Roosters to hens ratio

[Jac Jac]

I can’t do it!
Did it once and I had nightmares for weeks. Thanks goodness I have a friend that would do it for me though

I'm with you on that; I just can't do it myself. Need someone soon to butcher a few roos for me. Trying to keep peace by using four bachelor pads...now this is getting crazy.

 

[Jac Jac]

Oh, I can't either! I mean, I can cull a chicken if it's suffering (through tears!), but I hire out my butchering, I'm old and beyond learning how to do it efficiently. I'm fortunate to have an Amish woman in the community who dresses them out for a dollar a head. Can't beat that.

Wouldn't matter to me as long as they did a humane job of cullin; I need them yesterday.

 

[Manhen]

but I hire out my butchering,

How do you find such a folk?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How do you find such a folk?

It was word of mouth. A relative told me about her. Do people hunt in your neck of the woods? If you know a hunter, ask who processes their meat. Go there or call them and ask if they process chickens and if you can bring them live in a dog crate. If they don't, they may know who does. Good luck!

 

[aart]

It was word of mouth. A relative told me about her. Do people hunt in your neck of the woods? If you know a hunter, ask who processes their meat. Go there or call them and ask if they process chickens and if you can bring them live in a dog crate. If they don't, they may know who does. Good luck!

This particular one does deer for hunters (my neighbor referred me to them). I guess beef as well, it sounded like he knows what Kroger buys and the place is not a hole in the wall. According to him it was illegal for him to take chickens. Because of the other meats and how his facility was built and worked I imagine. Anyway, I did the math on what it takes to get as many eggs of the variety I wanted and now I realized it's a lot lot lot of birds. So the ratio of roosters will be high unless I can do something besides let them loose on the farm. Those EE roos are quite....active. Just not top in the flock is all.

 

[Jac Jac]

It was word of mouth. A relative told me about her. Do people hunt in your neck of the woods? If you know a hunter, ask who processes their meat. Go there or call them and ask if they process chickens and if you can bring them live in a dog crate. If they don't, they may know who does. Good luck!

My brother could do it, I guess. He only lives 80+ miles one way from me and I don't drive any more. I really don't know any one closer to me.

 

[cmom]

I think my three cockerels were processed at between six and seven months old last summer. Two were EEs, one was a BL. None had a huge amount of meat, all went into the crockpot till falling-off-the-bone tender, then chopped and made into dumplings or a rice casserole. Plenty of meat, tender and delicious. I tried roasting a roo of uncertain age. Let me just say, I'll never do that again!

I tried roasting one too and it was like eating shoe leather. Chicken is cheap at the store so now I buy it at my local butcher shop. I get more money from the ones I no longer want at the local farm swap. It helps offset the price of the feed.

 

[cmom]

What about the pet food industry? Don't a lot those males and layers, after their prime laying yrs, go into the pet food industry? The pet food market is a multi billion dollar business annually. It's hard to imagine that commercial chickens producers don't find a profitable way to make use of all those birds that are either not laying or not large enough for the meat market.
I do feel that our food production, whether for people or pets, is somewhat of a paradox. On one hand we are told that there is an abundance of food produced that is wasted annually. And, on the other hand, we are told we have to use potentially harmful farming methods because we have to feed the world. And, yet there are still masses of starving people throughout the world, including right here in the USA. Go figure.

I think you are correct. After the birds have layed during their prime time they are sold for pet food. Years ago I worked in retail. In the beginning if there was a product that was un-sellable for some reason such as pet food, it would go to a local animal shelter but then there were some groups that complained because of it so then it was no longer made available to the shelter and had to be thrown out. What a waste.

 

[Manhen]

I think you are correct. After the birds have layed during their prime time they are sold for pet food. Years ago I worked in retail. In the beginning if there was a product that was un-sellable for some reason such as pet food, it would go to a local animal shelter but then there were some groups that complained because of it so then it was no longer made available to the shelter and had to be thrown out. What a waste.

Not so much. Sick dogs in a kennel are bad. Try working there when a bad batch gets in. Pet food is engineered to result in regularity. Eat your fiber!

 

[cmom]

The feed donated to the shelter wasn't bad it was maybe like a bag that was torn open so it wouldn't get put on the shelf.