The mean rooster gets the ax. And do you thin down your flock before winter?

[SkyWarrior]

Well, my husband comes in and he says "that barred rock has got to go." Actually, it wasn't the barred rock, but I knew which one he was talking about. It was a feathered-legged cuckoo marans roo that is totally maladjusted. I'm talking he will come at you if you make eye contact with him. He'll ambush you if you turn your back. He's tried it plenty of times with me and got whacked with whatever was handy.

I've been meaning to put him down.

We chopped him and a meatbird and I breasted them out and took the legs. Darn rooster was tough as nails and my knife could hardly skin him. Figures he'd be difficult in death too.

Around here I've noticed a lot of people start thinning their flocks and herds for winter. I picked up a bunch of roos that way that I'm going to put in freezer camp. I've got to thin the drakes and roos in my flock big time. At least I'll have some meat rather than the expense. Do any of you do that to pare down your flock tor the winter?

 

[Life is Good!]

This year, for the first time, I'm going to have to pare down our flock before winter sets in hard.

Seems that we've been 'blessed' by hatching out nearly ALL cockerals! Out of 12 chicks, only 2 are definate pullets (perhaps a third, she's still too small to figure out what she'll be). So yes, this year, we're thinning our flocks by wintertime.

As for your rooster - did you let the meat rest prior to cooking it? If he was older than 5mo, you really need to let the meat sit for a day or two while rigor passes. This allows the proteins to soften and is very very tasty - try pressure cooking older roosters - or even canning the meat! YUM!

 

[bobbi-j]

Canned chicken is great!

 

[SkyWarrior]

I haven't cooked him yet. He was tough dressing him out -- I'm freezing him for a while and then probably using him in a stew.

 

[NobscotFarmer]

I'm faced with having to thin out my flock as well. One of my hens hatched out a bunch of roos and I don't want to keep them all. What kind of knife do you prefer to use?

 

[donrae]

I'll be thinning some homehatched cockerals and probably a few older hens who aren't up to productivity. Feed aint getting any cheaper!

 

[Mrs. K]

I have to thin down too, and frankly have been changing my mind each time I go out. I have hens..... just way to many hens, and heartless as it sounds, my broody hen was very successful and raised up some vigorous chicks...... all of them. I started the spring with coming 3 year olds, and they all just died, one at a time, from old age I am pretty sure. So then I have the hens that really just turned a year in the spring, the Wyandotes are laying well, the Black Austrolorp, soso, but one of those was broody, so I would kind of like to keep her....ugh!

I really should not have gotten that many chicks, but I did not really think any of her eggs were going to hatch, 2 did, and I had already ordered a dozen pullets.

Some how, by October, I need to get down to 10-12 hens and my roo

Ugh!
MrsK

 

[donrae]

Died from old age at 3? I would seriously question that. I've had hens live until 6-7, hatchery birds who were still laying. Even then, they didn't die (that I know of), I sold them.

 

[NovaAman]

I trim out the extra cockerel... Keep the hens.

 

[sourland]

Extra roosters and drakes go into the freezer along with some of the older hens. Pets (yes even an old guy has some pets) stay forever.