It really is time to butcher some roosters. Some of our juveniles have grown to be obnoxious boys, and the boss Roos aren't putting up with it. Our only problems are in the main pen (Racer's domain), and Sammy's pen.
Two of the young birds in Sammy's pen are roosters. Both should probably go. Just because there are too few hens in there for more than one roo. But one of them is old enough to give Sammy problems, and they have been fighting. It got so bad today, that the other rooster ended up hiding under the ramp in the pen. We decided we had to get him out of there. One problem...the nuggets were still using the hospital pen. Well, they were all healthy now, and could go to the other pen, but still much smaller than the dinners, who are not quite ready to butcher. They still look a little small, even though they are 8 weeks old. So my handy wife, Pat, threw up a chicken wire divider to make the meat bird pen an instant duplex! We moved the nuggets in with some food, water, and a little box for shelter, and they were all set! Then, we moved the troublesome roo into the hospital pen, until Friday, when we plan to take care of them (euphemism for butcher). And none too soon, either. The poor guy already had one eye shut and some blood marks! It will be a mercy killing.
Meanwhile, in Racer's pen, we had picked out a little red roo to keep, and were going to butcher the other three or four. Well, I think Racer agrees. Today, the little red one was on top of one of the hens, doing his thing, very politely, and she was letting him, not even squawking. Then one of the other renegade roosters came over, kicked him off, and tried to jump on. The hen shrieked, Racer attacked that rooster and chased him away! Like I said, hens and Racer are okay with little Red, but those big spotted ones gotta go! They will make good dog food. Lately our dogs have been spoiled with meat birds! We cook one, grab enough meat for two meals for us, and make two batches of dog food with the rest. Then skin, gristle, and marrow to the chickens. That's how far a 5-lb. chicken can go!
You have a LOT more patience with roosters than I do. Our rule is no roosters near enough to the house to be annoying. Zero roosters that crow when it's dark. If a rooster starts to crow at night, he becomes taco lunch and chicken broth. Or if he's a favored bird needed for breeding, he gets to sleep in a shut up box like a doghouse where he can't see the light, and if he crows, no one can hear him. My uncle use to place a bracket atop his rooster at night so that it wouldn't crow. I think the doghouse works out better.
ReplyDeleteThat's suppose to be a BASKET that my uncle put over the rooster. A bracket surely wouldn't work unless it weighed about 10 lbs.
ReplyDeleteWe are so used to the crowing, that we'd miss it if it stopped!
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