[Kier]

We have 3 bantam boys that we are unable to give away or sell so the prospect of them being culled is growing ever closer. I'm a bit sad tbh as i would of preferred them to go on and be breeding birds for other people however that plan isnt working too well,If they are culled then i will put the meat to good use (altho i cant imagine theyre will be much) the question is - are they best dispatched the way you would dispatch a "normal" hen/cockeral? I have done this before but only once,i used the wring its neck method and it worked really well. Any advice/tips are appreciated.
Cheers

[doganjo]

I don't remember what area you are in, Kier, but is there anyone nearby who could advise you?  Sorry I can't help, I'm a wimp and will only kill one of my birds if it is in distress/ill.

[bamford6]

carnt do it ether

[Roxy]

I know we all end up with more cockerels than needed, but there seems to be so many around, and people struggle to rehome them.  Culling them is the route a lot of people go down.  But I cannot do it myself, thats why I have lots of cockerels. 

I had a silkie hen with what looked like mareks disease.  I asked the farmer who rented our land to dispatch it.  He admitted he was ok with turkeys, and hens, but had never pulled the neck of such a small bird.  I closed my eyes while he did it, but unfortunately he treated it like a big bird, and apologised when he handed me back the silkie with a detached head!!

So, think maybe there is a slightly different way of dispatching a bantam, to avoid what happened to mine.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi,

  I have managed to find a home for my bantams so have avoided this. I have found some useful info on the internet by searching" how to humanely dispatch a chicken" It seems that the method is the same for a bantam as a larger bird but without as much force.

There is a man in warwickshire who homes cocks, check out "unwanted poultry rehomed" on this site or The Poultry Site.

Good luck,

 

[Roxy]

Good you have managed to rehome your bantams!!

I have seen that mad advertising, and there is another one around too.  Goodness knows how he manages to rehome all the cockerels he takes in,  - he must be inundated with people wanting him to take them.  I have the view that I  reared the cockerels, and they are my problem, and its not fair to ask someone else to take them on, and try and rehome them. 

[Sharondp]

Maybe he runs a restaurant business on the side!

[piggy]

I have just been to a poutry auction today and the cockerals were going for between 50p and a £1 a piece.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi,

     its something that I am going to have to do if I am to keep letting my hens hatch chicks. Another ones gone broody this week. Unfortunatly she is a bit ditzy and she spoiled \ ate the majority of the 6  eggs I gave her earlier this year. So I dont think its worth putting any more under her. She is also very stroppy with my other birds chicks if there is food around so I wouldnt like to put chicks under her incase she decided to attack them.

  You can buy a dispatcher which crushes their necks which would probably be effective on youn bantams. If you prefer to wring their necks then I think the best way to learn how to is to get someone who knows how to do it to show you what to do.

Good luck!

 

[Helencus]

Don't wish to rain on any parade. I took my 6 light Sussex cocks there. I naively thought they were going to be re homed unloaded then asked.. They were going in the pot. As he said what can you do with unwanted cockerels??? Maybe as yours are small it'll be different. I felt guilty tho as it was really up to me to sort them in my mind if they were dispatched and I wimped out.

[scattybiker1972]

so hes filling his freezer with free chicken? bit of a misleading ad that people will want to find new homes rather than kill the chickens but their gonna be killed anyway,after you took them there too.

[Helencus]

I can't speak for what happens to other cocks but it turned out that yes that was what was going to happen to mine. So yes a bit misleading but tbh I  was told the truth when  I asked outright. Hubby was cross when he found out said he'd have loaded them back into the crate but again tbh we're looking for an answer to the problem of what to do with unwanted cockerels. He provided a solution not quite what I thought though so I just wanted to make it clear to others this isn't necessarily a rehoming option.

[confused]

To me this is the problem many would be "farmers" amongst us come up against we find it hard to differentiate between self sufficency and pet keeping, i'm lucky that i was brought up amongst animals, used to helping at the "pig killing", turkeys/ geese, at xmas, pet lambs to buy school clothes ,etc,  my wife on the other hand !!?? found it hard to eat the free range eggs!! and imagined a wee fluffy chick inside every one , She is slowly learning , now its ok if its been in the freezer ,she reckons it is'nt so personal if it comes out a plastic bag .

[Helencus]

You're absolutely right confused. I have to say it's actually made me face up to the fact that if I hatch eggs I have to take responsibility for dispatching the cockerels. I did actually keep 3 1 cause I wanted to keep him and 2 cause they were limping a bit so thought they'd be difficult to rehome.. Anyway I've decided that 1 is for the pot this weekend. It'll be difficult to do it I'm sure but I'm sure the chicken will taste nice and at least I will be sure he had a brilliant life and his end will be swift and painless.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi,

    I didn't know that the "unwanted poultry rehomed" place in warwickshire was where the cocks ended up on the table! When I phoned to enquire I pointed out that my bird was not show quality so I wondered if he would still be interested. He said that wasnt a problem but it needed to be 24 weeks old. I would have felt a real idiot if I had traveled all that way to provide some one with a sunday lunch. ( well mine are bantams so it would be a very small lunch)

   I dont have a problem dispatching my birds or eating them but I just dont know how to do it and dont want to do a bad job and cause my birds any pain and distress. I think I need to find someone to show me how its done then I can know that my birds have ended their days as they have lived them, with care and respect.

  Your posting has made me wonder how many people respond to those "cockerill FTGH" adds for reasons other than to give the birds a good home. I think its better if I dispatch my own birds as I will know exactly what has happened to them.

  Thanks again for the info, you have really given me some food for thought.