Earliest time to butcher a Wyandotte??

[LizzzyJo]

I'd be surprised if you got much by 12 weeks and that would the VERY earliest I suggest. I usually don't consider harvesting heritage birds before 16 weeks for a reasonable size carcass.

I processed plenty of Silkies for the freezer.. and folks do quail all the time.. so it's all relative.. even not enough meat to feed the family may still be plenty to make a stock or chicken noodle soup. Worse comes to worse, if I don't feel like harvesting but need to maintain my sanity.. I will humanely dispatch.. and compost, set out for the feral barn cat, or vultures, give to someone to feed their dogs/animals, etc.. I no longer feel guilty for letting them return to feed the Earth if I'm unable to utilize them for whatever reason.


With all things chicken.. you do you! You only have to wait until YOU are ready.. This is YOUR adventure, YOU are the one dealing with flock antics etc.

At 8 weeks.. if he's being a bastard he most likely got the wrong signal somewhere. But some do start biting etc very young. I would either review MY body language AND reset the stage for a new interaction and kill him with kindness (meaning don't kick at or chase )while teaching him to respect your personal space. since like begets like fairly often. Testy or hormonal idiocy is not quite the same thing as "mean". He's a stupid preteen right now trying to learn his place. Starting young he could be steered in the right direction.. at least until a "better" time comes.. Wyandottes.. YU-hummy!

Many of us use grow out or stag pens.. to let the boys be boys on their way to camp Kenmore. I have also used a dog kennel for still in flock isolation. And I love using open bottom pens during the daytime when needed.

Best wishes, whenever you decide to harvest and however you decide to purpose him!

The suggestion to skin.. might be needed if pin feathers are coming in as they go through several mini molts on the way to maturity.. plucking is easy enough, but pins be a nightmare to get out!

This is all great info thank you!!! I’ve never tried to dispatch before 20 but he’s just annoying me. His pecking and chasing is funny now, but it will get dangerous soon. He is happy when free ranging so I will just avoid him and do a bit of behavioral work when needed until 16 weeks. Thanks!!

 

[LizzzyJo]

I wouldn’t think a Wyandotte would be worth the time anything less than 14-16 weeks. But....... skin em and boil him will be enough for a pot of soup.

When you say pot of soup do you mean chicken noodle or chicken stock? If that makes sense.

 

[MarkJr]

Either.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I actually skin them in the kitchen with a collection can right at the edge of the table and my last cut of the tail drops the skin/feathers and guts into the can. I do not save organs so I can afford to do that. Sometimes a stray feather gets away but I have a broom and dust pan that and often need a little motivation to use them and a stray feather ending up on the floor provides that motivation.

I might do that next time. This time I certainly had more than one stray feather though! The tail was a learning curve. After this one unruly boy I actually processed a few more older ones I had been meaning to in the same way and I got much better. Who knew ignoring the thought that you have to pluck would lead to so much easier and faster processing!? Well, I guess you did I’d been waiting for the right weekend and the time to get the boiling pot and the plucker blah blah. All I needed was myself and a few minutes.