Roosters had to go

[ihavechicks]

Well, we finally had to kill off four of our six roosters. I only had three girl chicks & two days ago, they killed her. They ganged up on her and snapped her neck. So, today my sister & brother in law came over and taught us how to skin our roosters. Luckily, I did not have to be near them when they killed them, but I did help with the skinning. It was tough but my girls are so much happier now. We are going to bring a few more girls home tonight from my sisters. Can't wait to start getting eggs again. They have been so stressed over all of the roosters that they quit laying about a month ago. I miss all of my boys but I know that it was the right thing to do & now we have fresh meat for the freezer.

 

[txcarl1258]

 

[teach1rusl]

Depending on how many more girls you're bringing home, you might want to process one more rooster. One rooster is plenty for ten hens. Unless your roosters are extremely courteous and gentle (which doesn't sound like the case, since they killed a pullet), you'll want that high proportion of pullet to roos.

 

[paddock36]

Don't forget to let the meat rest for a couple of days before you freeze it.

 

[ihavechicks]

Thanks for the advice. We are watching both roosters very closely. By the way, why do you have to let the meat rest for a few days before you freeze it? Just curious. We are new to this. Thanks.

 

[M To The Maxx]

 

[paddock36]

Just like all animals they go through rigor. So you want to let the meat age in the fridge for a couple of days before freezing.