What is prime rooster eating age? (PR)

[BBQNuggets]

We have 3 roosters and intend to keep 2 of them. They're only 8 weeks old at the moment. One is a sweet bantam that has so far been quite a gentleman, and the other two are production reds (sexed pullets, my ***!). One has started testing me and will bite and peck at my hands when I reach in for their feeders, the other seems to mostly just stay away from me.
So my question is, at what age can you really determine what their personalities will be, and what's the best age (as meat is concerned) for sending one to the freezer? I don't want to keep feeding the extra one any longer than necessary, but want him to be meaty enough to make it worth-while! I also don't want to pick one based on his personality now if that could change down the road.

 

[iwiw60]

How many hens do you have? You may only need to keep one roo.

 

[BBQNuggets]

23 hens. I was thinking about keeping two because I really like the little bantam, but then also keeping a Red around for possible breeding if we ever decide to hatch some chicks.

 

[KristineY]

I'm curious about this myself because we culled a 12 mo old Roo (had wry tail) and it was tough as heck (I've since been told that the only use for an old Roo is soup or slow and low cooked (like coq au vin). I have 7 or 8 young cockerels now and I need to better understand when they will be ready to process. (EE's and Legbars)

 

[aart]

I'm curious about this myself because we culled a 12 mo old Roo (had wry tail) and it was tough as heck (I've since been told that the only use for an old Roo is soup or slow and low cooked (like coq au vin). I have 7 or 8 young cockerels now and I need to better understand when they will be ready to process. (EE's and Legbars)

You also need to let meat sit for 2-3 days in the fridge after butchering for rigor mortise to pass or it'll be tough no matter how you cook it. Not sure how at many months old you can still grill or roast or bake instead of low and slowing them.

 

[Greenreeper]

Heritage butchering ages

7 to 12 weeks for broilers,
12 to 20 weeks for fryers,
5 to 12 months for roasters
12 months+ for stewing fowl.


This is a little tidbit I found while doing research on heritage breeds and saved for reference in a google doc. Not sure how accurate it is and this is my first time keeping chickens, my first post as well.....

I needed to know as well, looks like I have 8-10 cockerels from my first batch of 14 straight run heritage breeds. About 16 weeks seems the ideal time for cockerels.

 

[donrae]

For my mixed breed boys I go around 5ish months. I've done up to 4 years, you just have to adjust cooking methods.

 

[aart]

For my mixed breed boys I go around 5ish months. I've done up to 4 years, you just have to adjust cooking methods.

At what ages and how do you adjust your cooking methods?

 

[donrae]

I guess I meant adjust from CX type birds. Pretty much all my dp meat gets cooked some type of moist cooking. Crockpot, pressure cooker, simmered, etc. I don't roast or grill any dp birds, too dry imo.

I do love the pressure cooker. If you're only doing a few birds, you don't have to rest the meat if you can just get it in the cooker. We went from this



to this



in just over an hour. About 40 minutes in the pressure cooker, then the time to let it cool off enough to pick the meat. I can fit lots more quart bags in my freezer than whole chicken carcasses!

I also just roll the broth from one bird to the next in the pressure cooker. Finish the first bird, lift out the pieces, leave the broth. I might strain it if I can't get all the pieces out, but the liquid goes back in to cook the next bird. Do 4 birds or so with the same liquid, then simmer it down to really, really concentrate it. Pour in ice cube trays and freeze, then pop out and put in gallon baggies. One of those cubes has super-concentrated chicken flavor!

 

[aart]

I guess I meant adjust from CX type birds. Pretty much all my dp meat gets cooked some type of moist cooking. Crockpot, pressure cooker, simmered, etc. I don't roast or grill any dp birds, too dry imo.

I do love the pressure cooker. If you're only doing a few birds, you don't have to rest the meat if you can just get it in the cooker. We went from this



to this



in just over an hour. About 40 minutes in the pressure cooker, then the time to let it cool off enough to pick the meat. I can fit lots more quart bags in my freezer than whole chicken carcasses!

I also just roll the broth from one bird to the next in the pressure cooker. Finish the first bird, lift out the pieces, leave the broth. I might strain it if I can't get all the pieces out, but the liquid goes back in to cook the next bird. Do 4 birds or so with the same liquid, then simmer it down to really, really concentrate it. Pour in ice cube trays and freeze, then pop out and put in gallon baggies. One of those cubes has super-concentrated chicken flavor!

That sounds like a good process. I just got a pressure cooker....only cooked pinto beans in it so far, but plan on trying the next rooster in it.