Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[KenK]

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I try to avoid the use of the word "cull" because it is so often used as a euphemism here for "kill". I hung on to as many of these stags for as long as I could but one more had to go and it was his time.

 

[KenK]

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I think I had something like $25 each in these chicks on the day they hatched. I'm sure not in it for the money and as hobbies go there are a lot that are harder on the pocket book.

 

[Lotsapaints]

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I try to avoid the use of the word "cull" because it is so often used as a euphemism here for "kill". I hung on to as many of these stags for as long as I could but one more had to go and it was his time.

When you hatch out enough to do a good job just what should a person do with 75+ cull roosters? I take the fancy colored ones to auction sometimes but mostly after I butcher what I want for my freezer I sell to people who are wanting good meat. A big incentive for raising ones that mature quickly so I don't have to feed them as long too......I keep the family in chicken and turkey meat and smoke it too. Culling is just that not keeping what you don't need. I have no problem selling pullets and I have people who want a good rooster from time to time but so far this year I've sold 125 roosters it doesn't pay for all the feed but it helps

 

[KenK]

It's just a hobby for me at this point, may get more involved when I retire, or not. I hatched a grand total of 24 chicks this year. I hope to hatch two or three times that many next year, at the most.

 

[KenK]

This weekend's subject is a 17 week old Dominique cockerel. Dressed weight, 3 pounds 2 ounces. Skinny little breast and big meaty thighs.

On deck for next weekend is a Sussex cockerel from the same hatching. It will be interesting to me to compare them. I plan to cook them both exactly the same way.

 

[gallorojo]

Your pictures are greatly appreciated, Ken!! They allow for some great comparisons. Most of my chickens when killed look like your dom. Hopefully this fall I can put up some pics of my own to compare breeds.

 

[NotAFarm]

Pictured below is a dressed Auburn Java cockerel, 16/17 weeks, on the upper right, with the smallest and largest cornish x that I had processed last October. The Java weighed 3.75 lbs dressed with neck attached. Cornish x were 7 weeks old, pullets upper left, cockerels on bottom. The Java had much better flavor than the cornish x and he was free-ranging with the flock. I think he could have been meatier if confined before processing.

 

[hudsonnascarfan]

well my chickens arent even ready to start laying yet but im hopeing that by next fall i should be able to cull out some roosters this comming spring im going to be hatching out as many chicks as i can as of right now ive only got 9 pullets and 2 roosters so im hopeing to try to fill up my incubator and keep hatching from feb till the end of may that way i should have plenty of chicks to fill up my coops and have a bunch for the frezzer next fall

 

[saladin]

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The Java would not have been any meatier even if confined. He might have been fatter but not meatier. Java are slow growers. They put on meat later because the feed is going first to bone. That is why they would not make for a good money maker in the meat department.

 

[cubalaya]

we have 3 breeds of large fowl here and they are all heritage. the cubalaya is the best of the oriental breeds as they lay a good amount of eggs and the meat is tasty. we have been crossing colors and then coming back to the original color to get size up. we have also added some outside blood this year. the cubalaya is a rare breed and one of the first that we decided to work with.
the australorp is probably the best of the english breeds and even though it is known more for a layer than meat, if you pick the bigger birds as your breeders then they will have a good amount of meat on their bones. we picked this breed because they lay even better than barred rocks and rir and they are very docile and handle confinement well. just a good all around chicken.
the delaware at one time was the best of the american composite chickens being a true dual purpose bird. created for the broiler industry they lay a good amount of big brown eggs. after getting several 'lines' that are popular out there we will begin our breeding of the delawares. we have a couple from joletabey's birds, whitmore, harter, and a local lady who has old channing/grissom lines. if these dont work then we could add some braden or sandhill birds later on. i am talking about years now.