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Author Topic: Roosters that aren't needed  (Read 2867 times)

Connor

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Northern Ireland
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Roosters that aren't needed
« on: January 20, 2014, 10:34:35 pm »
My chicks are due to hatch this week end so if i get some roosters should i keep them and fatten them up and eat them??

the breeds are silkie and buff orpington bantam?
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shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2014, 10:40:30 pm »
are you good at reliably sexing them? if not keep the chicks incase you kill the females by mistake.  :o :o

iv never kept those breeds so dont know how much meat they have, but if you try it then atleast you'l know for next time.

Hevxxx99

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2014, 10:48:19 pm »
Silkies have black skins which are not very appealling for eating, but I'm told they taste okay...

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2014, 07:22:45 am »
If the Buff Orpington Bantams are the same sexing as the Large Fowl it could be 26 weeks before you know how many cockerels you have, in our experience anyway. That would be the despatch age for the cockerels anyway. Some will sex earlier.


Both your breeds are rather small and I doubt there is much meat on them, but I would fatten and eat them regardless.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2014, 09:22:49 am »
Think of them more as a partridge and you'll have an idea of the meat content.

MelRice

  • Joined Jun 2011
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2014, 09:23:12 am »
....always make good soup cocks anyway.

Bodger

  • Joined Jul 2009
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2014, 10:10:14 am »
If you are able to sex them, I'd cull them straight away. If you want some home bred chicken to eat, you'd be much better off feeding some cockerels from a recognized meat breed. With the birds you've got, you'll hardly get any meat and what you do get, will work out very expensive. With the price of chicken food these days, you've really got to be practical about costs.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2014, 11:59:50 am »
aren't silkies hard to sex?

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2014, 05:25:30 pm »
Yes, we had some and still weren't really sure when someone took them off us for a good price. You can sort of tell but a bit like araucanas you probably need to see it crowing before you cull. It's more about stance than anything else I think. Maybe there are some experts on here who can tell us more.

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Roosters that aren't needed
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2014, 06:41:09 pm »
Yes, I'd keep them and eat them. They make not make the biggest birds, but they'll be tasty. I eat all my spare cockerels - usually kill them around 6 months.

 

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