Cream Legbars

[chicken pickin]

What do you do with the extra roos? They don't seem to gt any meat on them, even if you feed them meat bird food.

We eat our extra males here. They get processed at roughly 16 weeks old and have a decent amount of tender meat.

 

[GaryDean26]

What do you do with the extra roos? They don't seem to gt any meat on them, even if you feed them meat bird food.

If they are "extra roos" then it doesn't really matter how much meat they have on them. You aren't raising them to meet weight cut-offs for commercial meat birds. If they are smaller than what your family is used to, serve two at a meal instead of one.

Out of curiosity what do you mean by meat bird food? Are you dairy fattening them in a crate? If so, no you won't see as large of weight gains from a laying breed and you would a meat breed. Meat birds have narrow hips and wide breast. The wide breast is optimal for gaining weight during the finishing process. Laying breeds have narrow breast and wide hips. The wide hips are optimal for prolific laying, but the reduced breast area means they won't gain as much weight during fattening. The meat is just as good though. I actually like the Legbar meat better than all the "meat birds" that I have tasted.

Note: Poussin (aka spring chicken, springs, or game hen) is baby chicken harvested at around 1 lbs. It is a delicacy and proves that no chicken is ever too young to butcher or ever has too little meat to eat.

 

[badflash]

I they are "extra roos" then it doesn't really matter how much meat they have on them. You aren't raising them to meet weight cut-offs for commercial meat birds. If they are smaller than what your family is used to, serve two at a meal instead of one.

Out of curriosity what do you mean by meat bird food? Are you dairy fattening them in a crate? If so, no you won't see as large of weight gains from a laying breed and you would a meat breed. Meat birds have narrow hips and wide breast. The wide breast is optimal for gaining weight during the finishing process. Laying breeds have narrow breast and wide hips. The wide hips are optimal for prolific laying, but the reduced breast area means they won't gain as much weight during fattening. The meat is just as good though. I actually like the Legbar meat better than all the "meat birds" that I have tasted.

Note: Poussin (aka spring chicken, springs, or game hen) is baby chicken harvested at around 1 lbs. It is a delicacy and proves that no chicken is ever too young to butcher or ever has too little meat to eat.

 

[chicken pickin]

I feed my Legbars males starter/grower then grower/finisher, they also get occasional scraps. They live in a very large pen and also free range. For me personally I don't think I would ever raise them like "typical meat birds" on meat bird feed and crated (though I don't even cage my meat birds I free range everything). I agree with GaryDean that the Legbar meat is very good. The meat stays tender enough that you can still roast them in the oven YUM, as long as you don't wait too long to process, I like to process by 16weeks, just my personal preference.

I agree the CL crosses and other cross breeds do get bigger and have more meat. But a CL male will taste good too and worth processing for the meat.

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

We eat our extra males here. They get processed at roughly 16 weeks old and have a decent amount of tender meat.

CP do you still have someone that processes for you? How did you find that person?

 

[chicken pickin]

CP do you still have someone that processes for you? How did you find that person?

Yes I have a family that does it for us and they are literally only one road away from me. They are a licensed facility by the state and undergo inspections to be certified. I got really lucky to have them so close by to me.

I found them a few years back when I asked my local Blue Seal store if they knew of any local processors. They couldn't recall exactly who they were but they put me on the right road to finding them.

I have also looked on my local craigslist and have found other processors in my State though none close to me. So Craigslist could be a place to check and I suggest calling around and asking your local feed stores.

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Yes I have a family that does it for us and they are literally only one road away from me. They are a licensed facility by the state and undergo inspections to be certified. I got really lucky to have them so close by to me.

I found them a few years back when I asked my local Blue Seal store if they knew of any local processors. They couldn't recall exactly who they were but they put me on the right road to finding them.

I have also looked on my local craigslist and have found other processors in my State though none close to me. So Craigslist could be a place to check and I suggest calling around and asking your local feed stores.

Thanks. So far no one does chickens but I will keep looking. I can't process them myself and then eat them. It is a weird hang up I have. I want someone else to do it and then maybe I will be able to eat them.

 

[GaryDean26]

"Meat Bird Food" is higher protein feed meant to make chicken meant for meat put on weight faster. That is the actual name. I keep them, and the other mutts I hatched for meat in a large cage, about 4'LX4'WX6'H. When I pick up a legbar roo, compared to my mutts (1/4 turkin, 1/4 leghorn, 1/2 brahma) they weigh nothing, even though they look as big.

Could it be possible that the mutts are dominating the coop and not letting the smaller birds eat freely? I know for that very reason pullets will grow larger when separated from cockerels to grow out. Have you check the breast bone to see if the Legbars are getting well conditioned? A well conditioned bird will have meat covering the breast bone. Out of condition birds you can pinch the breast bone with your thumb and pointer finder. The further down you can pinch the breast bone the further it is out of condition.

 

[caychris]

I find that they are still a bit thin at 16 weeks I think 20-22 is probably better to let them fill out some more. Im also finding that males separated from females will eat better. The male protective instincts take a back seat when no one to protect. Females seem to do a bit better too. Of course this is antedoctal from this years attempt and there is limited comparison value but I think its working

 

[caychris]

I find that they are still a bit thin at 16 weeks I think 20-22 is probably better to let them fill out some more. Im also finding that males separated from females will eat better. The male protective instincts take a back seat when no one to protect. Females seem to do a bit better too. Of course this is antedoctal from this years attempt and there is limited comparison value but I think its working

Also giving the extra protein early in their life cycle can help them fulfill their genetic potential. Just like kids need good nutrition as they grow protein is the building block for new tissue so Id give them as much as they can handle really.