Dual purpose roosters, when to butcher.

[dancingbear]

Quote:
I've had the same problem, those light Brahmas are hard to sex, young. I have 2 LB hens that I was sure were roos until they were several months old. One has a large comb, for a hen, the other has a tiny one. They do mature very slowly. I have a LB/EE cross right now who's about 2 months old, I hope is a hen, but it looks like I won't know for awhile. The buff Brahmas are easier to sex, the color pattern's more distinctive.

She/he has the light Brahma coloring face is almost pure white with just a bit of black , but with the EE/Americauna type muff, and may be growing tufts, too. Feathered legs. Beautiful, I hope it's a hen!

 

[tanyacobb]

Old post but I butchered and ate our 1st roo and we put in sugar salt vinegar brine the roo was about 5months old (cin queen) then baked in the oven low for about 3-4 hours it was deeelicious!

 

[nellynelly]

i just ate a 2.5 year old roo. after an hour in the pressure cooker, he was good eating. i have tried to cook them other ways....but for me, the pressure cooker is the only option now.

 

[Michaelshamp]

When my birds get old enough to sex i seperate the roos, put them on a much higher protien and fat diet, and by 16-20 wks old they are plumped up just fine and the extra fat in the diet makes them more tender, I have heard many questions regarding tough and tender topics, my view is it is mainly in the kitchen where this is done, most folks i know are not very good cooks and tend to over cook poultry, which will make even the best chicken hog feed. marinading your meat is mostly a crutch some cooks use as an excuse to tough meat to mask their skills.

if you have confidence in the way these birds are raised and processed, then take the same care in the kitchen your efforts will be more rewarding.

AL

I am starting chicks soon with keets and poults all on 28% starter. Would that be ok to feed the roos until harvest at 20 weeks?

 

[Molpet]

I am starting chicks soon with keets and poults all on 28% starter. Would that be ok to feed the roos until harvest at 20 weeks?

Yes
I feed everyone the higher protein.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am starting chicks soon with keets and poults all on 28% starter. Would that be ok to feed the roos until harvest at 20 weeks?

Try it and let us know how it works. They should grow really fast. When you butcher look at the internal organs, especially liver, and see if it looks abnormal.

Articles I've read say that high protein can cause avian gout. This article is so old I'm surprised the link still works.

https://en.engormix.com/poultry-industry/articles/avian-gout-t34423.htm
This study mention 30% protein, you are under that. If they forage or you feed them "treats" in addition to that 28% feed the effective protein percentage drops. It's not how much is in one bite, it's total number of grams of protein they eat in a day.

Since you mention 20 weeks, I assume you are doing dual purpose, not the Cornish X or Rangers. If you were doing Cornish X or Rangers I'd be nervous. With dual purpose I think you have a pretty good chance of good results.

@Molpet what percentage is your higher protein? I can't remember if you are raising dual purpose, broilers, or a cross.

 

[Molpet]

Try it and let us know how it works. They should grow really fast. When you butcher look at the internal organs, especially liver, and see if it looks abnormal.

Articles I've read say that high protein can cause avian gout. This article is so old I'm surprised the link still works.

https://en.engormix.com/poultry-industry/articles/avian-gout-t34423.htm
This study mention 30% protein, you are under that. If they forage or you feed them "treats" in addition to that 28% feed the effective protein percentage drops. It's not how much is in one bite, it's total number of grams of protein they eat in a day.

Since you mention 20 weeks, I assume you are doing dual purpose, not the Cornish X or Rangers. If you were doing Cornish X or Rangers I'd be nervous. With dual purpose I think you have a pretty good chance of good results.

@Molpet what percentage is your higher protein? I can't remember if you are raising dual purpose, broilers, or a cross.

I feed 28% turkey feed most of the time,
They free range most of the time ...in winter I sometimes drop to 18... Today the feed guy texted and asked if 18 was ok because he didn't have stuff for the turkey feed...

 

[Michaelshamp]

Try it and let us know how it works. They should grow really fast. When you butcher look at the internal organs, especially liver, and see if it looks abnormal.

Articles I've read say that high protein can cause avian gout. This article is so old I'm surprised the link still works.

https://en.engormix.com/poultry-industry/articles/avian-gout-t34423.htm
This study mention 30% protein, you are under that. If they forage or you feed them "treats" in addition to that 28% feed the effective protein percentage drops. It's not how much is in one bite, it's total number of grams of protein they eat in a day.

Since you mention 20 weeks, I assume you are doing dual purpose, not the Cornish X or Rangers. If you were doing Cornish X or Rangers I'd be nervous. With dual purpose I think you have a pretty good chance of good results.

@Molpet what percentage is your higher protein? I can't remember if you are raising dual purpose, broilers, or a cross.

Yes all chickens will be dual purpose. Brahma, Australorp and BO. My goal is a self sustaining flock with new roosters every couple of years. Hoping to hatch up to 100 birds a year. Starting with 30 female chicks and 12 straight run from 4 breeds.

 

[GlennLee]

I'm new to using my cockerels as meat birds, but am happy to share my experience. Last year, I completed several rounds of hatching and of course, given the odds, had way too many cockerels. The birds were dual purpose German Bielefelders and Bielefelder Rhode Island Red hybrids. When I had them processed, half of them were at 18 weeks and half were at 22 weeks. Believe me there was no plan here and I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew I had to have them gone by a certain date since we were leaving for vacation.

What I found was the 18 week birds were a bit on the scrawny side. The 22 week birds dressed out at about 3.5 to 3.75 lbs. The flavor of both have been marvelous in soup. The meat just falls off the bone and is very tender, not stringy at all. I have one left in the freezer and am going to try brining it and then roasting it long and low in the oven. I'm anxious to see how that works.

This year, I have 25 Jersey Giant chicks and 3 New Hampshire chicks arriving in a few weeks and will raise them specifically for meat birds. Since they are new breeds for me, I'll be watching to see how they develop and can keep you posted on the results. I may even try butchering at various times, just to see the difference.