What do I do with cockerals

[kt.]

I have one mother hen - the mother of 14 others. They are all now 5months old and will hopefully start to lay soon!!  However - 3 of them are cockerels. Am I best to cull these 3 for the table, or keep one, or keep all three, or try and give them away. There are plenty loose feathers in the cree on a morning - probably from bickering rivalry.  :(

I don't intend to breed just yet as I hope to have sufficient eggs from what I have.

[kt.]

[growmore]

If it were me I would eat them,, You have fed and reared them,..Why give them away .You have 3 good meals there .   Cheers Jim ...

[OllieC]

I would give them names - Sunday lunch 1, Sunday lunch 2 & Sunday lunch 3.

[Leonnie]

Use them for the table, they need to be around 6 months to be a reasonable size. It's difficult to find good homes for cockerels.

[kt.]

Definatley looks like they are gonna be on the table throughout january. They are just over 5 months now. So cockerals it is for sunday lunch

[Barnowl]

Coq au vin?

[kt.]

Yesterday I gave one away. A young lad of about 10-11 has recently got 6-7 hens & 2 ducks. He has had rogues attmpting at burning the cree down at night - with the hens inside. (Fortunatley for him, his lottie is right outside his house). Speaking to him, he said he was gonna breed next year. So I gave him one from the flock.

OH is pleased. If he had been a month or so later - there 'd be none to give....

[veg man]

HI THERE WELL AS FOR NEXT WEEK WE ARE ALL BAND FROM KEEPING COCKERALS ON  OUR ALLOTMENTS ON A SITE IN LINCOLN UK THERES BEEN COCKERALS ON THERE FOR 45 YEARS THAT MY DAD CAN REMENBER AND ITS SUROUND BY HOUSES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE 50 TO 60 YEARS IT ALL STARTED  AFTER 10 FLATS WAS BUILT WERE THERE WERE SOME OLD UNITS OUT OF 78 ALLOTMENT GARDENS 23 KEEP CHICKENS AND DUCKS AND 15 OF THEM  HAVE COCKERALS WE HAD LOTS OF MEETINGS DID NO GOOD  I  LIKE COCKERALS I HAVE 6 MYSELF TILL NEXT WEEK
HOW SAD WHAT NEXT

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's disgusting. What's the reason? Is there any way that keeping them for so long could have established a common law right to do it in perpetuity? It might be worth consulting a solicitor.

[veg man]

hi there we tryed and tryed one of the allotment holder is a  solicitor there was nothing he could do but today was the day

[kt.]

Had more cockerels than I first realised. From 14 chicks - 7 were cockerals. Have now rehomed 5 as 2 went today. Last 2 will be lunch in 2 weeks if not rehomed as they are big enough now for the pot :P

[OliveOil]

took 2 of my cockerals to my friends last weekend. He necked them - not traumatic and quite peaceful other than the nerves still going and a bit of wing flapping.  I plucked them and let the blood but just couldnt do the innards so my dad did that!

Gave the birds to my parents and they are in the freezer!

[Leonnie]

OliveOil, I found doing the innards a bit difficult but wearing those disposible/surgical gloves helps me to cope. :)