Freedom Rangers in Georgia - Spring 2012

[shadowmane]

Just think. The next batch won't cost that much, because you already have the equipment now.

 

[wsmoak]

Just think. The next batch won't cost that much, because you already have the equipment now.

Yes. And the electric netting can also be used with small goats, though I'll have to get better at setting it up so it doesn't touch the ground and lose its charge.

I weighed some of the larger (slower!) ones this morning (in lbsz format):

Roosters: 6:14, 6:15, 6:1

Hens: 5:9, 5:7, 6:3

The FAQ on the FR site says to expect 4.5 to 6 lbs at 9-11 weeks, so I think we're on track. I don't see anything out there that looks like it only weighs 4.5 lbs. Next time I'll weigh the smaller ones and see what the low end looks like.


We should certainly be able to find some 7 lb birds to process this weekend (9.5 weeks). I have a feeling they are fatter than I'd like from their time in the tractor with nothing to do but eat. They're actually eating less now that they can get out and move around.

On the feed conversion side, the same FAQ says it should be 2.5 lbs per lb of gain at 8-9 weeks. I don't think I'm doing as well there, but there are several things I could change to improve it. (Not feeding them free choice, for one!)

-Wendy

 

[Life is Good!]

That is a very nice looking setup for your FR!

I'm looking at our 26 knowing that our tractor won't be big enough for them for much past 5wks old. So I've been sitting on the back porch wondering what to do for them looking at our 2acres. I really don't wish to build another run or coop, that's inviting trouble! Our neighbor's barn hosts a family of possums. We're in town enough so racoons are a nightly 'visitor' to our compost piles. Our fence is only 7/8 around the property (got to finish that!), so coyotes and foxes sometimes wander in.....then don't get me started on the neighbor's high-prey drive dog!

Sigh. I know I gotta keep them safe enough from predators - but hadn't thought of the electrified netting. Need to look into that again...

As for your $30 chicken dinner...we've got $200 eggs! Or at least we did last summer. Now, we might be down to $2 each....LOL.

 

[yinepu]

all right.. all right.. y'all twisted my arm... ordered mine last night... *sighs*



only ordered 25 though... my husband would shoot me if I ordered 200... lol

 

[loanwizard]

That is a very nice looking setup for your FR!

I'm looking at our 26 knowing that our tractor won't be big enough for them for much past 5wks old. So I've been sitting on the back porch wondering what to do for them looking at our 2acres. I really don't wish to build another run or coop, that's inviting trouble! Our neighbor's barn hosts a family of possums. We're in town enough so racoons are a nightly 'visitor' to our compost piles. Our fence is only 7/8 around the property (got to finish that!), so coyotes and foxes sometimes wander in.....then don't get me started on the neighbor's high-prey drive dog!

Sigh. I know I gotta keep them safe enough from predators - but hadn't thought of the electrified netting. Need to look into that again...

As for your $30 chicken dinner...we've got $200 eggs! Or at least we did last summer. Now, we might be down to $2 each....LOL.

I have 114 FR in a tractor 7 1/2 by 16 and 100 more coming so I decided to fence in 1/2 a hillside. Still have to finish it and plan to run electric on the outside to deter critters. Hopefully that and my dogs will protect them.

 

[wsmoak]

We processed the first four, all roosters:

W CW %
7.36 4.66 63%
7.10 4.30 61%
7.62 4.69 62%
6.92 4.04 58%

W - Weight after bleeding out.

CW - cut weight after removing skin, organs and entrails. I also gave up on the wings and only kept the first section if it was easy to skin. Necks and backs are included.

The FAQ says processed weight should be 68-70% of live weight, and I think that includes organs along with the skin. I'm happy with what we ended up with from these four. It sure beats those scrawny extra roosters we processed that barely made a pot of soup each!

The first one is in the crock pot with some salsa, the others are chilling. Problem is... our new freezer doesn't arrive for a couple of weeks! I hope it comes in early.

I also ordered some heat shrink bags from this place: http://poultryshrinkbags.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-downright-easy-to-shrink-bag.html

I think DH has figured out how to set up the drill and rotary plucker, so we'll scald and pluck the next batch. (Skinning was really not much less trouble IMO. Feathers everywhere either way.)

-Wendy

 

[wsmoak]

The next four, all roosters again:

W CW %

7.76 4.88 63%
6.30 3.88 62%
7.68 4.55 59%
6.52 3.75 58%

The average bled-out weight is 7.16 lbs, 4.34 lbs cut up, which is 61%. (Again, lower than the expected 68-70% because I'm skinning them and discarding wings and organs.)

We've done eight roosters and there are no more left. What's with a 30% / 70% ratio of roosters to hens?? Somebody else must have gotten all roosters.

The first one was delicious! After cooking for 3-4 hours with salsa and adding some cumin and lime, it gets deboned and used in burritos, taquitos, plain old chicken-and-rice, etc. I was surprised at how good the dark meat tastes -- I don't normally like dark meat from commercial chicken.

I also made some stock with the backs and necks, but that wasn't as successful. Not much taste. I vaguely recall that maybe I'm supposed to roast the chicken before I put it in the stock pot, which I didn't do. Maybe next time.

-Wendy

 

[Buster52]

Not bad. Better than my adult DP birds, and they were 8 to 10 moths old. So, these were 10 week old? Very nice. How is the breast meat?

 

[Life is Good!]

Good weights on those roo's!

I think I've ended up with only 5-6 hens in our batch of 26. The majority are roosters - now I REALLY want to get another tractor built. You should see the 'one-upmanship' going on over here. Especially on days they cannot be on grass due to rain (like today). The baby brooder is just too boring after seeing the 'big outside'!

Glad to hear they're as tasty as everyone says. I'm waiting!

 

[wsmoak]

Not bad. Better than my adult DP birds, and they were 8 to 10 moths old. So, these were 10 week old? Very nice. How is the breast meat?

Yes, they were about 10 weeks. We're at 10.5 weeks now, coming up on 11 weeks next Wednesday. By which time I hope they will all be done. But probably not.

The first one we cooked was good, but not as tender as I wanted. It was not rested, and came out of the crockpot an hour early because we had an errand to run.

The second one rested three days in the fridge and cooked for a full four hours (first hour on high, then three on low in the crock pot.) THAT'S how it's supposed to be -- delicious and easily cut with a fork.

This morning I used my new bucket heater to get water hot for scalding and plucked two by hand, then DH helped me attach the new sacrificial drill to a piece of plywood so I could use the new rotary plucker to do a third. (Notice the liberal use of the word 'new' here? I think these birds are up to $50 each!!)

Now the numbers start to look better: (These are all hens. With skin and wings this time.)

W CW %

6.12 4.34 71%
5.96 4.27 72%
5.82 4.38 75%

One more number: The breast plus legs/thighs from one bird yielded almost 2 lbs of cooked meat after deboning.

The plucker from Heritage Ways Farm worked great, though I don't know how long that poor drill is going to last.

The heat-shrink bags are also very nice. It takes a little practice, but they come out nice and tight and take up much less room in the freezer.

-Wendy