Best Weight to Process Dual-Purpose Cockerels

[GlicksChicks]

I hatched chickens for the first time 10 weeks ago. My pullet to cockerel ratio was pretty good! 4 cockerels to 8 pullets. I am keeping all the pullets from the batch but not the cockerels.

I have been trying to sell them since I have known they are cockerels and there has been no interest at all, so I am thinking they will be going to "Freezer Camp."

The cockerels were seperated from the girls about a week ago and put into a large dog kennel that I am using as a temporary chicken tractor that I move around my yard. I have given them treats that were high in protein like tuna, cooked black beans and pinto beans, and they have chick feed always available with minimum 20% protein. I also give them corn and scratch feed every now and then for some more fattening.

I weighed them in today.
The biggest one weighed in at 3 lbs 5.2 oz
The smallest weighed in at 2 lbs 3.5 oz

The other 2 were:
2 lbs 10.3 oz
2 lbs 9.4 oz

How close would you say they are to butchering? What is the average weight for butchering dual purpose cockerels.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

I find the older my roosters get the tougher they get because of the constant chasing hens. I would wait for them to reach at least another pound or so before butchering them.

 

[GlicksChicks]

I find the older my roosters get the tougher they get because of the constant chasing hens. I would wait for them to reach at least another pound or so before butchering them.

My roosters will not have the problem of getting tough because they are kept with just the 4 of them away from any other chickens.

Okay, so wait until they are 3-4 lbs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't worry about weight. Some dual purpose cockerels can grow a lot bigger than others of the same breed at the same age, let alone different breeds and crosses. You saw that with your weights. To me the criteria is how do you want to cook them, how important is size to you, and are there behavior issues that might make you want to butcher them earlier.

The hormones of puberty adds texture and flavor to cockerels, much more than the girls. Individual cockerels mature at different rates, even siblings of the same breed. Some people like the flavor difference but some don't. They call it "gamey". It is an individual preference but if you are used to supermarket chicken the flavor can put you off. The more they mature the more the flavor intensifies.

The "texture" may mean you can't fry or grill them after a certain age. They become too chewy. Again this is somewhat up to individual tastes and different cockerels mature at different rates. Most people are OK with grilling and frying at 12 weeks, some are very happy at 14 weeks. You can roast them from 16 to 20 weeks, as always depends on individual tastes and maturity. After that you may need to use them in soup, stew, a pressure cooker, or bake them.

At 12 weeks there is not much meat there at all, mostly bones. 16 weeks seems to be a sweet spot for many people to butcher based on growth and texture. I personally like to butcher cockerels at 23 weeks. By then they have pretty much hit the peak of fast growth, any weight gain after that is going to be slow. And it suits the way I cook them. I'm only feeding two people. We easily get two meals out of a cockerel plus a couple of lunches.


You've separated them so behavioral issues aren't a concern. Many people like to butcher them when they start bothering the girls.

Regardless of age or how you cook them you need to rest them to get past rigor mortis. One standard way is to put them in a cooler with ice or ice water until you can freely wiggle a joint. Some people do that in a refrigerator. If you don't age them properly they can be so tough they are inedible. Some cockerels may take a couple of days, some can take longer.

Like most other things there is no one perfect answer for every one of us. We have different set-ups, goals, experiences, and desires. What works well for me may not work that well for you. Sometimes trial and error is the best way to decide what works best for you.

My roosters will not have the problem of getting tough because they are kept with just the 4 of them away from any other chickens.

Yes they will if you let the hormones go too long. It has nothing to do with chasing the girls.

Good luck!

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

My roosters will not have the problem of getting tough because they are kept with just the 4 of them away from any other chickens.

Okay, so wait until they are 3-4 lbs?

Ok. I would, yes.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I hatched chickens for the first time 10 weeks ago. My pullet to cockerel ratio was pretty good! 4 cockerels to 8 pullets. I am keeping all the pullets from the batch but not the cockerels.

I have been trying to sell them since I have known they are cockerels and there has been no interest at all, so I am thinking they will be going to "Freezer Camp."

The cockerels were seperated from the girls about a week ago and put into a large dog kennel that I am using as a temporary chicken tractor that I move around my yard. I have given them treats that were high in protein like tuna, cooked black beans and pinto beans, and they have chick feed always available with minimum 20% protein. I also give them corn and scratch feed every now and then for some more fattening.

I weighed them in today.
The biggest one weighed in at 3 lbs 5.2 oz
The smallest weighed in at 2 lbs 3.5 oz

The other 2 were:
2 lbs 10.3 oz
2 lbs 9.4 oz

How close would you say they are to butchering? What is the average weight for butchering dual purpose cockerels.

Wrong questions, right intent. @Ridgerunner covered it well below.

You butcher when you have the right ratio of tenderness/flavor for your purpose - the weight is what it is.

That's largely time based, not a weight based decision. How hefty your birds will get in the time allotted is a factor of genetics - breed and invidiual bird variation (and gender) will have a lot to do with it.

Younger birds are easier to butcher - I can do it with my bare hands till its time to start parting them out.

On a mature bird, the ratio is roughly 70% of live weight = carcass weight (absent head, feathers, intestines). Roughly 70% of that weight is your meat yeild with good butchering. A 3# live weight bird should yield almost 1.5# of useable meat and organs (heart liver gizzard). Very young birds of most breeds have a higher bone/meat weight ratio - the skeleton needs to develop before the meat can be hung on it.

I don't fry, so I don't take my birds extremely early. I bake, or sous vide. Both can give very good results at 16 weeks +/-. Baking prefers younger birds. Sous vide is more forgiving. Or I take birds much older, at which point its stew, stock, or sausage. Older birds are tougher and more flavorful - when sexual maturity hits in those males, there is a definite, and irreversable, change in flavor. Before that, they will be more hen-like (but leaner) and can have some subtle influence from what you feed them - but my palatte isn't that discerning.

I like a three day rest, minimum. Brining helps with moisture retention, but not tenderness. Marinades should be either high acid and short on thin pieces for quick cooking or low acid and longer to give the marinade time to reach an osmotic balance throughout the bird. Buttermilk and yogurt-based marinades work well for that. Older birds stand up to the flavor of a curry nicely. No reason you cant rest and marinate at the same time - ezymes in the marinade can help break down long proteins, but not if you are using a strong acid base (bitter orange, lemon juice, etc) - you will end up with a dry, "mealy" textured bird.

 

[GlicksChicks]

I don't worry about weight. Some dual purpose cockerels can grow a lot bigger than others of the same breed at the same age, let alone different breeds and crosses. You saw that with your weights. To me the criteria is how do you want to cook them, how important is size to you, and are there behavior issues that might make you want to butcher them earlier.

The hormones of puberty adds texture and flavor to cockerels, much more than the girls. Individual cockerels mature at different rates, even siblings of the same breed. Some people like the flavor difference but some don't. They call it "gamey". It is an individual preference but if you are used to supermarket chicken the flavor can put you off. The more they mature the more the flavor intensifies.

The "texture" may mean you can't fry or grill them after a certain age. They become too chewy. Again this is somewhat up to individual tastes and different cockerels mature at different rates. Most people are OK with grilling and frying at 12 weeks, some are very happy at 14 weeks. You can roast them from 16 to 20 weeks, as always depends on individual tastes and maturity. After that you may need to use them in soup, stew, a pressure cooker, or bake them.

At 12 weeks there is not much meat there at all, mostly bones. 16 weeks seems to be a sweet spot for many people to butcher based on growth and texture. I personally like to butcher cockerels at 23 weeks. By then they have pretty much hit the peak of fast growth, any weight gain after that is going to be slow. And it suits the way I cook them. I'm only feeding two people. We easily get two meals out of a cockerel plus a couple of lunches.


You've separated them so behavioral issues aren't a concern. Many people like to butcher them when they start bothering the girls.

Regardless of age or how you cook them you need to rest them to get past rigor mortis. One standard way is to put them in a cooler with ice or ice water until you can freely wiggle a joint. Some people do that in a refrigerator. If you don't age them properly they can be so tough they are inedible. Some cockerels may take a couple of days, some can take longer.

Like most other things there is no one perfect answer for every one of us. We have different set-ups, goals, experiences, and desires. What works well for me may not work that well for you. Sometimes trial and error is the best way to decide what works best for you.


Yes they will if you let the hormones go too long. It has nothing to do with chasing the girls.

Good luck!

Thank you! I am thinking 16-23 weeks might be the time I do it! I know that varies alot, but that will be the time I do the most weighing and feeling them to see how fatty or bony they are.

I am also open to any recipes to use cockerels for!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you! I am thinking 16-23 weeks might be the time I do it! I know that varies alot, but that will be the time I do the most weighing and feeling them to see how fatty or bony they are.

I am also open to any recipes to use cockerels for!

When you butcher, you may find this a useful reference. One of my DP mutt males.

 

[GlicksChicks]

When you butcher, you may find this a useful reference. One of my DP mutt males.

Thank you!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thank you! I am thinking 16-23 weeks might be the time I do it! I know that varies alot, but that will be the time I do the most weighing and feeling them to see how fatty or bony they are.

Don't expect much fat from cockerels. Before they start laying pullets and hens store up excess fat that they can live off of while broody. That way they can take care of the eggs instead of having to look for food. If you want schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) you need a hen or pullet. On some diets some boys can store up some fat but don't expect much. When you feel them you are feeling for meat, not fat.

I am also open to any recipes to use cockerels for!

When I butcher I part them out. I save the legs, thighs, breasts, and wishbone for meat. I save the wings (not much meat and we do not need it to get two full meals), neck, back, gizzard, and heart to make broth.

After aging I put the meat cuts in a baking dish I can seal. Then add a chopped carrot, celery, onion, garlic, a few peppercorns, and some herbs (varied depending on what I have in the garden or preserved but usually oregano and basil). You can skip the onion and garlic if you wish. Use thyme or chives. Tailor it to suit your preferences and tastes.

You can add a couple of tablespoons of water if you wish but I generally don't. It already has some water as I do not shake it dry after rinsing. I bake that in a baking dish with a tight lid so liquids don't boil away for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours at 250 Fahrenheit. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the meat, it is so tender it can fall off of the bone. You should be left with about a half cup to full cup of liquid. De-fat it and you have some of the best broth you have ever had. The fat can be used as schmaltz.

To make broth I take the bones from the cooked pieces and put them in a crock pot with the pieces I saved for broth. I add vegetables and herbs to suit, pretty much what I used to cook the meat. Cook that on low overnight. 12 hours is enough but I usually go closer to 24 hours.

When cooked, separate the solids from the liquids (I use a sieve) and de-fat the liquid. Then strain it through several folds of cheesecloth to remove the bits. I pressure can that.

I pick through the solids to remove any meat. That shredded cooked meat is great for tacos, chicken salad, soups, or anything you would use cooked meat for.

Good luck!