My experience killing and cooking young heritage breed cockerels

[Poultrybonkers]

I finally bought a plucker this year and it’s the best purchase ever lol I already did so many this year and still got 5 more to pick the best out of then process the rest. I like processing when young anything over a year tastes terrible and rubbery. I also processed quail

 

[Tex452]

Quail are smaller than that and people raise them for meat.

I finally bought a plucker this year and it’s the best purchase ever lol I already did so many this year and still got 5 more to pick the best out of then process the rest. I like processing when young anything over a year tastes terrible and rubbery. I also processed quail View attachment 4152999View attachment 4153000

That’s a nice looking bird, I can’t wait for mine to get big enough to process.
What kind of plucker did you buy?
I’m thinking about getting one.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

That’s a nice looking bird, I can’t wait for mine to get big enough to process.
What kind of plucker did you buy?
I’m thinking about getting one.

I was gonna get the yardbird but somehow thought this was it and thought it was on sale lol

 

[angc11]

Ok more rooster cooking updates. With the last 6 roosters that I butchered at 14 weeks I decided to cut them up into all the different cuts and package separately. So I had 2 lbs of rooster legs that I wasn't sure what to do with because they get pretty chewy when they're just roasted. I was going to try a coq a vin recipe but then I came across a thai curry recipe that uses chicken legs and simmers them in thai curry broth so I decided to use the rooster legs to make it and it turned out really well! Here's the recipe I followed: https://iheartumami.com/khao-soi-chiang-mai-noodles/

The only thing I did different was I had to simmer the legs for about an hour instead of 30 min. After an hour the meat was pretty much falling off the bone (as much as a tough heritage breed free range rooster leg can fall off the bone) so I was able to shred it. The lighter meat was nice and tender but the darker meat was still a bit chewy. However, once I threw it all back in the soup the texture was great in the broth. So if you like thai curry and you have a bunch of rooster legs (thighs would work too), this is a good one to try!

I don't have pictures of the finished product because I was too excited to eat it, but I included some pictures of the legs mixed with thai curry paste and then the legs after they had been simmering for an hour.

 

[Tex452]

Ok more rooster cooking updates. With the last 6 roosters that I butchered at 14 weeks I decided to cut them up into all the different cuts and package separately. So I had 2 lbs of rooster legs that I wasn't sure what to do with because they get pretty chewy when they're just roasted. I was going to try a coq a vin recipe but then I came across a thai curry recipe that uses chicken legs and simmers them in thai curry broth so I decided to use the rooster legs to make it and it turned out really well! Here's the recipe I followed: https://iheartumami.com/khao-soi-chiang-mai-noodles/

The only thing I did different was I had to simmer the legs for about an hour instead of 30 min. After an hour the meat was pretty much falling off the bone (as much as a tough heritage breed free range rooster leg can fall off the bone) so I was able to shred it. The lighter meat was nice and tender but the darker meat was still a bit chewy. However, once I threw it all back in the soup the texture was great in the broth. So if you like thai curry and you have a bunch of rooster legs (thighs would work too), this is a good one to try!

I don't have pictures of the finished product because I was too excited to eat it, but I included some pictures of the legs mixed with thai curry paste and then the legs after they had been simmering for an hour.

I might have to try that

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I decided to do the same thing, I’m tired of the store bought chickens, I’m wanting firmer. And better tasting meat, I incubate any eggs I can get from my, cousin and friends, I don’t care if they are dual purpose or egg layers, I will butcher the cockerels and give the pullets to those that keep me supplied in hatching eggs, I butchered leghorn cockerels before and they were delicious.

Good trade!

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I finally bought a plucker this year and it’s the best purchase ever lol I already did so many this year and still got 5 more to pick the best out of then process the rest. I like processing when young anything over a year tastes terrible and rubbery. I also processed quail View attachment 4152999View attachment 4153000

Wonderful looking!! How many quail can go in the plucker at a time?

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I processed eight 16-20 week old cockerels last week. 3 from my excess Marans at 16 weeks were hefty at 7-7.5 lbs live wt. The other boys gifted to me were 18-20 weeks and pretty scrawny around 4-5 lbs but the breed was EE and olive egger so I skinned them to part out.
we’ll see how they do— I am most pleased with the Marans size. If one wasn’t such a @$&! to the others I would let them go to 18 weeks.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Wonderful looking!! How many quail can go in the plucker at a time?

Prolly a good bit at a time but it tends to rip the skin off