Another person needing to know please.

[ESofVA]

Please some one answer! I have a number of chickens, hens and roosters, that are 4 1/2 months old. I keep feeling the keel? to see how much meat is on their breast...terrible isn't it!! There just doesn't seem to be much there! These are the first chickens I have ever processed...other than the one that I took away from the hawk last week! They get all of the broiler maker they can eat and are on free range during the day....with their pen still open. There are a mixture of purebred birds. How long do I need to wait before I kill them? I don't want them to get tough and I need the space for the younger chicks that I want to keep.
TY
Deb


PS I saw another post asking a very similar question but there were no replies so I am not the only one with a NTK.

 

[danischi24]

Non broiler breeds aren't likely to get much meat on them until about 8 months & then, still not half what a cornish cross would have. You can process them whenever you like, just know that there wont be as much meat. Under a year & the meat will still be nice but be sure to rest/brine it after killing for tenderness.

 

[LilyD]

Dual purpose birds do get meat on their bones but they tend to have a lot more dark meat than white. I process mine around 20-24 weeks and they aren't tough as long as you let them sit in the fridge for a couple of days before or after freezing to get rid of rigor.

danischi24 is right about the breast meat it won't be as much as the CRX but don't be put off I still get large enough breasts from my Brahmas to be able to split each side in half and feed 4 people form one chicken. It depends too what type of chicken you have though some, such as hatchery leghorns won't get very meaty at all. If you get a decent dual purpose breed though they have plenty of meat on them for me anyway.

 

[ESofVA]

Most of the ones I need to kill are:
3 Barred Rocks
1 Speckled Sussex
2 Buff Brahmas hens
2 Buff Wyandottes hens
2 Red Sex-Link hens
2 White Leghorns (I wounld never have bought these if I had been informed correctly as to their breed!) hens
1-2 Dark Cornish roo and hen
1 younger Delaware roo

I was just starting to get my 1st chickens after 35 yrs and the ones I had for a couple of years prior to that were RIR and BR. So I wanted to buy multiple breeds to see what I really wanted to keep! Bought 2-3 chicks of everyind I could find and finally decided on:
Salmon Faverolles
Dark Cornish
EE's
Silkies
2-3 Cochins
1 Australorp
1 Delaware
2 OEGB bantams
1 Silver Sebrights
2 Creles Bantams
The ones I need to dispose of I would sell but no one seems to want any. We are a bit isolated over here with no way to get in except from MD to the north and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel which has a $17 fee to go across and back within 24 hrs.

 

[redneck4life27]

how much for the delaware roo and are the 3 barred rocks hens.

 

[LilyD]

Most of the ones I need to kill are:
3 Barred Rocks
1 Speckled Sussex
2 Buff Brahmas hens
2 Buff Wyandottes hens
2 Red Sex-Link hens
2 White Leghorns (I wounld never have bought these if I had been informed correctly as to their breed!) hens
1-2 Dark Cornish roo and hen
1 younger Delaware roo

I was just starting to get my 1st chickens after 35 yrs and the ones I had for a couple of years prior to that were RIR and BR. So I wanted to buy multiple breeds to see what I really wanted to keep! Bought 2-3 chicks of everyind I could find and finally decided on:
Salmon Faverolles
Dark Cornish
EE's
Silkies
2-3 Cochins
1 Australorp
1 Delaware
2 OEGB bantams
1 Silver Sebrights
2 Creles Bantams
The ones I need to dispose of I would sell but no one seems to want any. We are a bit isolated over here with no way to get in except from MD to the north and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel which has a $17 fee to go across and back within 24 hrs.

All the ones you listed with the exception of the bantams and white leghorns should be fine to eat. I would even eat the others but probably would put them in a crock pot together since they wouldn't have much meat by themselves. I know I would eat thime.

 

[donrae]

Most of those you listed, you'll always be able to feel the keel bone. They're not meant to be that heavy breasted, they carry more meat on the lower half. And none are going to be huge like a nice supermarket bird, anyway.