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

[LReardon]

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 butchering 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...

I've sold or given them away. I like them, but afraid they will upset neighbors.

 

[Kessel23]

I like to have at least 1 Rooster for every 10 hens, my birds free range a lot and when a predator attacks my rooster will let everything on the property know about it. If I end up with to many I give them to my friends who lost there roosters to predator attacks. If all my friends have roosters then they can go in the freezer. I could eat them more often but I get meat birds to raise and eat and I don't really like to waste my time setting all my butchering stuff up just to get a 3lb freezer snack. If my meat birds reach eating size and I have lots of extra roosters at the the time of butchering then I usually cull them too.

 

[aart]

Mostly I eat them, just finished off a pot of cockerel soup.
It's a PITA to sell them or even give them away,
I post them for sale but rarely get a taker,
easier to just slaughter, rest, and freeze.
They are in the freezer by 16 weeks...still tender enough to grill for that crispy skinned deliciousness and before they start causing trouble. Nope, not much meat but the grilled bones make excellent stock.

 

[aart]

I sell them at auction after they are grown can get more than 50 a good one

$50 for a grown cockbird!?!?!

Did anyone else struggle the first time or am I the only soppy git? Is it easier after the first time?

Absolutely!!..my first cockerel was segregated all winter while I got up the nerve and planned equipment. It doesn't really get easier, you just kinda get used to it.

By the way... in case anyone is feeling guilty about eating commercially raised chickens, check out Perdue's website and their very recent strides towards welfare of broiler birds. I am really impressed.

Well, I've got bridge for sale. haha! All marketing BS.

The thing I haven't seen mentioned yet (unless I missed it) is the difference between store bought chicken and home raised chicken. Even when you butcher them at a younger age, they have so much more texture and flavor than those mushy, tasteless chickens you buy at the store. You don't know it, because you don't know the difference yet. But once you start eating your home raised birds, you won't go back to the store stuff.

Ate my first homegrown bird years ago that a neighbor gave me, a CX, cut it up and grilled it just like I do store birds. Thought it was a tad tough and definitely a different flavor. Ate off that bird all week, liking it more and more, then the next week got a store bird...and gah! almost yuk! Big diff!

One thing very important thing to remember when slaughtering your own birds,
let the cleaned carcass rest in fridge for 48-72 hours for rigor mortis to pass before cooking or freezing, otherwise can be tough as old shoe leather.

I still don't like butchering my spent hens, just in case she has one left in her!

IKR!?! But sometimes it's got to be done for winter population reduction. I eat those shelled eggs tho...and definitely harder to slaughter a hen, or even an old cockbird, than a cocky cockerel.

 

[BantyChooks]

Well, I've got bridge for sale. haha! All marketing BS.

I don't think so. I've seen said marketing techniques, and well there is definitely some of that aspect to the new revisements, I think there are some actual welfare improvements happening.

 

[aart]

I don't think so. I've seen said marketing techniques, and well there is definitely some of that aspect to the new revisements, I think there are some actual welfare improvements happening.

I dun-nooo....I wouldn't believe unless I saw it with my own eyes...in person.

 

[BantyChooks]

I dun-nooo....I wouldn't believe unless I saw it with my own eyes...in person.

Did you read stuff on their site? They're working on a way to give biosecure tours.

 

[aart]

Did you read stuff on their site? They're working on a way to give biosecure tours.

Yep, have seen some of their spiel....sorry, long time marketing skeptic here,
I don't believe it any more than I believe the 'cage free', 'free range', 'pastured', etcetcetc.

 

[BantyChooks]

Yep, have seen some of their spiel....sorry, long time marketing skeptic here,
I don't believe it any more than I believe the 'cage free', 'free range', 'pastured', etcetcetc.

We'll agree to disagree. Like I said... I think plenty of it is marketing, sure, but I also think there are some actual changes.

 

[Folly's place]

You can believe 'cage free', etc, when you read the actual descriptions. Not what we like to think 'cage free' means, at least to us, but still, followed to the letter and not beyond.
Mary