Green Rosie
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When to kill a cockerel for meat?What do people recommend as the best age for killing cockerels for meat. We have 6 destined for the pot and OH is getting hungry?
Also one of them has had some black marks on his comb (looks like the small galls you can get on leaves) and now the comb is rotting back a a bit? Any ideas what is happening?
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judith
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The right time is when they look big enough.
Seriously!
Pick one up and feel how heavy he is. Is that worth plucking? If not, wait a bit longer.
The black marks are likely to be dried blood - probably a bit of pecking going on. Never encountered receding combs, though.
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BahamaMama
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as soon as they start to squawk 
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Green Rosie
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| BahamaMama wrote: | | as soon as they start to squawk |
Funny you should say that .....
Judith - as for weight - they are refusing point blank to get on the scales so I'll have to overcome my fears (  ) and pick one up.
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dpack
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smart critters chooks
when they are plump 
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judith
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| Green Rosie wrote: | | they are refusing point blank to get on the scales |
They are awkward like that, aren't they?
If they are only just starting to squawk, they are possibly a bit on the small side - I would probably wait a little longer. As a ball-park age, I would say between 5 and 6 months.
ETA Try picking one up at night while it is asleep on the perch. Much less flapping and bother than during the day.
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Green Rosie
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They are just over 4 months so a bit young maybe. I will try the picking them up at night technique.
Not been able to find anything out about the black comb on the net - the cockerel in question seems healthy and happy but I will try and get a closer look.
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vanessa
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It does also depend on the breed. Some never get fat, and so are really only good for boiling-fowl. I've currently got 5 mixed-breed coqs penned-up for fattening ... 3 look close to ready, 2 (all same age) look miles off!
They are 21 weeks old BTW.
On the other hand, we have a cream legbar coq who is only 3 weeks younger, and he'll be at least 5 months before he's anywhere near big enough to eat.
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TAVASCAROW
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Vanessa has a good point about penning them.
I had a load of maran cocks free ranging, when I got around to killing them they where tough as they had been chasing hens for a few weeks.
Confine them in a pen away from the hens & feed them adlib.
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vanessa
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Penning them not only "rests" their muscles a little, but it also gives them a change to put on a layer of fat, which makes for a good roaster.
Oh, and remember not to eat a bird the day you've killed it ... the meat needs at least 24 hours, preferably a little longer, before cooking.
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Green Rosie
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Well the cockerels have been given a reprieve for a few weeks - by co-incidence they have just been confined to their field whilst the hens are back on free range. That way we can give them different foods for their needs and try and tempt the girls back into laying.
The cockerel with the funny comb still seems fine so maybe it was a pecking injury 
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