Weight comparisons at processing between hatchery cockerels and Heritage Bred birds from Old Dominion Dominiques.
The two cockerels that remained from Old Dominion Dominiques were processed at 23 weeks, along with 4 cockerels we raised from Cackle Hatchery stock. The cockerels from Old-Dominion Dominiques were larger than the hatchery cockerels, and averaged 5.62 lbs. live weight. The hatchery cockerels averaged about 4 lbs. live weight. Both groups of cockerels lost about 20% of their weight during the butchering process, with the ODD birds dressing out at an average of 4.5 lbs. and the Cackle birds at 3.2 lbs. dressed weight.
Two weeks later at 25 weeks, the remaining hatchery cockerels (one weighed 5 ½ lbs.) averaged 4 ¾ lbs. These also lost about 20% during dressing, for an average dressed weight was 3.8 lbs. The difference in waiting two weeks was a weight gain of an average of ¼ lb. live weight, but with an increase of just over ½ lbs. dressed weight. The Cockerels we hatched from Old Dominion Dominiques were about 1 ¼ lbs. heavier than the Cackle hatchery birds of the same age. Even waiting two weeks longer for the last of the Cackle birds, though they gained weight appreciably, still weren’t as big on average as the other birds that were two weeks younger. As the overall weight gain in the hatchery birds was only ¼ lb, yet the dressed weight was over ½ lb, the gain was conclusively muscle mass gain. This was very noticeable in the size of the breasts.
The two cockerels that remained from Old Dominion Dominiques were processed at 23 weeks, along with 4 cockerels we raised from Cackle Hatchery stock. The cockerels from Old-Dominion Dominiques were larger than the hatchery cockerels, and averaged 5.62 lbs. live weight. The hatchery cockerels averaged about 4 lbs. live weight. Both groups of cockerels lost about 20% of their weight during the butchering process, with the ODD birds dressing out at an average of 4.5 lbs. and the Cackle birds at 3.2 lbs. dressed weight.
Two weeks later at 25 weeks, the remaining hatchery cockerels (one weighed 5 ½ lbs.) averaged 4 ¾ lbs. These also lost about 20% during dressing, for an average dressed weight was 3.8 lbs. The difference in waiting two weeks was a weight gain of an average of ¼ lb. live weight, but with an increase of just over ½ lbs. dressed weight. The Cockerels we hatched from Old Dominion Dominiques were about 1 ¼ lbs. heavier than the Cackle hatchery birds of the same age. Even waiting two weeks longer for the last of the Cackle birds, though they gained weight appreciably, still weren’t as big on average as the other birds that were two weeks younger. As the overall weight gain in the hatchery birds was only ¼ lb, yet the dressed weight was over ½ lb, the gain was conclusively muscle mass gain. This was very noticeable in the size of the breasts.
Source
Age
Live weight average
Dressed weight average
Old Dominion DominiquesAge
Live weight average
Dressed weight average
23 weeks
5.62 lbs.
4.50 lbs.
Cackle Hatchery5.62 lbs.
4.50 lbs.
23 weeks
4.50 lbs.
3.20 lbs.
Cackle Hatchery4.50 lbs.
3.20 lbs.
25 weeks
4.73 lbs.
3.74 lbs.
4.73 lbs.
3.74 lbs.
