For Personal Consumption -- How Many at Once?

[3KillerBs]

Quote:
I guess that the ones they sell as whole chickens in the grocery stores are the runts then.

Of course you can buy the big roasters, but I don't care to pay double the price.

I only buy whole chickens (and occasionally leg quarters) -- I usually save a dollar a pound by cutting them up myself.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
I guess that the ones they sell as whole chickens in the grocery stores are the runts then.

Of course you can buy the big roasters, but I don't care to pay double the price.

I only buy whole chickens (and occasionally leg quarters) -- I usually save a dollar a pound by cutting them up myself.

Yup, that's the way to do it! I think they process store birds at about 5 weeks.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
I guess that the ones they sell as whole chickens in the grocery stores are the runts then.

Of course you can buy the big roasters, but I don't care to pay double the price.

I only buy whole chickens (and occasionally leg quarters) -- I usually save a dollar a pound by cutting them up myself.

The supermarket birds are processed when they are 42 days old, I believe. So 6 weeks old. Most home raisers let them grow at least 8 weeks, many 10 or 12. So no, the store birds aren't runts, they're just younger than most that people raise at home.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
8lbs dressed weight? That would ease the storage issue since 1, 8lb bird would take up less space than 2, 4lb birds.

I'd love to have chickens that big and not have to cook two at once.

In my climate I'd probably want to take January-mid-February off for lack of green stuff and July-mid-August off for appalling heat.

So your climate would be similar to mine then. July August is usually really hot and humid, and wiNovembe to march is freezing. I start in March and finish off in October. tha is the way they are sold her too.

Yes, my biggest bird last year was around 11 lb. I cook one a week, we have roast chicken & potatoes one night, then plenty of leftovers for the week, for sandwiches, wraps, etc, and usually one more meal from it. either hot chicken sandwiches and fries, or chicken enchiladas with rice.

 

[3KillerBs]

Quote:
8lbs dressed weight? That would ease the storage issue since 1, 8lb bird would take up less space than 2, 4lb birds.

I'd love to have chickens that big and not have to cook two at once.

In my climate I'd probably want to take January-mid-February off for lack of green stuff and July-mid-August off for appalling heat.

So your climate would be similar to mine then. July August is usually really hot and humid, and wiNovembe to march is freezing. I start in March and finish off in October. tha is the way they are sold her too.

Yes, my biggest bird last year was around 11 lb. I cook one a week, we have roast chicken & potatoes one night, then plenty of leftovers for the week, for sandwiches, wraps, etc, and usually one more meal from it. either hot chicken sandwiches and fries, or chicken enchiladas with rice.

I think you misunderstood me. My winter is 6 weeks, starting about January first, when its very rare for the ground to freeze hard. It snowed enough to lay an inch or more 3 times last winter -- unusually heavy snow.

My midsummer heat is at least 6 weeks of 95 or above daytime and 75 nighttime with high humidity. We only had one or two days over 100 so far this year -- but the last couple years there have weeks of 105 every afternoon.

Being a Yankee transplanted to the south I never thought I'd ever hear myself say the words "Its not too terribly hot today, its only 90," but I said just that to my mother this summer when a cool week coincided with her visit. Kind of like when I lived in New England and a winter day wasn't all that cold if the temperature had 2 digits.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you so much.

Raising meat birds for a large family looks much less intimidating raising fewer birds in smaller batches.

 

[jossanne]

Quote:
8 meals out of one bird??? Wow, I wish! We eat 3 chickens per meal when frying chicken. And if I do a casserole with a baked or stewed bird, it lasts one meal, and people are wanting more...

Dang hungry teenage boys!

We just butchered 25 yesterday, and if we plan to eat one a week, we've got 6 months worth. But that's not likely around here, and 100 chickens/year would be easily consumed. I was very comfortable with 25 at a time, and that's probably the way we'll do it here from now on. Our climate does make it possible to have chickens growing out all year, if we use heat lamps...

 

[3KillerBs]

How many teens do you have?

I've got a boy about to turn 18. He's about 6'2", still growing, and eats 4 meals/day. Nevertheless, you can count his ribs.

The 15yo girl doesn't eat as much, but she's always in the fridge for snacks. She's not the fashionable rack of bones so many girls aspire to be, but she's not carrying anything extra either.

And it won't be long before the 10yo boy joins them. LOL

As a cook and a hostess, there's nothing I like better than cooking for teen boys and young bachelors. They're almost never picky and they really enjoy what you put in front of them.

 

[Indiana hens]

We butcher 14 at a time.

 

[jossanne]

Quote:
My husband is 6'4" and a lean 240 pounds, and all the boys plan on being at least his size. I've got my fingers crossed for them.

Our oldest just turned 17. He's 6'1", and used to be 185 pounds until a couple of weeks ago when he ruptured his spleen falling off a trailer full of hay. His appetite's still way down, and he's taken off a quick 15 pounds. He's on the mend, though, and his appetite's picking back up. I never thought I'd miss having him eat like a horse...

Our second son will be 16 in December. He's 6'1" and 210 pounds. He was my smallest boy to start out, but I'm thinking he might end up as the biggest.

Our third son will be 14 in December. He's 5'6" and about 100. He's recently hit a growth spurt, though, and really puts the food away.

Our daughter is 11, and her appetite has recently picked up too. She gets up from the table and within an hour is snooping through the fridge for leftovers. I hope that means she's getting ready to hit a growth spurt and get tall...

Our fourth son will be 10 in September. He's over 5' tall, and about 110 pounds. He wears size 9 shoes already. I can't cook enough to keep him full.

Our fifth son is a runt so far. He's 7, about 46 pounds, and the apple of our eye. He's the only one who doesn't eat much, but I don't count on that lasting a whole lot longer...

You're right, it is very nice cooking for a group like this. My kids cheer when I tell them I'm making beans, or baking bread. They eat anything and everything that I put in front of them. If I think it's mediocre, or almost inedible, I know they'll still eat it and tell me it's great. As long as there's plenty of food in front of them, I'm their hero...