The one pen was housing three of these fine looking beasts, but they spent far too much time fighting, "attacking" the hens and crowing. The crowing was the worst, one would start the others off and then they would be at it for ages seeing who could crow the loudest.
It might not have been so bad if I hadn't tried to teach my daughter how to do a "cock-a-doddle-do" and she only got as far as "cock". She then spent the rest of the day saying it over and over and pointing. I think I'll learn by that mistake!
Still I guess this is our first "farmed" meat and they had a pretty good life up until last night.
Kev, I'm vegan....you could have warned me!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Sorry! I'll remove the picture amd put a warning next time! Sorry again
DeleteSorry. I'll remove the picture and put a warning next time! Sorry again.
ReplyDeleteKev
Don't remove the picture for me,Kev..it's your blog...I'm not offended,but couldn't resist pulling your leg!
DeleteJane x
No it was a little insenitive, What I'll do is next time the first line will say if there is any pictures of dead animals in the rest of the post. And I'll make sure that the first picture isn't too gruesome so if it comes up on anyones feed it wont cause offence. It's the farmer in me I'm afraid!
DeleteYou are a gent!
DeleteJane x
We too had to take the sad decision to 'cull' three of our bantam cockerels. With the recent fox strikes that we had taking some of our bantam girls the five remaining were being 'hassled' mercilessly by four cockerels (luckily our Light Sussex 'big guy' sticks to the big girls that he loves so much). So something had to be done before the girls were 'wooed to death'.
ReplyDeleteI gave my Lovely Hubby permission to eat them if he wished (I don't eat meat) but he declined so after a quick humane despatch they were cremated on our bonfire on Sunday afternoon.
Peace and calm has already been restored with just one cockerel of each size each with their own little harem of hens.
Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do for the best interests of the flock :-(
Yeah, i can't believe the difference it's made. they all seem much happier now and are making much less noise. I picked the one to live as he had the best temperment and it seems to have worked.
Delete.....oh and I forgot to say what lovely words you teach your little girl :-)
ReplyDeleteWhen my eldest son was just talking, his uncle kindly tried to teach him to say 'four o'clock', which came out as 'four cock, four cock' repeated over and over again......it was funny at first!!
That made me laugh at least its not just me that does it!
DeleteWe try and be patient with young cockerels growing up but there always comes a time when enough is enough, particularly in regard to the gang rape habits they get into with our hens, so into the pot they go, but they would have had a good life up to then so we don't regret their demise, and I am sure the hens feel the same.
ReplyDeleteI always slow cook all our meat here, including the cockerels, as I think that putting the meat into a pot of stock enriches the flavour of the meat. I will simmer the pot for a couple of hours or so, or until I remember to switch it off, then leave the meat in the pot to cool down. Chicken can fall off the bone easily, so sometimes I end up with a chicken stew, or I pick the pieces of meat out of the stock and make a pie, stir fry, etc.
But well done you for having a go at eating your own meat. It is not an easy thing to do, especially at first, but you do know the history of the meat, so you should end up feeling quite proud of yourself!
Yeah ours are going in the slow cooker tomorrow with a stew to use up some root veg.
DeleteWe've killed our own cockerels to eat before - at our last house (in the middle of a village) the neghbour joked one morning about what she wanted me to do with our cockerels so I killed them that night . The next day when she was mortified that I'd done it at her request! It was their time anyway and they were doing the same thing by ganging up on the hens.
We have been accumulating chickens at our farm. The kids don't understand about the chopping block or the term "running around like a chicken with it's head cut off." I suppose the time will come. I don't like to kill animals I know. Kind of strange. i do like meat.
ReplyDeleteI don't enjoy the killing part. Which is difficult to understand really as I also hunt and I really enjoy hunting when I get the time. But it's all part of the life style I've chosen and a necessary part at that. Being a farmers son (as I'm sure you know) makes you realise thats its all just part of life
DeleteWe have this problem every time we have a new batch of chicks. We don't enjoy the killing part either, but your're right, it's just part of the way of life we've chosen.
ReplyDeleteWe've eaten cockerels that we have reared too. Our timing depends on them starting to crow because the neighbours take exception to that. First crow and in the pot. It does mean that they go when they are a bit smaller than we would like but we just have to put up with that. I'm always pleased knowing that they have had as good a life as I can give them and as quick a death as possible.
ReplyDelete