Roosters (for eating) best / worst?

[chickennow]

Hey all, I am looking to get roosters off of craigslist here and there, to practice chicken raising/ butchering.

Have a few questions:
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-What rooster breeds are the ''ones'' to stay away from? (too tough etc)

-Age that would be too tough, on average?

- What size ''pet carrier'' for one rooster for four hours in a cool climate? Am looking at a 12 x 20 but that seems just a bit small (random breeds)
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-Craigslist has random ''roosters'' and sometimes older chickens for free, at least once a week, so before I try and raise my own, I can get some experience with the end aspects of chicken raising.

Thanks!!

 

[garp94]

there are no types or ages to avoid, you just might need to cook them differently according to age or the amount of meat on them

Go into the recipe and butchering threads on how to prepare older birds.
[ in general the older birds need to be cooked slow and with moisture: braised,stewed, crock pot, pressure cooker. Many, me included, think the older birds have more flavor]

some breeds have more meat than others. In general, the egg layers have less meat and tend to be just used for soup.

Good luck.

 

[Wyandottes7]

there are no types or ages to avoid, you just might need to cook them differently according to age or the amount of meat on them

Go into the recipe and butchering threads on how to prepare older birds.
[ in general the older birds need to be cooked slow and with moisture: braised,stewed, crock pot, pressure cooker. Many, me included, think the older birds have more flavor]

some breeds have more meat than others. In general, the egg layers have less meat and tend to be just used for soup.

Good luck.

Agreed.

 

[donrae]

We had a member here years ago that charted her journey of doing this same thing. I want to say her username was booker81...do an advanced search for her and see if you can find her posts.

 

[popsicle]

I'm not sure, but 12x20 is probably more space than a battery hen lives in full time. I think that might be fine for 4 hours--but it really depends on how big the bird is. I find a good temporary transporter is a tomato box (or lettuce, pepper, apple, etc)--they even already have holes in them--you could ask at your local produce department or restaurant if they have any that aren't smooshed yet.

I've processed and eaten quite a variety of cockerels. Small young Yokohama and Sumatra, older New Hampshire roosters, to much older layer hens--they all taste like chicken. But resting in the fridge and cooking method is essential to an enjoyable meal.

My biggest concern with Craigslist birds is perhaps the uncertainty of health of the birds, as well as what they've been fed. If you bring in birds from several sources at a time or in short succession, they can make each other sick if they are harboring parasites.

 

[chickennow]

Thanks for all the replies! These are Colorado Roosters, generally responsible people, so hopefully parasites wont be much of an issue.

What about if I need to keep overnight for a few days (in Suburbia)? What size pen would be good, and how do you keep them from crowing in the AM? Keep them in the dark?

 

[popsicle]

They'll crow in the dark. I think the only thing to do to keep them from waking neighbors is to insulate the sound.

The general rule for chicken coop housing is 4 sq.ft./bird. I don't think it would take a very big pen in the garage to keep them for a few days.

 

[BantamLover21]

They'll crow in the dark. I think the only thing to do to keep them from waking neighbors is to insulate the sound.

The general rule for chicken coop housing is 4 sq.ft./bird. I don't think it would take a very big pen in the garage to keep them for a few days.

x2