So When Should I Process My Dominique Cockerels?

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, so I have half a dozen Dominique cockerels just coming up to four months old and they're getting a little size to them. They don't seem to be getting too hormonal yet, although I don't know if that affects the meat at all. They are currently in a bachelor pen with a nice, mild rooster and the pen is adjacent to a large run containing hens and pullets. I've seen one of the cockerels chest-bump another followed by a little sparring, but that's it. All the boys, rooster included, sleep on the floor of a coop in a huddle.

All of which is to ask those of you who process/ butcher dual- purpose birds: when should I plan on processing these guys? I plan to do two or three a week because that's what I can fit in my fridge to age a bit before freezing. Hoping I'm not two months too late already! But they didn't really start putting on size until recently.

Thanks for any advice, suggestions or tips you care to share!

 

[STACEYH]

I cull roosters about 5/6 mos old.
If you haven't culled before this is pretty much how I do them.

 

[LaFleche]

5-6- month is usually the age I process dual purpose breed cockerels.

To prevent them from getting worked up by the sight of the females, I keep them in a separate coop and run where they will not see females at all. This keeps them much calmer and they gain weight faster as they don't lose energy fighting all the time.
Their meat will be more delicate/tender too, as stress hormones are not flowing.

ETA: What are you feeding them? This also has an influence on their development.

 

[aart]

I process cockerels at 14-16 weeks.
Still tender enough for the grill, and just before they get too rambunctious.
If I'm lucky they won't be full of pin feathers so I can enjoy that crispy grilled skin,
otherwise I skin them.

 

[Molpet]

Depends on how you want to cook them

 

[Ridgerunner]

They don't seem to be getting too hormonal yet, although I don't know if that affects the meat at all.

It does. When they hit puberty and the hormones start flowing the meat develops flavor and texture. I butcher both pullets and cockerels, the difference is evident. Some cockerels hit puberty at three months, some not until five months or even later. Some people like that flavor change, some don't. The hormones are what can give it a gamey taste.

They are currently in a bachelor pen with a nice, mild rooster and the pen is adjacent to a large run containing hens and pullets. I've seen one of the cockerels chest-bump another followed by a little sparring, but that's it.

Some people say they have problems in a bachelor pad if the boys can see the girls. Mine are just across a fence and I haven't seen any problems. We are all different and each flock has it's own dynamics. That's part of what makes this so interesting to me.

All of which is to ask those of you who process/ butcher dual- purpose birds: when should I plan on processing these guys? I plan to do two or three a week because that's what I can fit in my fridge to age a bit before freezing.

As you can see by the responses we all have our preferences. My personal preference is 23 weeks which suites my goals and how I manage and cook them. I generally start thinning them out around 16 weeks for my own reasons, freezer space limitations and I only do a half dozen at a time part of that. Plus I'm usually selecting which cockerel I might want to keep as a breeding rooster so I eliminate the rejects first to make that selection process easier.

My suggestion is to probably start now with a couple and see how that works for you. Like a lot of things chicken it might take some trial and error to find your personal sweet spot.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I cull roosters about 5/6 mos old.
If you haven't culled before this is pretty much how I do them.

Thank you, StaceyH. I do not do the butchering. We have a nice Mennonite lady nearby who charges me $2 a head to do the job.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

5-6- month is usually the age I process dual purpose breed cockerels.

To prevent them from getting worked up by the sight of the females, I keep them in a separate coop and run where they will not see females at all. This keeps them much calmer and they gain weight faster as they don't lose energy fighting all the time.
Their meat will be more delicate/tender too, as stress hormones are not flowing.

ETA: What are you feeding them? This also has an influence on their development.

Thank you for your response. They don't seem to even be aware of the girls at this point and there is no fighting. We have nowhere else to put them, so I guess we'll start processing when it gets to be a problem.

They are getting 18% all-flock like everybody else, along with a little scratch twice a day and a few mealworms. As in, about half a cup of scratch shared among the seven of them. Do you recommend something different/ better?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I process cockerels at 14-16 weeks.
Still tender enough for the grill, and just before they get too rambunctious.
If I'm lucky they won't be full of pin feathers so I can enjoy that crispy grilled skin,
otherwise I skin them.

Oh boy, so I'd better get started, thanks!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Depends on how you want to cook them

View attachment 2934368

Thank you. I notice soup and stew are not on this list. Does this come under the category of "fowl"?