RSL rooster for processing, so skinny

[Beka123]

i know this is a difficult one to answer bc of the different breeds you can use to produce a sex link, and i don't know his heritage, but i have this rsl rooster i want to butcher, he was born in the spring so he's like 8 mos old or so. he's so big he can jump out of the pen so he comes and goes as he pleases, i'm thinking he gets more protein in his diet than my other chickens bc he's always scratching around in leaf piles and i know the bugs are not all dead yet, we've only had 2 good freezes this year. i mostly feed layer pellets with a probably 2 cup mixture of corn, sunflower seeds, and game bird feed. i thought he would be ready to butcher by now but he is just so skinny, his breast bone protrudes so far i would be suprised if there's a whole meal for me my husband and our 5 year old. help please... oh and also, i'm in a small town close to tulsa and there is not a feed store within 1 hour of me anywhere that carries feed with more than 20% protein. oh, and i am processing him today bc he's too big for my hens and he's mean as all get out. he pecks at my ankles as i'm walking into the pen most of the time. i'm fairly positive he killed the only other rooster i had, i had 6 chickens in a 16x16 pen. now i only have 5, soon to be only my 4 hens bc he's out to freezer camp today. i'm mostly asking this bc i'll get some more this spring and i need to know how to feed differently, also maybe just his age...? too young? or having the freedom of the whole yard kept him skinnier?

 

[Fred's Hens]

An RSL rooster isn't going to get much stouter with age. If he is 8 months old, you're pretty looking at what you're gonna ever get. Take him any time and save the feed costs. That's my 2 cents. We usually take them at 5 months. Takes a couple to make a decent pot of broth and pulled chicken. Cook him long and slow.

 

[Beka123]

ok, thank you!

 

[redsoxs]

X2 on Fred's Hens advice. Your rooster is just costing you feed now - he will be a little stringy at 8 months but will make a dandy pot of chicken and dumplings! I think on most breeds other than Cornish X and some of the Red Ranger types, 16 weeks is considered the age to butcher. Before that and they are too small. Much older and they are tough. Good luck and happy eating to you!

 

[Beka123]

Well, I was very pleasantly surprised on how much meat he did have on him, I was envisioning nothing, but his breast meat was quite substantial! I'm cooking him up tomorrow in the crock pot, he better be good! He was a mean thing, I bet he's got a hidden bone just especially for me to choke on tomorrow night. I probably wouldn't change anything feed wise if I get these guys again, there was definitely enough for our little family of 3. Very pleasantly surprised. Thanks everyone!

 

[donrae]

Mean roosters taste better!