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I'd love guesses on what these are (I'm sorry for the bad pictures, I asked for good ones and this is what the kids got me) They're about 8-9 weeks old at this point (I think). First off, we have: Acts-Like-A-Pullet And after that, two almost certainly roos (they jump at you, they sleep in...

Thanks, all - the person who found them wanted to know and I'm happy to share the information - have a great day, all.

A friend texted the wife and said "My daughter found two chicks in a box beside the road marked Free Chicks." We already had some under a brooder, so over they came. My best guess is that the yellowish one was a week old when they arrived and the brown one was a few days younger, that would make...

I could easily tell by three weeks, and by 3.5 there was no doubt what so ever. The thing is I kept track, and the ones I thought were pullets at 2 weeks turned out to be. The boys were always larger. Then again this was my first time to be certain that I had day olds, so it's possible I had...

My wife picked up another set of meat birds. A few more than we had agreed on. I have a container of fermented feed up there for the day olds, and they are pecking at it.

That's a fantastic idea. I might try it, as I have hardware cloth available.

You'll definitely feel a difference when they are ready. The ones I bagged and tagged today are firm to the touch. The ones that have rested have that "squishy" feeling that tender meat has. I gave mine three days in the fridge and then ate one and froze the others. Yours might only need a...

I'm guessing nine weeks (we had confusion over how old they actually were). 21 - wow. Hope you had a plucker. We did ours by hand and I'll have a plucker when I raise the next set.

I just (about five minutes ago) finished sealing and loading my last five into the fridge to rest. Five hens, average of 5.21 lbs, and no meaties left!

Meaty Madness, Round 1 is complete. I put the last five in the cooling bath and am going to quarter and bag them in a bit. This round were all pullets, and the heaviest dressed out at 6.5lbs, the lightest at 4.5lbs. And my wife says "Next time you had better get more of them." Lessons...

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 do the opposite of what Beekissed does, and oddly for the same reason. :) I slit one side, then the other. I used my flashlight and did some tests and found that my birds stopped responding to light in about 11 seconds with that method, while with the whole cut method I had pupil responses...

This wasn't to me, but I did in six on Saturday in about 30 minutes total each. I used a ceramic bladed knife and slit the throats, often accidentally getting the windpipe too. My criteria is that you do it once and done. The first cut had better lay that artery clean open so that there's a...

Correct.

No, but I've had success in other trade rags (BeeCulture magazine, among others) and this, combined with some quality writing would be everything you need. I used to begin all my articles with research (finding the docs) and then writing around it. Done it so much it's like a formula almost...

Beekissed, I'm certain this would make a publishable article for back yard poultry magazine. If you'd like to write one up, fine. Otherwise I might look into it.

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...

If it's the standard "medicated" feed then as I recall it is only active in the gut. Feed them for a day to clean out their system and put them on the bus to freezer camp.

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...

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...