Young Cockerel question

[Lindesu]

Yup, those two are cockerelsView attachment 3588896. Usually older females help teach younger boys manners, but if you're absolutely sure you don't want them, then off they go

Our last cockerels had our girls featherless across the back and butt. Boys would pull them down, breed them then pullout feathers .

 

[Lindesu]

Those are the two suspects. Our last cockerels had our girls featherless across the back and butt. Boys would pull them down, breed them then pullout feathers .

 

[Lindesu]

If you want tender meat, and as much of it as possible, then yes you have to picky about when you butcher. But they are edible at any age and any size, as @Ridgerunner said.

Young ones will be more tender than old ones, while old ones are more likely to be bigger. Either way can be better, depending on your personal goals.

You can also consider whether one time is more convenient for you than another. You might be extra-busy one week, or want them gone before they crow, or have some other reason to just butcher them at a certain time regardless of size.

What is the best age for size and tenderness? Funny but true story, when we were young and dumb we harvested some hens who had been free-ranging for several years. Toughest birds I ever ate!

 

[Lindesu]

If you want tender meat, and as much of it as possible, then yes you have to picky about when you butcher. But they are edible at any age and any size, as @Ridgerunner said.

Young ones will be more tender than old ones, while old ones are more likely to be bigger. Either way can be better, depending on your personal goals.

You can also consider whether one time is more convenient for you than another. You might be extra-busy one week, or want them gone before they crow, or have some other reason to just butcher them at a certain time regardless of size.

What age do you recommend?

 

[fluffycrow]

Our last cockerels had our girls featherless across the back and butt. Boys would pull them down, breed them then pullout feathers .

Feather absence hurts the keeper more than it does the hen. As long as they're not causing wounds, the hens don't really care. How old were the females that were with the cockerels?

 

[Lindesu]

Feather absence hurts the keeper more than it does the hen. As long as they're not causing wounds, the hens don't really care. How old were the females that were with the cockerels?

They were the same age. As soon as the males reached full sexual maturity, the assaults started and never let up. I agree, it was more me than the girls, but they looked awful. Said I would never have another male.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I personally like them to be 23 weeks old but for you I'd suggest 16 weeks might be a good age. How tough they are depends a lot on how you treat and cook them.

When you butcher them age the meat about three days in an ice chest or in the fridge. Keep them cold until rigor mortis passes. Part them out into serving pieces. Then rinse those pieces. Then put a rough cut carrot, a stalk of celery, and onion, and two cloves of garlic in the bottom of a baking dish with a lid that closes tightly. Coat the pieces if chicken with herbs. I usually use basil and oregano because I like them and grow and dehydrate them myself and usually have a couple of quarts around. Use whatever herbs you like. Thyme or parsley also work well. Flavor it however you want. Then cover and bake that for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. That's not a typo. 250 F.

When it is done carefully remove the serving pieces with a slotted spoon. Carefully, the meat could easily fall off of the bone. With one chicken you should have about a half cup of liquid in the bottom of the baking dish. If you strain that liquid you have the best chicken broth you have ever had.

After your meal come back on this thread and tell us what you thought of it.

 

[fluffycrow]

They were the same age. As soon as the males reached full sexual maturity, the assaults started and never let up. I agree, it was more me than the girls, but they looked awful. Said I would never have another male.

That makes sense then. Usually hens would nip that behaviour in the bud, and males raised with hens are usually some of my best (towards chickens), but since your previous males were raised with pullets of the same age, pullets don't know how they should react to a maturing cockerel

 

[NatJ]

What is the best age for size and tenderness? Funny but true story, when we were young and dumb we harvested some hens who had been free-ranging for several years. Toughest birds I ever ate!

I've eaten old hens-- after simmering them in water until the meat fell off the bones. If it wasn't tender enough, I chopped it into small pieces before eating. It's good in chicken soup, tacos or chili, chicken pot pie, or similar dishes.

I really can't say what is the best balance of size and tenderness. They keep getting bigger until they quit growing. And tenderness seems to go down gradually with age, so there's no obvious point to say "this is best."

At one time it was common to divide chickens into categories like the following:

• Broilers: Chickens 6-8 weeks old and weighing about 2 1/2 pounds
• Fryers: Chickens 6-8 weeks old and weighing 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 pounds
• Roasters: Chickens 3-4 months old weighing over 4 lb.

(quote from https://eatstayfarm.com/2019/10/chickens-what-is-the-difference-between-fryers-broilers-and-stewers/)

You need a more tender chicken if you want to fry or broil it, but you can roast it when it is a bit older and less tender. At older ages yet, you have "stewing chickens," and it's pretty obvious what to do with them.

Those categories are mostly ignored now, since Cornish Cross meat chickens can be heavier than anything lister while they are still young enough to be tender (broiler or fryer tenderness, beyond roaster size.) But the old guides are handy for other kinds of chickens, like what you have.

Personally, I like to dispatch chickens when it's convenient, and then decide which recipe is appropriate for the age the chicken happened to be. I see @Ridgerunner has a suggestion that looks tasty!

 

[Mrs. K]

If they are layer breed - it is not going to be KFC. I did an older rooster once, and a pressure cooker did not tenderize it.

I like to do my cockerels around 16-20 weeks. These birds I make broth and can that, and can chicken meat and broth - for use in casseroles and soups.

Mrs K