buff orpingtons for meat...how to keep the roos

[ctcasper]

I have what I think are a lot of buff orpington roos. My DH wants to keep them and raise them for meat.....we also want to try and hatch a bunch next year and keep whatever roos we get for meat and so the cycle goes. We picked Buff Orps because they say they are a good dual purpose bird...but how do you feed them, any differently.... Also how do you keep 15 roos without them fighting like crazy. They are 9-10 weeks old and are already starting to fight. THey are in a small chicken tractor now, but hopefully we will get the coop done enought to keep them in their with a large 10x12 or so run. Will that be enough room?

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, you'll be butchering them in a month or so anyways... so... just more space and no girls for them to try to keep them calm. "Dual" isn't really meaty so don't expect anything like what you buy at the store. Most duals now are bred more for eggs anyways. Eating them is a good use of the roo's though. I find they make tasty soups!

 

[ctcasper]

I didn't expect them to get quite as big as the store...but i have heard they are tastier... what should I feed them and how old should they be to be butchered then?

 

[MissPrissy]

You will want to dispatch them at around 12 weeks. Otherwise they won't be good for anything but stew.

After dispatch let them sit in the fridge 24 - 48 hours before cooking or freezing.

Broiler feed.

 

[ctcasper]

When should I start feeding them broiler feed?

 

[MissPrissy]

Now. They won't be around long enough to justify the price of much higher costing feeds.

 

[ctcasper]

Thank you soo much for your help...I will have to pick some up and save the starter i have for my new chicks coming next week....should pick out the roo i want to keep now then and keep it seperate? Also, can i only keep 1 roo for 7 hens?? What if some of the roos i think i have turn out to be hens...I think they are all roos, but noone that's looked at them here can tell for sure....??? Once again sorry for all the Q's....and thanks a ton for the help

 

[MissPrissy]

Post some photos of them. We'll give it a shot.

 

[ctcasper]

I have posted them, would be delighted if you would take a look too.

These are the first ones I posted right after I got them....each bird is pictured only once in these pics.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=44255


Here's the second batch i posted about a week or so later...their combs had grown a lot on a few of them, so i thought i would try again.... these were just taken randomly and some birds may be pictured twice, others not at all
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=46060

 

[MissPrissy]

I can't look at a comb and a face and tell if a chicken is a roo or not. Alot of people can but I am not one of them. I need to see the completely bird. I have seen pullets that I would swear by the comb and wattles where cockerals. I need to see the body.

I am sure someone else will along and can tell you more than me.