The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Sudanpan on February 03, 2015, 02:19:40 pm
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Been meaning to despatch our young cockerel for the last 2 months now (!) but other things kept getting in the way. As he got older and his hormone levels rose there was a notice-able increase in stress levels in the chicken run. Mr Cockerel was having a hard time keeping his hareem protected.
The youngster had worked out that the hens would leave the protection of Mr C when they returned to the hen house to lay, so he would ambush them on the way back - at which point Mr C would come haring over and jump on the hen himself to assert ownership. It seemed that the hens felt unable just potter around scratching and mooching, they spent most of the time being guarded. It was very obvious which hens were laying as they were bearing the scars of ll the treading, with loss of feathers on their backs.
So yesterday Master C presented me with an opportunity not to be missed - he got himself caught up in the pigeon netting over the run so I was able to catch him very calmly.
We are having roast chook for supper tonight.....
Piccy is of the flock yesterday morning - Phil the pheasant had joined in for the morning corn! Master C is the gold neck feathered one top right.
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Same situation here, except we have three adolescents, who are into gangbangs. They are definitely going but we just need to find a time when I can do all the plucking, degutting etc.
It always seems such a shame to bump off beautiful cockerels :chook: but they do become horrible pests.
We have a Gilbert too - that's the cock pheasant.
Enjoy your roast tonight :yum:
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I overwinter the young cockerels in the group they were raised in, with an older "Peacekeeper" cockerel to keep order. By the time they start to get stroppy it's also time for them to be split up and put with the breeding hens for that year.
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Our tame pheasant is called Phil too. It's a small world. Always comes up for a bit of corn when it gets cold.