Best Weight to Process Dual-Purpose Cockerels

[GlicksChicks]

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.


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!

I meant meat, oops! I have seen many rooster vs hen carcasses and I have seen that they are significantly less fat!

Thank you for those tips on cooking!!

 

[GlicksChicks]

I have decided to keep doing weigh-ins of my cockerels to see how much they gain each week since this is a new experience for me. I want to be able to see what weight they are at when I end up processing them so I can see what their yield is compared to their weight when not processed.

The numbers in parenthesis are how much the cockerels gained in a week. My smaller Maran has gained the most, but the big Maran weighs the most. The sussex is right on the edge of 3lb, following the small maran in size. The wyandotte is the smallest and gained the least weight. (All the cockerels are mixes with the listed breed and Buckeye, I am just saying their dominant coloration to make listing easier.)


Big Maran:
05/29/24: 3lb 5.2oz
06/05/24: 3lb 12.7oz (+7.5oz)

Small Maran:
05/29/24: 2lb 10.3oz
06/05/24: 3lb 4oz (+9.7oz)

Wyandotte:
05/29/24: 2lb 3.5oz
06/05/24: 2lb 9.0oz (+4.5oz)

Sussex:
05/28/24: 2lb 9.4oz
06/05/24: 2lb 15.7oz (+6.3oz)

 

[GlicksChicks]

Here is another weekly update on the growth of the cockerels. It seems like I will have to end up butchering them at different times if I want a better yield. The big maran, for example, is getting big pretty fast. The wyandotte is growing slow and is the smallest of the cockerels.

Does anyone know what the yield of these cockerels would be if I were to butcher them at this weight? They are 13 weeks old, they will be 14 weeks on Monday.


Big Maran:
06/05/24: 3lb 12.7oz (+7.5oz)
06/14/24: 4lb 3.3oz (+7.4oz)

Small Maran:
06/05/24: 3lb 4oz (+9.7oz)
06/14/24: 3lb 5.5oz (+1.1oz)

Wyandotte:
06/05/24: 2lb 9.0oz (+4.5oz)
06/14/24: 2lb 11.9oz (+2.9oz)

Sussex:
06/05/24: 2lb 15.7oz (+6.3oz)
06/14/24: 3lb 3.6oz (+3.1oz)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Here is another weekly update on the growth of the cockerels. It seems like I will have to end up butchering them at different times if I want a better yield. The big maran, for example, is getting big pretty fast. The wyandotte is growing slow and is the smallest of the cockerels.

Does anyone know what the yield of these cockerels would be if I were to butcher them at this weight? They are 13 weeks old, they will be 14 weeks on Monday.


Big Maran:
06/05/24: 3lb 12.7oz (+7.5oz)
06/14/24: 4lb 3.3oz (+7.4oz)

Small Maran:
06/05/24: 3lb 4oz (+9.7oz)
06/14/24: 3lb 5.5oz (+1.1oz)

Wyandotte:
06/05/24: 2lb 9.0oz (+4.5oz)
06/14/24: 2lb 11.9oz (+2.9oz)

Sussex:
06/05/24: 2lb 15.7oz (+6.3oz)
06/14/24: 3lb 3.6oz (+3.1oz)

Carcass weight is usually about 70-74% of live weight. . Meat yield is usually around 70% of that.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Carcass weight is usually about 70-74% of live weight. . Meat yield is usually around 70% of that.

So 70% of original weight of my big maran is 2.94lbs. 74% is 3.11lbs.

And 70% of those is 2.05lbs to 2.18lbs.

Does that weight sound like a good yield? I was thinking of letting at least the biggest rooster grow for 2 more weeks, then it would be 16 weeks, and then process him.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

So 70% of original weight of my big maran is 2.94lbs. 74% is 3.11lbs.

And 70% of those is 2.05lbs to 2.18lbs.

Does that weight sound like a good yield? I was thinking of letting at least the biggest rooster grow for 2 more weeks, then it would be 16 weeks, and then process him.

Cooking method is the determining factor, not weight. But yes, your math is right. If the growth is slowing markedly, take the bird now. If its still putting weight on at a good clip, and you don't need something close to supermarket tender, give it another two weeks and reconsider.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Cooking method is the determining factor, not weight. But yes, your math is right. If the growth is slowing markedly, take the bird now. If its still putting weight on at a good clip, and you don't need something close to supermarket tender, give it another two weeks and reconsider.

My big maran is growing steadily. The small one grew quick last week but this week not much at all. The sussex is pretty regular, and the wyandotte is growing slow altogether. He is still below 3lb and he is the same age as the others.

I will keep checking their growth!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My Wyans didn't start laying till a full 7 mo+ - slow the whole way. For all that they were intened as an inprovement on the Brahma as a DP bird, I've got to say I'm unimpressed.

Only good thing I can say about mine is that they are very predator aware.

 

[GlicksChicks]

My Wyans didn't start laying till a full 7 mo+ - slow the whole way. For all that they were intened as an inprovement on the Brahma as a DP bird, I've got to say I'm unimpressed.

Only good thing I can say about mine is that they are very predator aware.

My wyandottes, both SLW and Lavender, are all just buttheads. They are bullies to the other chickens and steal all the food.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Here is another weekly weigh-in of my cockerels. The marans are steadily growing, but the Wyandotte and Sussex are losing weight. I am thinking that the marans are calling dibs at the food. The wyandotte losing 9.5oz in a week is pretty bad, definitely since they are for meat.

I put the process weight of the big maran on the chart, 2.18lbs to 2.31lbs. Does that sound like a good weight for processing? I am thinking that processing one of the marans will partially take away the food competition with the two losing weight. The maran also impaled the fleshy part of his cheek with his claw and tore down, so he might have to be butchered early because of that anyway.



Big Maran:
06/05/24: 3lb 12.7oz (+7.5oz)
06/14/24: 4lb 3.3oz (+7.4oz)
06/21/24: 4lb 7.4oz (+4.1oz)
(Process Weight: 2.18lbs to 2.31lbs)

Small Maran:
06/05/24: 3lb 4oz (+9.7oz)
06/14/24: 3lb 5.5oz (+1.1oz)
06/21/24: 3lb 9.2oz (+3.7oz)

Wyandotte:
06/05/24: 2lb 9.0oz (+4.5oz)
06/14/24: 2lb 11.9oz (+2.9oz)
06/21/24: 2lb 2.4oz (-9.5oz)

Sussex:
06/05/24: 2lb 15.7oz (+6.3oz)
06/14/24: 3lb 3.6oz (+3.1oz)
06/21/24: 2lb 14.2oz (-5.4oz)