The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Oneeyedhen on July 05, 2012, 09:37:00 pm

Title: Eating the boys!!
Post by: Oneeyedhen on July 05, 2012, 09:37:00 pm
There's quite a bit of chat about disspatching and eating susplus cockerals at the moment. I was wondering if anyone has advice on what age to keep them too and how long, if at all, we hang them for after disspatching.
Thanks  :farmer:
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: MAK on July 05, 2012, 09:48:11 pm
we kept 3 until they started to scrap a little. Having been told that they will fight to the death or seriousley wounded we despatched 3 of Nelson's sons ( named by his owners Nelson had one eye and a bad limp thru fighting).
We cleaned the birds and cooked them 2 days after ( coq au vin).
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: kegs on July 06, 2012, 11:07:54 am
I dispatched ours as soon as they started crowing.  So far we've eaten Hubbards, Light Sussex and Faverolles, and we just dispatch, pluck, gut and freeze (as we haven't got anywhere to hang them) and they've been very tasty!
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: nic99 on July 06, 2012, 03:06:49 pm
I have so far only eaten one of my boys, a RIR. He was 6 months old and tasted great after being made into coq au vin in the slow cooker. I was suprised at the amount of meat on him considering he was free range. Not much on the breast, but his legs were very chunky. He wasn't hung at all, but rested in the fridge for a couple days after being chopped into multiple segments. I have another, a maran, that is 18 weeks and I think will be going this weekend. He is getting a bit too big for his boots and I think will likely become aggressive soon. He has started bullying his brother of the same age. I will let you know if there is a noticeable difference in the amount of meat between the two ages.
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 06, 2012, 04:30:03 pm
i hang mine intact, for anything up to  a week in winter, less in summer. personally i think it makes the flavour better and the meat is much more tender. its an acquired taste tho, and they do hum when your gutting and skinning.
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: Anke on July 06, 2012, 04:57:04 pm
Ours are not hang as such, maybe a few hours to bleed out, then we only take the breast and legs off (leave skin and feathers in carcass, also no gutting) and then coq au vin, or curry in the slow cooker. Usually do two at the time. My first hatch this year was 9 males and 5 females, so the boys will be reduced in numbers soon, one is starting to crow (they are 14 weeks now and mongrels of mainly maran with some RIR and Lght Ssx in there too).
 
For us it is usually not how old they are, but how troublesome which determines the swift end...
 
For roasting we normally rear a batch of proper meat chicks.
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: Bionic on July 06, 2012, 05:02:43 pm
Anke,
Are you saying you don't pluck them?  If so it would be much easier to do it your way.
Sally
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 06, 2012, 05:04:08 pm
i dont pluck either. just skin and gut them. but thats no good for roasting...
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: Anke on July 06, 2012, 06:09:46 pm
Anke,
Are you saying you don't pluck them?  If so it would be much easier to do it your way.
Sally

No we do not pluck nor gut the spare males from our own breeding for replacement layers. Althouhg they do grow quite big in the end, it would take too long and is not really economical, so we only take legs and breast for a slow cook any time after 14 to 15 weeks (when they start crowing). For roasting we rear meat chicks (not sure what breeding, they are white... ::) ), and these are plucked and gutted for roasting. Depending on the weather they may be hung for a day or so, longer in autumn. Plucking is quite time consuming and with Carpal Tunnel syndrome in both hands I cannot do it for very long....
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: in the hills on July 06, 2012, 06:13:50 pm
My neighbours skin and do not pluck their birds - then in the slow cooker/casserole.
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: Pasture Farm on July 06, 2012, 08:58:01 pm
Neck them then hang them by their feet. Pluck them while they are warm the feathers come out really easy. Leave them for 24 hours an then gut and remove head and feet. One roast ready for the oven :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: Oneeyedhen on July 06, 2012, 09:53:41 pm
Thanks , cant wait to try one but they're a bit young yet I think  :yum: :yum:
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: jaykay on July 06, 2012, 10:01:46 pm
I don't eat mine til they're 6 months old and as they're very free-range, they have tough legs and taste quite gamey. They're ok slow roasted but it has to be for ages, much better as coq au vin  :yum:
Title: Re: Eating the boys!!
Post by: nic99 on July 08, 2012, 02:25:02 pm
We did the deed on one of our 18 week maran boys yesterday. Definitely less meat on him than the 24 week RIR, so if you can put up with the nuisance factor, better to leave them as long as you can. Though with only 2 to compare I by no means class myself as an expert!