Fattening roosters beginner

[Mags3110]

Hi everyone

I'm wanting to fatten up a heap of roosters I'll be hatching (my roo seems to throw boys atm). I don't really know where to start. I'm wanting to breed them to exhibit quality and cull any not to standard. I've helped my cousin cull the excess roosters he was breeding but they didn't have alot of meat on them. He just feeds them normal feed. I'm wanting them for the freezer.

The roos I'll be wanting to fatten are sussexs. I know they're a heritage breed and don't get as fat as the supermarket chooks.

So what I'm wanting to know is when I find out what sex they are what do I feed them? They'll still be at the age they should be on chick starter so what do I give them? Also do I change what they are on when they get to a certain age? Can I get them fat enough before they start crowing and fighting?

Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you

***Edit***
Thought I'd add. I'm wanting to add muscle not fat so would high protein be the best option? Any recomendstions?
The current chicks I have I've got on 50/50 game bird starter and medicated chick starter

 

[NatJ]

High protein, yes.
They will never have as much meat as the typical supermarket chickens.
The younger you butcher them, the more tender they will be (but of course smaller.)

(my roo seems to throw boys atm).

In chickens and other birds, the mother determines the sex of the offspring. So don't blame the rooster this time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZW_sex-determination_system

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sussex are good all-around table birds that have long been famous for the flavor of the meat. The standard market weight for them is between 6 and 7.5 pounds.
That said, they will never be a meat bird in the sense of a broiler that Americans have come to expect. Chickens don't pack on fat intramuscularly like marbling in beef animals. If they get fat, which isn't good, it gets packed into the body cavity and regrettably, around the organs like heart and liver.
You are correct in saying what you want is to build muscle and it takes protein to do that.
There is nothing you can do to change the body type with feed, but you can maximize the genetics of the bird.
I am assuming your medicated chick starter is 18% protein and your game bird starter is 28-30% protein. If that is the case, a 50/50 blend will yield 23-24% protein. While not terrible, that is too high for chickens. I don't know where you live but if you shop around, you can probably find a meat bird starter, sometimes called meat maker which is either 20 or 22% protein. I would start the chicks on that for 6 weeks and then cut back to 18% starter/grower.
Most breeds of heritage birds are much slimmer than grocery, fast food broilers. Your Sussex are similar to the breed I raise in that respect. I determine early on which males I will be using for breeding and which ones I'll be eating.
The Cornish Rock cross is butchered by about 6 weeks or even 3.5 weeks for Cornish game hens. That isn't enough time for them to develop flavor in the meat.
Your challenge is to determine how long you are going to grow these birds before you eat them. The longer they run around, the tougher the leg and thigh meat becomes. However, that adds flavor. I would shoot for butchering at 16 weeks, 20 at the most. They won't have reached full size, but they won't be too tough.
An option is to confine them for the last 2 weeks before butchering.
When butchering, they will need to be rested for a few days before cooking or freezing to release the rigor in the meat. Then when cooking, it has to be on low heat and a slower cook till the meat starts to fall from the bone.

 

[Mags3110]

I am assuming your medicated chick starter is 18% protein and your game bird starter is 28-30% protein. If that is the case, a 50/50 blend will yield 23-24% protein. While not terrible, that is too high for chickens.

Im in Australia. The chick starter I use is 22% protein and the game bird starter is 28% protein. I've read somewhere that people keep them on chick starter but I'm not sure if that's good for them?

meat maker which is either 20 or 22% protein. I would start the chicks on that for 6 weeks and then cut back to 18% starter/grower.

Would that be 6 weeks from hatching or sexing?

Thank you all for your advice

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Keep them on the 22% starter. I keep my dual purpose birds on 24% feed thru 8-9 weeks so I can identify the keepers and pack weight (hahahahahaha! - I started with 4# RSL as some of my breeders!) on them for butcher.

Very high protein is bad for chicken, yes, but "very high" is much higher than you can buy off the shelf in most stores. Mostly, its just wasted. If you butcher young, the excess protein won't have enough time to do measurable harm, statistically.

No point feeding the 28%, or mixing the two - your heritage birds can't make use of the extra protein, they aren't geneticaly programmed for fast growth.

 

[NatJ]

I've read somewhere that people keep them on chick starter but I'm not sure if that's good for them?

Chick starter is typically fine for chickens of all ages.

Specific points that relate to chickens of different ages:
--Chick starter has more protein than chicks "need" as they get older, but not enough extra to harm them.
--Laying hens need a source of extra calcium (like oyster shell) if they are eating chick starter.
--If you have medicated chick starter, check the bag to see what medication is present, and look it up. Some medications should not be fed to chickens that you intend to butcher, or that you will eat eggs from, while some are fine. Different medications are common in different countries.

 

[Mags3110]

Thank you everyone. This has really helped give me and idea of what I'm going to do with them. If anyone has any more advice it's welcomed. If there's anything I shouldn't do let me know.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you everyone. This has really helped give me and idea of what I'm going to do with them. If anyone has any more advice it's welcomed. If there's anything I shouldn't do let me know.

Don't wait to eat them - they may get heavier yes, and more flavorful, yes - but they also get tougher, require more restrictive cooking methods, and at some point, the value on the next pound exceeds the feed cost to pack it on. Best to pic a convenient date between 8-12 weeks and do a mass cull for freezer camp.

Small and tender better than not much larger and tough.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't have the link anymore (computer crash) but I once read a study where protein in the range of 30% could cause avian gout. To me that is the protein level not to exceed for any chickens. And this is my opinion but I feel that if you get into high ranges of protein you start to have waste.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Im in Australia. The chick starter I use is 22% protein and the game bird starter is 28% protein. I've read somewhere that people keep them on chick starter but I'm not sure if that's good for them?

Would that be 6 weeks from hatching or sexing?

Thank you all for your advice

6 weeks from hatch.
The 22% chick starter is sufficient.
It isn't just about the crude protein percentage but more importantly the amino acid profile. Any excess amino acid over what can be utilized by the body is discarded as ammonia in the waste.