Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[Morrigan]

Tomorrow I'm going to process my 2 held over Slow White Broilers from last summer, along with a 2 year old hen who has always been a poor layer, and a messy looking bird. With the exception of one very mean hen, this is going to be my first time culling otherwise healthy, laying hens. Both SWB have proven to be good layers and hardy birds, but with growing chicks, limited coop space, and dwindling chicken supplies in the freezer, it's their time.

Trying to be stoic and pragmatic, but I'm not going to lie, I'm dreading tomorrow. The upside for these SWB hens, is they got a lot longer life then their hatch-mates. The downside for me, as I had time to get more attached. I'm still very grateful to be raising my own food, though.

 

[Morrigan]

Butchering is done. My plan changed a bit. I ended up culling the largest of the two SWB -- a tank of a bird who was going to struggle in hot weather -- the poor laying (2 year old) maran hen, and then a small 2 year old orpington hen. I realized when I went to crate them last night, that those three always slept together and tended to hang out together. Rather then leave the little orpington by herself, I ended up taking the three of them. The other SWB broiler is a year younger, and still in great physical condition. From a flock management standpoint it made a bit more sense.

There wasn't a lot of meat on that orpington however. I was the saddest about her. She was 2.75 lbs, the maran was 3.75 lbs and the SWB 6 lbs.

It was a tough butchering. We hated pulling all the forming eggs out. But, it needed to be done. I have been very fortunate in that it has been 2 years since I have lost a bird to predators or health issues. Chicken math was getting the best of me, and with the 10 chicks getting moved to the coop today, I needed the space.

I am going to need to make a second cull in another month when the chicks get larger. Gah. I'm a total wimp. Sorry for all my moaning and groaning, but I figured people here understand.

 

[Molpet]

Butchering is done. My plan changed a bit. I ended up culling the largest of the two SWB -- a tank of a bird who was going to struggle in hot weather -- the poor laying (2 year old) maran hen, and then a small 2 year old orpington hen. I realized when I went to crate them last night, that those three always slept together and tended to hang out together. Rather then leave the little orpington by herself, I ended up taking the three of them. The other SWB broiler is a year younger, and still in great physical condition. From a flock management standpoint it made a bit more sense.

There wasn't a lot of meat on that orpington however. I was the saddest about her. She was 2.75 lbs, the maran was 3.75 lbs and the SWB 6 lbs.

It was a tough butchering. We hated pulling all the forming eggs out. But, it needed to be done. I have been very fortunate in that it has been 2 years since I have lost a bird to predators or health issues. Chicken math was getting the best of me, and with the 10 chicks getting moved to the coop today, I needed the space.

I am going to need to make a second cull in another month when the chicks get larger. Gah. I'm a total wimp. Sorry for all my moaning and groaning, but I figured people here understand.

Yes I can relate
have my original mix heritage roo, he is at least 5yr and almost everyone is related to him. He only defends a few old hens from the cockerels but still keeps an eye to the sky.... so I keep him.. doesn't make sense though

 

[aliciaplus3]

I figure going into next fall I NEED to get down to a realistic number of birds, ones that are either laying and young or hold an important place in a breeding program that no one else can fill. I will probably have too many but its a great thing to aspire to .

 

[Bookworm0124]

I ordered a dozen Delaware eggs from dawnridge farm. I asked that they come after the 28 when my ducks hatch. I was going to wait until I had a broody. But with all the crap going on, I wanted them now.

 

[Bookworm0124]

I ordered a dozen Delaware eggs from dawnridge farm. I asked that they come after the 28 when my ducks hatch. I was going to wait until I had a broody. But with all the crap going on, I wanted them now.

 

[Morrigan]

Here is a picture of my NN rooster and the surviving SWB hen.

Here is a picture of some of the alien chicks they made together.

The upside to getting this butchering done is I could move my 10 chicks into a sectioned off part of the coop. There are 2 CX mixed in amongst the NN crosses. They are the same age as everyone else, but are 2x to 3x as big. The CX in the foreground is standing next to a pure breed NN.

 

[aart]

It was a tough butchering. We hated pulling all the forming eggs out.

Yeppers.

 

[aliciaplus3]

ok finally got a few pics of butchered birds this guy was the biggest at not quite 5 pounds dressed.some of these were 6 to7 months old

some were necked necks looks like around half were 4 pounds or better?

had a guy wanting some 3 pounders. Finally found 4 and the 5th one was just over 4 pounds.

the smallest one came in just under 3 pounds... a mutt of some sort?
All in all happy to not be feeding these boys any more, half were September hatches the others were late summer so not terrible but we plan to work on the utility quality's of our flock going forward.
My personal goal is to have a strain that will hit 4 to 5 pounds by 16 weeks. Ok so I have a ways to go but it's worth working on

 

[Morrigan]

My personal goal is to have a strain that will hit 4 to 5 pounds by 16 weeks.

I have the same goal, at least as far as cockerels that dress out at 4+ lbs by 16 weeks. Hoping my current NN over my hybrid broiler chicks will be prove to be a good start. It is very humbling, however, to see what I think is a pretty good sized chick next to the CX chicks. I don't necessary want to duplicate the CX type of growth rate, but man, is it a huge gap between the CX and what I am trying to do.