Dual Purpose

[cassie]

About what age do you butcher Rhode Island or Orpington roosters? I want them big enough to make good fryers but not so old I have to stew them.

 

[98 gt]

3-4 months too much older and its really stringy...

 

[wanda047]

I was actually going to ask the very same question today. Of the 16 Orphington chicks I bought, 8 of them are roosters it appears (did the wing test last night).

That brings me to my next question. What qualities do I need to look for in determining which of the roosters to keep with my 8 hens and should I keep more than one rooster with this number? If something happened to that one rooster... I'd be rooster-less!

 

[briana1975]

I have these samr question. I will be watching for answers.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'll throw in my $0.02 here.... we just had rooster harvest day with our mixed breeds... some were about 6 months old and they were tender and delicious. and to be fair we used most of the carcasses for roo stew as they werent huge... but the breasts were perfect pan fried.

i think the ratio is supposed to be one rooster per 8 or 10 hens...

as far as qualities - it depends. we kept my arch nemisis - Fred for his ability to watch and keep the hens safe. he calls to them when he finds food, the 'flock' to him and stick close by, and he protects 'his' hens from the other roosters. but Fred has a bad attitude toward me and i keep my shepherds hook in hand and never turn my back on him.

we also kept Big Pansy, our newest roo and an enormous wyandott mix. he has a gentle nature but the hens dont naturally follow him. we're hoping this will change as he matures.

Fred is a better hen keeper, but BP is bigger and we're hoping for larger chicks - Fred's are a bit small. we got rid of the roosters who led the hens out toward the road, down in the trees, who attacked my husband and the three little ones who were just a menace. they ate all the food, ran the hens around, and ran from me when it was time to go in.

hope that helps!

 

[sandspoultry]

We wait until they are at least 6 months old and have filled out in the breast area. They have not been tough at all. I think it all depends on how you cook them.
Sharon

 

[pdpatch]

Buff Orh will take a good 6 months to fill out. Last year we had an assorment of Heavey breads for meat birds. We butchered between 15 to 18 weeks, and generally it took two birds for a meal.

We also had a one year old Buff Orgh Roo at the same time. He had plenty of meat, tasted better, and was not stringy or tough

We don't fry but use slow cooking methods, like baking, roasting, and smoking.

Tom

 

[Mahonri]

Everything I've heard is 16 to 20 weeks... but usually there isn't as much meat as you'd get with a cornish X.... once they get ready to crow, it's time for dinner.

 

[Kim_NC]

I recently did a batch of 8 that were 19 weeks. (Packing peanuts from an Ideal order.)

They're tender. I've made buffalo wings, grilled chicken breast, fried chicken legs, enchiladas & fajitas, chicken salad. All were very good.

The finished weights were 2 3/4 - 3 lbs at that age.