a long time, of course cried like a baby when I found out to. I was so mad at my dad. Lol.

Any way I guess it is up to you how and depends on your Kidd’s on how or if you tell them.

I'm the same way. I eat chicken and I eat beef but I just can't bring myself to eat my own. We tried having cattle for a while but after we slaughtered the first one and brought it home in bags it turned my stomach and I never could eat it and it kind of makes me queasy to this day to think about it.

 

[varidgerunner]

I'm the same way. I eat chicken and I eat beef but I just can't bring myself to eat my own. We tried having cattle for a while but after we slaughtered the first one and brought it home in bags it turned my stomach and I never could eat it and it kind of makes me queasy to this day to think about it.

I'm guessing you didn't see your family slaughter cattle and process the meat from the time your eyes could focus clearly. Children seem to have a much harder time grasping the roles of food production animals when they aren't exposed to it until they are like 26 years old.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I grew up on a farm. We always knew... chickens, pigs, cows, all were potential food. I remember being sad about the sweet cows going to slaughter, but it was just... idk, normal.
Hulling peas and plucking chickens for Sunday dinner was just part of everyday life.

 

[chickens really]

Just tell them the truth. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for even at a young age.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think kids will follow your lead. If you act all sad and sentimental, and grieve over the process, the kids will think that is the right way to be, and will be traumatized. If you handle it in a casual, matter of fact way, like harvesting pumpkins and potatoes, it will be no big deal to them either. Good luck.

 

[ShannonR]

I just tell my 2 year old that's where chicken nuggets come from. I let him watch the butchering process-- he gets a real kick out of it.

 

[varidgerunner]

I just tell my 2 year old that's where chicken nuggets come from. I let him watch the butchering process-- he gets a real kick out of it.

Exactly. Let kids be kids. Kids that are running around taunting each other with chicken entrails don't grow up to be squeamish adults with no grasp of reality. (My littlest always wanted the foot, no matter what we were butchering, don't know whether she will be a podiatrist or a taxidermist yet. Sheltering them from everyday life and death struggles is no help to anyone as a society. With the proper guidance they should have enough compassion to not waste a chicken leg that some chicken died to give them, yet not lay in the chicken aisle of the grocery store drenched in red paint with signs up everywhere. There is a balance if you let them find it through experience.

 

[slordaz]

Have you tried letting your husband catch him and walking around a good 10-15 minutes with him under his arm?

Our Houdan cockerel was not aggressive but he was very flighty/behaved badly when picked up. So we would hold him 5-10 minutes and walk around the hens basically showing him and them who was in charge. If he tried to get away or misbehave we would peck him on the neck with two fingers.

He's gotten a LOT better now. This was only after doing it 2 to 3 times. It's worth a shot, especially if the kids like them.

I thought barred rocks were supposed to be friendly/docile?

not necessarily, each one is an individual, I had one with my first flock that free ranged on 5 acres, while he was an awesome flock protector he'd take on a hawk he killed a couple ferals that had tried getting after the hens roosting, and had to keep the gate closed because if you didn't let the person on the property he would attack, he would also go after you if you wore the wrong shoes out there. He got along great with the young cockerel and they worked good as a team keeping the hens safe, but if we wanted to have people over he had to be locked up. When he wouldn't break of bad behaviors he went to freezer camp

 

[slordaz]

Our 4 month old cockerel has now scratched my son once and jumped on me yesterday. No kids are allowed in the coop in the meantime but our cockerel has to go.

We’ve told the kids we will be getting rid of him but do we tell them he will be dinner? (Neither our 5 or 7 year old eat chicken so they wouldn’t actually eat it regardless if they knew).

He is A barred rock and was supposed to be a she. So I hadn’t totally thought this part through.

My husband is a hunter so it doesn’t phase him as I’m guessing it’s no different than other birds. Grouse, turkey etc.

That is a hard one, it's good they learn the realities and responsibilities of keeping food animals and pets, each parent knows their kids best though so it's a decision you will have to make. But my son wished I had explained things more than just doing it I found out after the fact.