how old is too old to butcher?

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japrasz

japrasz

In the Brooder
12 Years
Jun 24, 2007
11
0
22
Hello, I have raised chicks for eggs, but recently got some freebies with an order of chicks. Turns out most are roos. I want to make use of them so I figure we would butcher them and use them for meat. They are 10 weeks old now. I am just starting to be able to tell if they are roos or hens. Is it too late to turn them into meat?
 
Butcher now. They'll be smaller than a Cornish X but if you wait too long they'll get stringy for anything but stew/soup/dumplings etc.... If stew and dumplings is a good option, wait untill 14-16 weeks. But you'll want to stew them for a good 8 hours.


-Slim
 
Last edited:
HOw old is really too old to butcher Chickens or Ducks? My mom figured we'd eat them after they stop laying. Is this possible?
 
I have about 7 EE roos, they are about 6 or 7 months now, they are only good for stew meat? Should I even bother plucking them or just take the skin off? I have too many roosters!!!
barnie.gif
 
At 6 or 7 months you will want to cook them slowly, whatever the method. Some of it is a matter of your preferences regarding "toothiness" of meat.

I used to have a link, lost in my last computer crash, to a great article about cooking heritage chickens (EE's aren't exactly heritage, but the meat is the same.) My son roasts them on the BBQ, covered at low heat for a few hours, up to about 20 weeks. I hope someone comes along with that link.
 

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