Young cockerels- is it worth it to raise & butcher? Are there other options?

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Not sure if this is the best place for this question- but it isn’t really a question about meat birds, so I hope it’s okay here.

Is there anything that can be done with young cockerels (3-8 weeks) that you do not have a need for? I don’t like the idea of culling a bird without giving it a purpose.

In my current group of youngsters, I have 2 cockerels I could easily identify as early as 2 weeks as being certain they were male. So now I know these guys are going to be wind up being processed in the future, but I don’t know if it’s truly worth the time & effort to raise them until they’re big enough for freezer camp. I also have a 7 week old that’s already proving to be a jerk.

Could they be butchered and used like tiny Cornish game hens? (How DO they clean those things out, anyways?) Or even as dog food? Or chicken food?

If there’s really no way to use them until butchering age, my next question is at what age do you separate them from the pullets? And what do you feed them that helps them bulk up and is preferably cheaper than all flock feed? They are mixes of dual purpose breeds, mostly Orpington and Wyandotte.

And just to be clear-
-Rehoming isn’t really an option because no one around me wants roosters, especially at these young ages.
-I have a good-line up currently of roosters and don’t want/need/have the hens for any more.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

Yes, you can use them for meat at an earlier age. I usually grow mine until 12 weeks or so when their behavior starts to annoy me or the hens. I skin mine and that is pretty easy when they are young so even though I don’t get as much meat as if I waited until 20 weeks, it’s easier to do the work.

If they are very small you could see if there are any raptor centers or animal sanctuaries near you that could use the carcasses whole.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Do you make bone broth or your own stock? I have butchered bantam cockerels and a cockerel that was 5 weeks because he became a nightmare. They all made great bone broth!

 

[NatJ]

Could they be butchered and used like tiny Cornish game hens? (How DO they clean those things out, anyways?) Or even as dog food? Or chicken food?

Yes to all of those.

Some people butcher Coturnix Quail (adult live weight often about 6 ounces). If you are dealing with very small chickens, you might look for threads on butchering and cooking quail.

There can be shortcut processing methods that save time as compared with the "usual" methods. For example, if you intend to cut the bird up anyway, you can cut it wide open to get the guts out (much easier than trying to work through a small hole.)

 

[Morrigan]

Could they be butchered and used like tiny Cornish game hens? (How DO they clean those things out, anyways?) Or even as dog food? Or chicken food?

If there’s really no way to use them until butchering age, my next question is at what age do you separate them from the pullets? And what do you feed them that helps them bulk up and is preferably cheaper than all flock feed?

To answer in order.

-- No they will be too small and scrawny. Their genetics and body shape are nothing like cornish game hens. If you are adventurous, you might kill and toss whole to your dogs. My dogs, at least, will kill and eat wild quail.

-- I don't separate them from the flock. I leave them there until the they make a nuisance of themself . Usually anywhere between 12 and 16 weeks. At that point I butcher and find them big enough to be worth the effort. For me at least. I like a 3 lb heritage bird and find it preferable to me in taste and texture than supermarket chicken.

-- There really isn't anything you can feed them to bulk them up. To save money, feel free to give them any non harmful table scraps, yard weeds, etc., to supplement regular chicken feed.

Good luck with this all. There is no right answer, only for what is best for you.

 

[Sally PB]

I know you said you do not want it, but if you have the space you could make it into a show rooster. They can make you money if they win, and they make good money at auctions. Someone I know sold theirs for $1000 at an auction once. Just a suggestion.

This would only work if the rooster is show quality.

Yes, bury deep and well.

Two feet down, at least, so that raccoons or other animals won't be able to smell it and dig it up.

I did this in my garden. The plants that grew in that spot grew VERY well. A carcass has a LOT of nutrients to add back into the soil.

 

[Sally PB]

How would you go about making bone broth?

If you have a pressure cooker, it's a piece of cake. Everything I learned, I learned from this:
https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-bone-broth/

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I doubt at that age it would be worth the effort to use as a food item, there’s not much meat on em yet. You can cull now and compost if you don’t have the desire to grow them out for freezer camp. Freezer camp gets old, I hate waiting to cull the roosters too. They’re jerks, or one grows on you and you wonder if he’d be a good addition or replacement.

You can compost them?

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I know you said you do not want it, but if you have the space you could make it into a show rooster. They can make you money if they win, and they make good money at auctions. Someone I know sold theirs for $1000 at an auction once. Just a suggestion.

I assume they would need to be a certain age in order to show, and probably a pure breed? i don’t know much about it. Ultimately I’m trying get rid of the cockerels earlier but without them going to waste, and like IgorsMistress said, before I grow more attached to them, and to make more space.

 

[igorsMistress]

This would only work if the rooster is show quality.

Two feet down, at least, so that raccoons or other animals won't be able to smell it and dig it up.

I did this in my garden. The plants that grew in that spot grew VERY well. A carcass has a LOT of nutrients to add back into the soil.

Yup, I had a big pile when I did it and dug a hole to bury them. Also, the blood bucket gets dumped in the compost too.