How to raise cockrells to eat? And how to hummanly kill - tell me all

[Mrs Chickens]

Hi I have hatched out several chick's and they are now getting to the age that I can pretty much tell whos a boy and whos a girl.

I already have a cockrell so the male chickens need to go at some point (there are 3)

I would like to use them to their best and hopfully eat them, if anyone can tell me the best way to get them fat,
kill them and then prep to eat it would much appreciated.

Heres some back ground info - They will be 20 wks old in a couple of weeks, they have been free ranging for the last 5 or so, fed pellets, greens, corn any other good treats going but they are in a group of 12 in total.

I have been told to but them in a seperated small pen to fatten them is this correct? (I quite like them being in the group at the mo because it helps keep the coop warm)

Many thanks

 

[HEChicken]

If you do a search of the meaties sub-forum, you should be able to get most of the information you need. I was in the same boat, having got a straight run of chicks in August. I spent quite a bit of time reading the posts on the meaties forum, which taught me a lot, and I was able to successfully (and humanely) process my three excess roos a couple of weeks ago. We roasted one, crock-potted one and froze one. The two we have eaten so far were very good - not in the least tough as I had feared. Good luck!

 

[Mrs Chickens]

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction I was also worried that they would be tough so glad to hear that they may not be the case

 

[rhoda_bruce]

When I feel they are about the size I am pleased with, I put them on deathrow....aka the playhouse. They have access to only what I give them, and I keep them on cracked corn, not so much to fatten them, as to clean them out. It seems to me, if I give them all the natural things, like grass and bugs, that I can taste an extra wild flavor to the meat.....which I can hang with that also. If I kill them within just a few days of being on deathrow, they still have a lot of grass in their gizzards and it taste very gamey. But I'm a country girl, so I don't cry about that much.
As to fattening them.......I want meat, not fat. I rather high protein and a big meaty body, but regardless.....I will kill them not only to provide me with meat, but to provide my pullets with more food.
Now about killing them........I hang them upside-down and slit their throats. They flap around, which allows more bleeding and offers me a cleaner bird, with less blood. Besides, I am really bad with neck breaking. When they are certainly dead, I start plucking.....dry plucking. I am offended by the smell of scalded chickens. I have done that also, but thats just another mess for me to clean and then I won't want to eat those chickens, until I can get the memory of the smell away from me. I keep them hanging and start plucking right there. Its a skill. You have to be quick with your movements, without being rough or you will damage the skin. You get fast with practice and determination, but in the beginning I was very slow. The cutting part can be tricky and might require some studying and practice, but in time if you know exactly where and how to cut, you can become very good at it. Otherwise you have to clean out the birds extra........I soak my chicken meat a few times anyway before cooking or freezing.