Roos in PA: I know what I SHOULD do, now how do I do it? or not?

Where this is concerned, I am not like alot of people. I do the deed, and have my kids there to help. Mind you, mine are 11 and 13, but--kids need and IMO are better off knowing where their food comes from. For the roos, there will be enough meat, but dont bother plucking. Skin them, and take the legs too. give the rest tot he cats or dogs. Let them rest in the fridge for a bit, then freeze, or cook. They are good in the crock pot, or simmer them and turn them into soup. I usually do soup. Key is--let them rest- to avoid tough meat, and slow cook, to avoid tough meat. Older roos really make good soup.

 

It's certainly difficult to find homes for pet roosters, but perhaps you could find someone in your area who would want them for meat. Leghorns rarely do get big & meaty, but they are edible.

If you do want to learn how to process chickens, these guys would be good for practice. I found it best to learn by having someone experienced do it with me. Perhaps there's a BYCer in your area with sharp knives & a free afternoon.

What you decide to tell your kids is up to you. Many folks are honest & matter-of-fact about it, letting their kids decide how involved they wish to get in the process. There's another discussion going on right now about this very topic.

No matter where you get your chicks, you should always have a plan in place for your unwanted roosters. When you hatch eggs you don't have a chance of getting 50% roosters, but each egg has a 50% chance of being a rooster. It's like flipping a dozen coins, they all could land on tails.

 

We just processed our first roo last weekend. I'm new to this so I'm still getting used to it. I had to get a certain mind set and make it as fast and painless as possible for him. After cleaning him I put him in a brine solution for a few days then into the slow cooker with an onion and water. The broth was incredible and the meat was tender (he was 5 months old) I made shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches for my husbands lunches. He loved them...

I'm sorry, I can't offer any advice about your children. It's just my husband and me so I didn't have to deal with those issue.

Keep us posted!!!

 

see if you can find a processor in your area if you are not ready yet to do it yourself. This also makes it easier to consume the "pets"

I have done both but prefer using a processor myself


When my ds is a little older I plan to show/teach him starting with quail I think. I think only the parent knows for sure if their kids are ready to understand these things so you would have to be the judge of that. I certainly hope my ds can deal with it lol kids are a lot more understanding nd matter of fact I think than adults.

 

Somebody working at your local feed store can probably point you in the direction of a processor. You might also contact your local 4-H.

My google search for meat processors pennsylvania turned up a long list of game meat processors. I know that's not quite the same thing, but if you look for one that is near you and contact them, they'll probably be able to refer you to someone.

 

Check on the "Where are you?" section of the forum to see if there are any BYC folks in your area who know how to process chickens, or are interested in learning with you. You can also see if you have any friends/neighbors who have experience hunting or fishing & would be willing to do your birds with you.

Or you could bring your birds to West Palm Beach, FL and we can do them together in my back yard...

 

Go ahead and let them turn into full fledge roosters. Full of pee and vinegar. you will NOT feel bad eating them. production birds are just such miserable birds. I hate leghorns.