I culled my first cockerel, now what?

[McChooky]

If it's still young enough you might find this video helpful with skinning so you don't have to deal with all the feathers.

They get everywhere when you hand pluck and I don't cull enough to invest in a plucker.

He'll be the first one I kill and process to eat. I'm mixing the breast meat with store bought chicken breasts and will make soup out of him after a couple days in the refrigerator.THanks for the video!

 

[McChooky]

If it's still young enough you might find this video helpful with skinning so you don't have to deal with all the feathers.

They get everywhere when you hand pluck and I don't cull enough to invest in a plucker.

When I was growing up the neighbors got together and processed hundreds of chickens.They'd place a big galvanized steel tub full of water over a fire to dunk the chickens in before plucking them.It stunk to high heaven

 

[redinator]

When I was growing up the neighbors got together and processed hundreds of chickens.They'd place a big galvanized steel tub full of water over a fire to dunk the chickens in before plucking them.It stunk to high heaven

I don't think my neighbors would appreciate that, lol. They haven't complained about the roosters, so I don't want to push my luck.

 

[NatJ]

I've never processed and eaten anything I've ever raised but my rooster will be the first.I already know his legs aren't going to be good to eat(read too many posts to believe anything else)I'm field dressing the sucker and only eating the breasts

Oops. I don't cook old roosters. Or if I do, they are used for broth only and the meat gets shredded, mixed with brown rice, coconut oil and nutritional yeast, frozen into balls and fed to the dogs. They have NEVER complained!

Any meat that is tough, I just pick off the bones and chop small, then put it in some dish that uses small bits of meat (soup, chicken salad, chicken-noodle casserole, lots of other dishes.) If you chop it small enough, it doesn't really matter how tough it used to be

 

[redinator]

Either my chickens are vegetarian or my cooking is really bad, lol. They're all standing around staring at the carcass.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Either my chickens are vegetarian or my cooking is really bad, lol. They're all standing around staring at the carcass.

Chickens can be so funny with new things.

 

[kattabelly]

Either my chickens are vegetarian or my cooking is really bad, lol. They're all standing around staring at the carcass.

Is it their first time being given anything like that? It sometimes takes a while to work out that new things are food. If any of them will eat from your hands, pull a tiny scrap off and offer it to them.

 

[redinator]

Is it their first time being given anything like that? It sometimes takes a while to work out that new things are food. If any of them will eat from your hands, pull a tiny scrap off and offer it to them.

I did and the poor chick got clobbered. They still wouldn't touch the carcass, lol.

 

[kattabelly]

I did and the poor chick got clobbered. They still wouldn't touch the carcass, lol.

They'll probably work it out after a while.

 

[redinator]

They'll probably work it out after a while.

I left it in the yard for a bit. I just have to remember to pick it up before I let my dogs out.