Meaty Madness

[xC0000005]

Update. We're at seven/eight weeks on Tuesday (I got to see some day old meaties and my original "one week old" estimate was "optimistic").
I've got three meat-zillas that barely resemble a chicken. It's a eight and a half pound bowling ball with legs. The girls are consistently smaller and frankly I'm going to put them on the butcher line last. Hopefully tomorrow I'll take the three big boys off to camp. They can still walk but man are they big.

I lost one out of twelve - I'm pretty sure she choked to death but I had a doctor's appointment and came back and found her dead. Definitely a girl, definitely on the lighter end of the spectrum. Sad to see her die but there wasn't much I felt like I could do.

I'll post some pics. Wow. Never seen these things up close before and they are something to behold (no, they aren't larger than other people's - they're just big). And still bald in spots. And nasty. And really, really stupid. I feel better about eating them every day.

 

[angelbabyamy]

I bought 4 Cornish X chicks. They are around 7 weeks. I think all but one are hens, They really aren't that big. They aren't as large as my Wyandotte chickens yet.I recently let them out of the chicken tractor to free range with the others. They seem to be doing well. The larger one seems to get a little tired at times, but they are running around eating grass and bugs.

I have never butchered before and am not looking forward to it. My husband and son do not want to cut their throats and I don't think I can. I think I can finish the process, but not the killing part;
My son says he will shoot them in the head, but I told him they need to bleed out.Any suggestions on killing them? I was going to do the killing cone method.

I like my chicks. They are not gross and ugly and they follow me around like dogs. I call them my little piggies.

I hope I can do this. My daughter is getting married May 5 and I have surgery May 10. I'm not sure if the timing is going to be right. I really want to do this, I would love to butcher the roosters I don''t want and have some organic chicken.

 

[xC0000005]

I use the cone method. I know it is scary (my first few were) and if you have any sort of empathy in you you feel "bad" for the chickens. I've tried a few different ways and while the hatchet is a surefire "done and done" thing, I like the carcass I get from the bleed out method better. So I'm going to hang a cone, truss the bird's feet and slit their necks.

Once that's done it's not a live chicken, it's a messy chicken dinner and things get a lot easier.

 

[xC0000005]

First six are in the fridge! They dressed out light, sadly. My heaviest was 7.5 lbs and my average was 5.75. I still have five more (the girls) in the run, eating and hopefully putting on a bit more weight. Next weekend it will be their turn to step up to the plate. For that matter, I might take a couple tomorrow once I"ve rested.

First bird was a "Oh yeah, I remember now" type process. I read about people who get really quick but my last took my about 25 minutes from hang to cold bath, 30 if you count bagging it. Next time I'll build a plucker, but man, that 7.5lb bird has meat like you wouldn't believe on it.

Hope they taste good. I plan to rest them three days in the fridge then freeze most of them.

 

[SmokinChick]

What were the live weights? Nothing wrong with a 7lb chicken. I am 3 weeks away.
Good for you, glad things worked well.

 

[angelbabyamy]

I have 4 Cornish X chicks I got March 3rd. I have let them free range with my chickens once they were big enough and they aren't very big. One of them even flies up on the perch! They have never had bald spots except they are a little bare underneath. I am pretty sure they are all hens. I am kind of fond of them, they are such sweet birds! They come running up to see me and one of them plopped down next to me when I was sitting on the steps and sat there the other day until another chicken came running up and bowled them over.
How long does it take to get to size when they free range? They eat starter/grower food.

 

[xC0000005]

We ate our first one tonight - meat was tender and juicy, flavor was great. I had worried reading other descriptions that had them tasting mushy or bland, but they were delicious. As we cleaned up dinner, my wife looks over and says "So, when are you going to go get some more?"

 

[silkiechicken]

I have 4 Cornish X chicks I got March 3rd. I have let them free range with my chickens once they were big enough and they aren't very big. One of them even flies up on the perch! They have never had bald spots except they are a little bare underneath. I am pretty sure they are all hens. I am kind of fond of them, they are such sweet birds! They come running up to see me and one of them plopped down next to me when I was sitting on the steps and sat there the other day until another chicken came running up and bowled them over.
How long does it take to get to size when they free range? They eat starter/grower food.

You should take a pic and post it of these chicks.... don't sound anything like meat birds to me.

 

[WinklerFarms]

...

We ate our first one tonight - meat was tender and juicy, flavor was great.  I had worried reading other descriptions that had them tasting mushy or bland, but they were delicious.  As we cleaned up dinner, my wife looks over and says "So, when are you going to go get some more?" 

 



, I love the cx. They taste great and finish quickly, even on the 16% to 18% protein feed that I give them (lean gain 95 hog mash) I just started raising them last year with 50 of them. Sold some to family and friends and kept 14 for myself. This summer I am raising them to sell. I currently have 100 here and will have 50 more coming in two weeks. Most of these are already reserved by customers but I madei sure to leave plenty for myself and family/friends.

Glad you had a good experience with the cx. Watch out though, soon you will be raising many more and will be looking into building or buying a tub plucker. (my whizbang is under construction)

 

[WinklerFarms]

Hmm somehow I messed up the quote.