making the best of a dead rooster

So the runt of my 12 bird "sexed" flock has died. The little rooster that everyone always picked on. Looks to be a dog or a cat that did the trick. Anyway. He's too small to eat, certainly not worth the effort of plucking and cleaning, he was only 5 months old or so. I've got him hanging from an apple tree right now. Thinking of bleeding him out for the roots and then I don't know what. Hot compost? burial? Other ideas?

Sorry bout your loss , only suggestion i can think of is "Bury" him at the foot of a high iron using plant like a passionfruit , although most trees/plants will make quick work of the little fella...

I wouldn't eat anything that another predator had killed - no idea what they might have contaminated him with when they bit him. And now he's dead he won't bleed out - the heart has to be still pumping else the blood basically just stays where it is, especially when it's had time to congeal. I usually compost them, or maybe you could put him in a black-soldier-fly bin if you have one, or hang him up somewhere where flies will lay eggs and let the maggots fall out to feed other critters. Or skin him, cook him and feed him to a dog or cat if you have one. I'd be nervous of feeding him 'as is' to a pet in case it gives them a taste for fresh, feathery food. You don't want to train them to help themselves.

Losing animals can be tough. Yesterday one of my pigs pulled a chicken through the fence and killed it. Chickens don't usually fit through the fence (sometimes they go over it) but apparently a pig knows how to manage it in a second. The chicken was a notorious little fella always trying to steal the pig's treats though the fence, even though he's got the same pasture on his side of the fence. Well, the pigs cashed him in and spent the morning eating him up. And that's how you turn stupid/bold chickens into tasty pork. The grass is NOT always greener after all.
I think Burra pretty much said all there is to say about it. It's animal food at best and plant fertilizer at least.
It's also best that the runt be gone before he has the chance to pass on his weak genetics if you decide to let them breed. Though, after spending five months feeding and caring for him, I'm sure it's a little sad to not be able to consume him. It sometimes feels like a waste. Find a good use for him and you'll return his nutrients to your property to "try again".
When my kids drop food on the floor we call it an "upgrade" because we feed it to the chickens or pigs and get it back as eggs, chicken or pork.

Craig Dobbelyu wrote:
When my kids drop food on the floor we call it an "upgrade" because we feed it to the chickens or pigs and get it back as eggs, chicken or pork.

See now that's a great attitude.

He was still alive (fighting till his last gasp as Shakespeare would say) when I got to him. He's been hanging under the apple tree headless since. So I think I did get most of the blood out of him. I'm going to cut him down and put him 2 feet under. Encountering a half rancid chicken corpse in my compost doesn't sound too fun. Especially since I am rather vigorous in my turning and often end up getting a face full. I don't have any soldier flys binned up at the moment - but I hear they make good fish food - I may start investigating that/ It is a good thing he did snuff it I think - I kinda viewed him as surplus chicken.

Thanks for the sympathy and support though. Death Happens.