buff orps???

[lilcluck]

i have been reading through the forums for a while now(lots of great info) but this is my first post.
i have a neighbor a few doors down with 4 extra buff orp roos that he wants to get rid of. he said i could have them for free. i am thinking of taking him up on this offer. they are all around 16 weeks old give or take a week. about how big(weight wise) would you expect these to be after they are processed. this would be my first time processing birds by myself(i helped my uncle process birds a few times when i was younger but that was many years ago) so any advice is welcome. also, how long would you reccomend ageing them before cooking or freezing them and how do you reccomend i cook them?

 

[paddock36]

I would say that depends on how they were being fed. Do they feel skinny when you pick them up or have you picked them up? If you get them are you going to give them a few more weeks to fatten them up or butcher them right away? Also, congradulations

on your first post.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Oh I love that breed. I would be tempted to keep one, but really if you want fryers or to have them tender for whatever cooking you do, I would do the deed ASAP. They did most of their growing already, but they will fill out better if given the opportunity. If you keep them too long, you will have to slow cook or stew them for a long time, but that can be good too. You have a good neighbor. I would guess you will have 5Lbs of finished bird at least and 8 to 10 Lbs live weight now. They will get bigger in time however. And I could be a little off on the weight estimates. Orphingtons were my momma's breed, not mine. But they are gorgeous.

 

[mmtillman]

from MO!

 

[TimG]

Quote:
At 16 weeks, I'll take the under (@ 8 lbs) and give you 5:1 odds.

 

[matte]

I would age them (in air, not water) for 24-36 hours in the fridge. We have found that this makes a huge difference in texture and tenderness of the meat. We age like this before we freeze any of our birds.

 

[HEChicken]

I processed two BO roos at around 17-18 weeks. They had been free-ranging their whole life with free choice access to first chick starter and then Flock Raiser (from about 8 weeks on). They got vegie scraps from the house and lots of caterpillars and beetles because we picked all we could find from the vegie garden and fed them to the chooks. The dressed weight on these guys was about 3.5lbs. Now, if they hadn't been free-ranging and had been kept in a run all day with nothing to do but eat, they might have been a little bigger but as it was, that was it. We processed a BR roo several weeks later when he was 23 weeks old and he dressed out at almost 5lbs.

I will say this: at 17 weeks, they were very tender. We roasted one and put one in the crockpot and they were absolutely scrumptious!

 

[DawnSuiter]

Yes, I'd have to say that my AVERAGE 16-17 week old Buff Orpington cockerel or even mixed with Buff Orpington is going to dress out at 3-3.5lbs. They are part time free ranging but offered the standard 3-4oz of complete feed per day.

After some experience, I have found that 5-6 months of age is truly perfect for both size & tenderness. They have the opportunity to put on another pound to MAYBE 2 lbs and I don't feel there is any significant loss in meat texture.

So... I'd have to say to the Original Poster, take them on, feed them a while longer and get them ready to butcher in a month or two.

I have been cooling them for 24-48 hours in the fridge before putting them in the deep freeze

 

[bigredfeather]

I have done BO cockerals at 20 weeks and some at 26 weeks. The older ones where much meatier, right at 5 pounds dressed. If you have a way to feed them out for another month, it would be worthwhile IMHO. I was disappointed in the ones I did at 20 weeks. Both ages weren't as tender as a Cornish, but I would not consider them tough. It would be better described as "more texture." The leg quarters were huge and the best chicken I have ever eaten. The meat was darker than beef. It almost resembled venision in color. If you can get them free, I would go for it. It would be a great way to try your hand at butchering again. Regardless of how well you do, you won't be out anything.

Here is a pick of a Buff leg quarter w/ the breast meat on top of it:

[/img]

 

[prov31gal]

oooohhh, i like buff orpingtons, and i agree feed them for a little while, get them all fattened up, then butcher, age in the fridge about 2 days then freeze. we have a friend who buys 75-100 buff orpington roos each spring, then butchers and sells, they have white skin like a store bird, which is very appealing, at least to me, and i say go for it!