Processing non-meat breed cockerels

[2ndTink]

Check the USDA regulations if you are in the USA. If you are somewhere else I don't know what the regulations are but check your regulations

In the USA a veterinarian's prescription is required to give the commercial meat birds antibiotics and certain withdrawal times are required depending on what the specific antibiotic is before the bird can be slaughtered for meat. And there is testing required to make sure the levels are as low as they are supposed to be.

I'll copy an excerpt and the site I got it from.


Key regulations for poultry antibiotic use

• Veterinary prescription: Farmers must have a veterinarian's prescription to purchase and use antibiotics that are medically important to human health.
• Prohibition of growth promotion: The use of these antibiotics for growth promotion or "production purposes" is prohibited. They can only be used to treat or prevent disease.
• "Withdrawal" period: A mandatory "withdrawal" period is required after an animal is treated with antibiotics to ensure they are out of the bird's system before it is slaughtered.
• Residue testing: The USDA's FSIS randomly tests poultry at slaughter to ensure that antibiotic residue levels are not above the tolerance level. Products with unacceptable residue levels are removed from the food supply.
• Veterinary oversight: The FDA's Guidance for Industry #213 requires veterinary oversight for all medically important antibiotics used in food-producing animals.

https://www.google.com/search?q=usd...1Lje4B_QJwgcFMC40LjnIBzE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp


You can read anything on the internet, including stories like this. Sometimes they are total fabrications, sometimes they leave out pertinent details. I have no doubt stuff like this can happen, but it is not because of a total ban on antibiotics, at least in the USA.

We're in the US, I think it more has to do with the company who owns the chicks the farmer is raising. I think it is Perdue who has ads on the TV about their chickens having no antibiotics ever. That is where some of the farmers are not able to give antibiotics even when needed.

I kept things a bit vague, but the story is from my neighbor, it was his poultry houses with the sick chicks and he lost in the neighborhood of 10,000 chicks from the one set, they knew what was wrong and how it could be treated but weren't allowed to do anything. It was awful

 

[Poultrybonkers]

What breeds do you do and what weights do they dress out at?

Project Wyandottes. And it’s enough meat for me and it’s only me so it works lol

 

[2ndTink]

Project Wyandottes. And it’s enough meat for me and it’s only me so it works lol

Nothing wrong with that!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Nothing wrong with that!

They about this size though I never weighed them Tho

 

[Tex452]

I always process my males at 12-16 weeks. They are the most tender at that age.

I do the same, but I keep an eye on how many pin feathers they have, white cockerels always seem to have way less than dark chickens, especially the red ones, but then again you can skin them.
The Yeild isn’t anything like the Cornish x, but they are really good eating.

 

[FunClucks]

They about this size though I never weighed them Tho View attachment 4251301

Wish my unwanted cockerels looked like that! Some of mine are 2/3 that size.

 

[Tstraub]

Great write up I enjoyed hearing your experience. I’ll add some of my experience for anyone interested.

I proceeded 11 cockerels all mixed breed the sire is a BMC, dams included EE, OE, Wyandotte, Barred Rock, ect. They were just over 14 weeks old they dressed out between 2.8-3.3 pounds most were really close to 3 pounds even.

I deboned one for grind but only managed to get a pound of meat. It tasted good but wasn’t worth the effort for a pound of meat. The rest of that carcass went into the roasting pan with 6 others to cook as shredded chicken. We got about 7 pounds of cooked chicken off those seven birds. We made broth from the bones, necks, and feet. Will be canning the broth later today so I don’t know how many quarts yet. The other 4 got shrink wrapped and frozen.

I’m sure I could have just bought chicken for less money and no effort but knowing where it came from is worth it to me. I started a flock of American Bresse this past July so hopefully next year we’ll get larger birds for butcher.

 

[CoopBoots]

I do this too, as part of keeping a multigenerational flock. Hard work but worth it. I have a deeper respect for the food chain and my place in it. It's so different when you've seen the living creature and you know what that chicken dinner costs, so to speak. Trying to teach this sense of gratitude to my kids.

Something that helped me out (as I struggle to do more than 2-3 in a session) is finding local folks that want cockerels for tamales. I let them go cheap if I really need them gone due to time constraints. I definitely don't make money.

Best part is doing a coq a vin and then broth with the leftovers. I barely buy store broth anymore--it freezes and can be popped out whenever.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I do the same, but I keep an eye on how many pin feathers they have, white cockerels always seem to have way less than dark chickens, especially the red ones, but then again you can skin them.
The Yeild isn’t anything like the Cornish x, but they are really good eating.

Pins are a pain if you hand pluck. I use to. Now I have a plucker and it takes care of that lol

 

[2ndTink]

Great write up I enjoyed hearing your experience. I’ll add some of my experience for anyone interested.

I proceeded 11 cockerels all mixed breed the sire is a BMC, dams included EE, OE, Wyandotte, Barred Rock, ect. They were just over 14 weeks old they dressed out between 2.8-3.3 pounds most were really close to 3 pounds even.

I deboned one for grind but only managed to get a pound of meat. It tasted good but wasn’t worth the effort for a pound of meat. The rest of that carcass went into the roasting pan with 6 others to cook as shredded chicken. We got about 7 pounds of cooked chicken off those seven birds. We made broth from the bones, necks, and feet. Will be canning the broth later today so I don’t know how many quarts yet. The other 4 got shrink wrapped and frozen.

I’m sure I could have just bought chicken for less money and no effort but knowing where it came from is worth it to me. I started a flock of American Bresse this past July so hopefully next year we’ll get larger birds for butcher.

That's really good weights for that young, you have found a good cross in your flock. I did have an odd cross this year, an Ameraucana and a slight built hen, those cockerels were super lanky growing up, but they filled in at the end and they were over 4 pounds dressed out

Nothing beats homemade chicken broth and knowing exactly how the chickens were raised, processed, and how the broth eay made

I'm curious about the Bresse, once you process I'd love to hear your experience!