Barred rock (blk sx lnk) tough and gamey at 14 weeks

[777funk]

Our roosters are now 20 weeks and after cleaning a few at 14 weeks, I have little motivation to clean any more. They were tough and smelled / tasted like a wild bird. I've had better squirrel for what it's worth.

These were free ranged and supplemented with cracked corn. They were cleanly killed and bled out. They were then scalded, plucked, and gutted. The neck was left on fwiw. Each bird rested in the fridge 3 days before baking.

The meat smelled... not like a rotten or decaying smell but unappetizing and just wild. It was also chewier than I prefer. None of our family was interested in it. Most of the meat went to the remaining chickens (who loved it of course - chickens will eat almost anything).

I hate to just let the last 13 mature into nuisance roosters, but I don't find the taste worth 30 minutes of time for processing. Any tips for better results? Maybe pen them for a week and only feed them chick starter?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

What temperature did you bake it at (325F preferred for dual purpose older birds)? Was it covered for a good portion of roasting time to retain juices?

If the texture is not to your liking with that method of roasting then I'd say never roast one of your birds again. There is a plethora of meals to be made and gallons of the best chicken stock you've ever used/tasted if you simmer the bird to cook it. Never allow the water to boil or meat will get tough, few small bubbles at edge of pot are OK but not a true simmer. Do this until meat is cooked, let cool and peal/cut off meat as desired for meals it's going to be used for (chunks or pealed strips). Pot pie, dumplings, gumbo etc. Then put carcass, skin, desired seasoning back in water to boil all the goodness out. I let it set in fridge then skim off the layer of oil before using and can what broth not used in first meal so it will keep.

Something I like to do with dual purpose birds is brine them. Sea salt and water dunk for 24 hours of that 3 day resting period. Over 24 hours and the meat is too salty but just under to a day and Mmmm, it lightly flavors everything.

 

[777funk]

Good point with the brining. Most chicken at the store is soaked in a solution. So that may be part of what makes it taste like I'm used to.

Salt water pulls the blood out.

 

[junebuggena]

Store bought chicken is processed at 8 to 10 weeks old. They are too young to have developed any real flavor. Your birds won't be growing very big or meaty if they are only fed corn and what they can forage. If you want good sized birds, feed them right from the beginning. A balanced chicken feed will provide them with all the vitamins and nutrients, in just the right balance for them to grow big and healthy. By 14 to 16 weeks, a dual purpose cockerel should be a good size, and still fairly tender if fed a good diet.

 

[777funk]

We fed them 1 lb per day per bird of chick starter until 8 weeks. We then fed cracked corn plus free ranged foraging all day from then until 16 weeks. Last and latest they have had free range foraging only (10-20 acres of woods and pasture) since. I noticed that the crops had lots of spiders in them and it looked like they preferred bugs to the feed. Maybe not so good for meat taste though...

I failed to mention we've also given them table scraps since about 8 weeks.

They've grown the most since we stopped giving them feed at 16 weeks but I'd say only because they're turning into near adults now.

 

[junebuggena]

Corn is not feed. A single grain is not enough to sustain proper growth. Corn is really low in protein content and lacking many essential vitamins and nutrients. Growing birds need access to a balanced diet to achieve their maximum potential. Corn is a useful supplement in winter time for adding calories to help keep a bird warm, but should never be used as a replacement for feed.

 

[777funk]

I knew that about the corn, but doesn't the bug content in their wooded foraging count towards their intake? They've lived (and look healthy and growing) on mostly just foraging on our acreage for the past 4 weeks.

 

[bigt447]

I think the taste is largely determined by what they eat. Try a 20% protein commercial feed.

 

[junebuggena]

Bugs and corn will not make a complete diet. Cockerels go through a major growth spurt between 12 and 16 weeks. Honestly, if you were only planning on keeping them around until they were big enough to slaughter, why would you mind spending a few dollars on a bag of feed for them to make sure you get the best possible outcome from them?

 

[Morrigan]

Last year we processed an extra rooster at 17 weeks. It's diet was a mixture of commercial feed, leftovers from the garden, some sprouted grasses, plus whatever bugs he could catch in the yard.

I didn't brine it, just let it rest for 2 days. We cooked it in a slow cooker with onion, garlic, chilies and Mexican seasoning to make enchilada filling. It was definitely more chewy than a typical meat chicken, but my family still thought it ate pretty well. It was a bit more flavorful, but not in a bad gamey way. It tasted like . . . chicken. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much just roasted up plain however.

You have to treat the meat differently, for sure, but to me at least it was worth the effort of butchering.