Butchering 17 week old Buff Orps and New Hampshire Reds?

[123RedBeard]

You can get very sick from eating poultry (and other meat too!) That has not been stored properly ... basically it starts to rot, and bacteria starts to grow ... think about food poisoning ... raw chicken is famous for potential germs!

 

[Chickenheadmate]

You can get very sick from eating poultry (and other meat too!) That has not been stored properly ... basically it starts to rot, and bacteria starts to grow ... think about food poisoning ... raw chicken is famous for potential germs!

Hmm. Thanks.
Very informative information.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Recently weighed a cockerel and put the three weights of same bird in google sheets to illustrate some why early butchering is a good thing.

Weights at 11, 14 and 19 weeks. With only these three points you can see a curve to growth at 14 weeks. Same amount of feed going in and less gain to bird. If weighed every week in that same time range (12-15 weeks) it would show more accurately the best time to butcher for feed conversion. As is with the three points 14 weeks (for my strain of dual purpose birds) or before that time would be optimal feed conversion rate. This age coincides with traditional dual purpose broiler butchering age. It's not a coincidence. Most tender meat at best economy of feed conversion should weigh heavy in decision of butchering time. Actual size of bird to me carries less weight.

 

[aealbin]

How much did NH red weigh?

Not sure if was the NHR or the other BO, but the one I just put in the crockpot was 2.34 pounds.