BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[hellbender]

I know this is a different ball of wax but I only slaughter my capons for the table and I finish them with yellow corn meal and goat's buttermilk. I use this product because I have it and will also use whey. The birds love it and when confined, they finish so nicely.

 

[ronott1]

I know this is a different ball of wax but I only slaughter my capons for the table and I finish them with yellow corn meal and goat's buttermilk. I use this product because I have it and will also use whey. The birds love it and when confined, they finish so nicely.

This is one of the reasons I like this thread!

Thanks for this method. How long is it fed to them?

 

[call ducks]

The french finish Breese with oats and wine and milk ...

I do know that sussex were finished with grains of some sort and milk

 

[hcammack]

I feed the whole flock spoiled milk and whey. Layers and meat birds. Only un-pasturized products though.

 

[BGMatt]

Is there a difference in how they are raised?  Just in the way they are "finished " before slaughter?
Or the age at slaughter? If there is enough difference in broilers and roasters to have used different breeds, there
are probably differences in raising. Yes? No?
 Thanks,
 Karen

I would think the biggest difference other than the historical finishing methods others have mentioned would be limiting range on broilers so that they put on weight faster, but I would think you'd want to do that with either meat bird. So I'd say the difference really is just age and size.

I know that in my breed if I let the cockerels have too much space they won't really be worth eating at 6 months, will still get height and such but it's all skin and bones.

 

[gjensen]

I would think the biggest difference other than the historical finishing methods others have mentioned would be limiting range on broilers so that they put on weight faster, but I would think you'd want to do that with either meat bird. So I'd say the difference really is just age and size.

I know that in my breed if I let the cockerels have too much space they won't really be worth eating at 6 months, will still get height and such but it's all skin and bones.

That is right. Most would not want to know how they fattened them. In the case of Sussex, often wheat and milk, they crammed them into little fattening cages. They only had room to eat and drink. You can find examples of these fattening batteries on line.

In my opinion, once a bird starts to crow, they are not worth eating.

 

[3riverschick]

That is right. Most would not want to know how they fattened them. In the case of Sussex, often wheat and milk, they crammed them into little fattening cages. They only had room to eat and drink. You can find examples of these fattening batteries on line.

In my opinion, once a bird starts to crow, they are not worth eating.

Thank you all for this info. It is very helpful.

At what age do your birds start to crow? I never thought of that as an indicator.
If you were raising birds, for meat then you would start them differently from the egg layers? For egg flocks, I see chick starter at 16%.
But Agway also makes a MeatBird from used from hatch to slaughter which is 22%.

So for layers, they get fed 16% from hatch till they go on breeder/layer 18% and then on just layer? 20%.
But I was told by an experienced breeder that Sussex need more and I should be feeding them no less than 20% at any age.
Then I read on the ALBC PDF about meat assessment that feeding meat birds 16% can stunt their growth by 50%. That was
an eye opener!

Which makes sense to me because that's what I did with the Sussex chicks this year ( raised them like my
friends who were raising dual purpose egg flocks). I figured I would raise them like a dual purpose laying flock as that's basically
what they would be doing for us here. But now I realize that even as a dual purpose bird, the Sussex is first and formost a meat bird.
And I am now seeing the effects of denying that heritage in my chick development program.

I was saddened to see they
grew smaller as opposed to their genetic potential from both parents.

Now I am wondering if I caused this by raising them on 16%.
I did change later when I was told 20% but at least 2 critical growh periods had passed by then.

. The saving grace to all this is
that now I will raise their children differently with Meatbird from hatch to slaughter.

. I should see that size potential manifest
itself.
Thanks,
Karen

 

[ronott1]

That is right. Most would not want to know how they fattened them. In the case of Sussex, often wheat and milk, they crammed them into little fattening cages. They only had room to eat and drink. You can find examples of these fattening batteries on line.

In my opinion, once a bird starts to crow, they are not worth eating.

That would be true for my HRIRs they are over 20 weeks when they crow!

Others start at 10 weeks old. I eat them at any age though. Pressure cookers are amazing at softening up tough old birds.

I pressure cooked a 10 month old Delaware and it tasted like Roast Beef. It was very tasty.

 

[hellbender]

This is one of the reasons I like this thread!

Thanks for this method. How long is it fed to them?

I feed the gruel for 8 to 10 days then fast them for 2 days before slaughter. I try to slaughter them at about 10 months of age. Some would think that to be quite old but caponization allows the added maturity gives a very rich and flavorful taste and tenderness that would not be had in a like bird that had been kept intact.

 

[gjensen]

That would be true for my HRIRs they are over 20 weeks when they crow!

Others start at 10 weeks old. I eat them at any age though. Pressure cookers are amazing at softening up tough old birds.

I pressure cooked a 10 month old Delaware and it tasted like Roast Beef. It was very tasty.

I might be pickier than some. I like tender. LOL.

It is ideal to process them before they get to the stag stage. Heck of a lot cheaper to. Nothing wrong with processing the later culls though. I find the hens better when they are old. I do not like old males.

This is a reason I would like to learn to do capons. I would like to have a few for later in the year. Never had one.