Official BYC Poll: What do you do with your roosters?

[Rachmaginger]

Thanks for the photo! What a great idea.

Btw I see you're from NZ. My daughter and I were on the North Island for two weeks last summer. Such a beautiful place and friendly people.

Sounds like you came over at the right time! When the borders reopen.... in like 10 years .... you will have to go to the South Island, that is where the beauty is

 

[feather13]

Sounds like you came over at the right time! When the borders reopen.... in like 10 years .... you will have to go to the South Island, that is where the beauty is

I was on the North Island for work and loved it, but have heard that the South Island is even more stunning. Maybe in 10 years, hopefully sooner...In the meantime we have NZ tv and films to watch

 

[bobbi-j]

I just put 5 cockerels in the freezer.

 

[SusanMc]

We all know the importance of having a "rooster plan" when raising chicks. My first option is to sell mine. If I cannot sell I give them away and if I'm really stuck I have the option for them to go live on my friends farm.

I do eat chicken but personally I would find it difficult to butcher a chick I've raised. Fortunately I've never had to do it. I'm really interested to know what you all do with your boys...


(Check out more Official BYC Polls HERE!)

I am new to chickenkeeping, and at first did not have a plan other than foolishly hoping for hens . My first batch of chicks born in may, 4/5 were Roos, and second batch 2/6. A customer who was at our farm to pick cherries, asked for two of the roosters. They said they were for pets. The son had them named before they left the farm. But my last two cockerels are going to be butchered. I cannot at this time butcher . I raised those chicks, with my heart and soul. For the last two I charged 10 dollars. Was that too cheap?

 

[electrycmonk]

I am new to chickenkeeping, and at first did not have a plan other than foolishly hoping for hens . My first batch of chicks born in may, 4/5 were Roos, and second batch 2/6. A customer who was at our farm to pick cherries, asked for two of the roosters. They said they were for pets. The son had them named before they left the farm. But my last two cockerels are going to be butchered. I cannot at this time butcher . I raised those chicks, with my heart and soul. For the last two I charged 10 dollars. Was that too cheap?

Charging $10 it's a crap shoot from my humble perspective. Looking on our local Craigslist and I see "free to over $50 a Roo".

I have no way of telling as your user ID info doesn't even show a basic idea of where on this planet your located.

As for our rookie run with chickens...
A) we didn't have any Roo plan other then the ignorant plan for hens.
B) we kept them all and put them in a batchelor pad
C) I'm not ready to be the butcher for "freezer camp" as we have raised them all as basically pets that produce eggs for us.
D) with the covid-19-mare even offering them for free has mearly produced "crickets" for us so.....

E) ideally speaking, I'd like to think I'll be better prepared for choice "C" above in a year or so.....but, who knows.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Butchering your own bird isn't difficult, especially if you don't mind cutting it into pieces rather than a whole bird, and faster yet if you don't mind sacrificing the skin (eliminates the need to scald & pluck feathers).
In future, and until you are comfortable with raising your livestock with the full intention of processing them for your dinner table, name them things that remind you of food. A-la-king, A-la-orange, Omelet, Kay-Ef-Cee, you get the idea. It is totally possible to lovingly care for your cockerels up to the bitter end. Be pleased with the knowledge that you raised them with dignity, respect and compassion; knowing that you offered them a life far superior to that found at any big-chicken-farm-for-meat establishment.
If after all is said and done, you still cannot bring yourself to process your own meat from them, you may wish to find someone that will process them for you; you might even be able to offer them x-number of birds in exchange for their labor.

 

[electrycmonk]

Butchering your own bird isn't difficult, especially if you don't mind cutting it into pieces rather than a whole bird, and faster yet if you don't mind sacrificing the skin (eliminates the need to scald & pluck feathers).
In future, and until you are comfortable with raising your livestock with the full intention of processing them for your dinner table, name them things that remind you of food. A-la-king, A-la-orange, Omelet, Kay-Ef-Cee, you get the idea. It is totally possible to lovingly care for your cockerels up to the bitter end. Be pleased with the knowledge that you raised them with dignity, respect and compassion; knowing that you offered them a life far superior to that found at any big-chicken-farm-for-meat establishment.
If after all is said and done, you still cannot bring yourself to process your own meat from them, you may wish to find someone that will process them for you; you might even be able to offer them x-number of birds in exchange for their labor.

I appreciate the philosophy and compassion. I'm going to just share this [here] as it may help others down the road as well.

I grew up on a small lake up north, initially. Taught how to fish, and then prepare them as well. Learned about but, never did any "real hunting". I'm a veteran w/PTSD stuff. It's on hold since end of February due to our fun covid-19-mare. I hope to be able to get to a point when/where I'll be ready to do this stuff you refer to so well at some point down the road. That should give you a peek at where I'm coming from and not some glib random user ID. I am not looking for pity or any such blah blah blah - so I hope that will suffice.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Never mistook you for a random user ID.
Once was a time when I couldn't imagine processing my birds for meat. I'd never so much as cut up a whole chicken from the grocery store until after it was cooked. While I wrestled with the notion of processing my excess cockerels, my neighbor (bless her heart), processed the cockerels for me. Her 'pay' was one bird out of four (25% of the birds she processed) and she got to pick which of those she wanted (and assumed she'd take the largest). The arrangement was good for me and good for her as she was a single mother raising five kids. As time went on, she invited to teach me how to process them (the scald and pluck method); eventually I agreed to take her up on the offer of lessons. Years later, a few youtube videos, and some trial and error, I've worked out how to process them in a way that works for me, and my arthritic hands, with little to no waste.
Each step along the road towards self sufficiency is a learning process, one that must be taken at your own pace and in your own good timing.
Thank you so very much for sacrificing your peace of mind and your innocence to maintain or bring peace to our country and/or its allies.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

I sometimes just keep extra roos to make my turkeys behave.

 

[cmom]

Saturday I took a dozen 6 month old cockerels to our local farm swap and sold them all. I'll take the last dozen I have left to sell in a couple of weeks. It helps with the feed bill.