Cornish weights...

[RedMini]

Ok, then I can update this post when I process mine in a few weeks Then we'll see how much weight is lost. I have 20, so it should be a good average.

Yes. Let us know.
I just went on a poultry processing web site & it said that a dressed bird is usually 75% of the live weight (so a 6lb would come out at around 4.5lbs).

 

[MamaKitty913]

Hi I got CX chicks and kept track of my wt's the first set at 8 weeks average wt. prior to process was 5.5 oz (10 birds) with processed birds average harvest weight without feet/head/internal organs, after a 10 hour fast (gave water night before instead of meal) was 4.4 lbs. The birds processed at 15 weeks included all hens and gave us 10.5 lbs to 11.2 lbs of some fabulous garlic and lemon butter with peppercorn and rosemary works of art in the oven. Breast side up.... Yummy! I have had some trouble eating the chickens we had grown, but that chicken dinner... Well lets just say... Marvolous Darling! It was rested for 48 hours prior to eating in a Kosher Salt brine in the fridge, then placed in a garlic/rosemary marinade... juicy tender and Flavorful. I feel for my family we will need to keep a few CX a few extra weeks than some people find works for them. I liked a pre harvest weight of 5 1/2 to 6 lbs I take the biggest and the smallest and when the weight is obtained. We process unless we want roasters thats some where in the 12 to 16th week. I did not want to go past the16th week because the last few girls were really having a hard time in the hot/humid Louisiana weather other wise we were going to try keeping a few longer. Good luck n God Bless us All

 

[LindaB220]

You know, I really wish I had done a weight before processing. So I don't know what they weighed alive.
I've already started my 2nd batch this year so if I remember to do weights the night before process I will!
Friends of ours averaged their CX's at 5 lbs with a few above 7 dressed.

You're going to lose about 30% body weight. That's normal.

 

[Sabz]

Yes. Let us know.
I just went on a poultry processing web site & it said that a dressed bird is usually 75% of the live weight (so a 6lb would come out at around 4.5lbs).

Well, RedMini and Linda you are 100% correct according to my calculations

I have processed 14 birds this weekend (gee, what a big job when it is done alone, in a COLD and RAINY weekend - my hot water wouldn't stay warm, one of my pots MELTED on my stove.. but anyhow). Some of them didn't get weighted because it

I did it differently on saturday and sunday. The chicken processed on saturday had no food before butchering (none the night before, none just before butchering). Those done on sunday had food given to them just prior to butchering so the crop would be easier to find - thus the weight difference is bigger on sunday since the chicken had about half a pound of food in their crop.

Here are the weights before and after processing (in pounds and oz).
8.10 -> 6.40
7.12 -> 5.90
7.32 -> 4.12
7.13 -> 5.10
8.17 -> 5.81
7.14 -> 5.11
8.26 -> 5.13

Sunday:
9.50 -> 6.17
8.10 -> 6.35
7.87 -> 5.75 (the only female)

And two ducks (which I didn't consider in the chicken average weight calculations):
8.70 -> 3.10
N-A -> 3.15

I found the duck weight difference very big!! Is it because of all the thick feathers? I don't know.

Anyhow, so the chicken weight was 7.87 in average, for a "cleaned" average weight of 5.58.
There was an average of 2.29 pounds lost in the processing, which is around 30% of weight.

I weighted them after bleeding and removing the head. I tried to do it before butchering but I felt it stressed my chickens - being around the death odors, having to hold still on the scale, etc. So I did it after killing them, which I don't think makes a very large difference anyhow!

The "after" weight is after plucking and evisceration, except duck #1 which I skinned because my water was too cold and it was impossible to pluck!!!