What to do with the cockerels?

[HAL-D]

Hello

I have red sex and red x layers and my rooster is a red sex. We got one chick yesterday and I think it's a female because of the red on it's head. We have more we are waiting on and I was just thinking.....what if we get a cockerel? We want pullets not cockerels, I mean no disrespect to anyone, and pardon my ignorance and frankness, but can the cockerels be raised for meat? I know a lot of people raise their birds as pets and our layers and rooster are pets to us, but we have raised meat birds also. It's not the same thing. We don't get attached to the meat birds because you keep the fact that they are being raised to feed your family in mind the whole time. Can red sex and red x cockerels be raised for meat? and if not, then what does one do with the cockerels?

Thank you for any instruction on this!

 

[Anndan]

A lot of people will sell their cockerels on craigslist or even on here in the for sale section. Or even give them away for free to people who want them. You might even have a local poultry auction somewhere near you that you can take them to.

 

[keesmom]

You can certainly raise the excess cockerels for meat. Many here do. They will take longer to mature than meat chicks. Depending on what age you butcher them the cooking method will change, but I find they make outstanding stock.

If you end up with a bunch of them you will likely be glad to see them go once the hormones and crowing commences.

 

[mymilliefleur]

Absolutely! We fatten up our excess cockerels and process them between 4 and 6 months. Keep in mind they will not be as tender as Cornish X's, but we find them perfectly palatable, even when roasted or fried.

 

[donrae]

I have to point out, your chicks are second generation sex links, thus they're basically mixed breed birds with no sex linkage at all. Color won't indicate what gender they are, pretty much all your birds will be some variety of red and white. Sex linkage is a one time cross. So, you'll have to grow your birds out to 6ish weeks to see who is what gender.

I eat my excess cockerels. We really don't like butchering, but unless I want to start culling them as chicks, that's pretty much our option. I literally can't give them away around here, and why should I give away all that $$ I've invested in feed? Might as well have a nice pan of enchiladas, IMO.