Help me understand the butchering date range

[Sabz]

Can you help me understand what decides when we butcher our chicks?

From what I have read, cornish X are butchered around 6-7-8 weeks.
The Rosso chickens are butchered later (according to the hatchery I am buying from, it is around 14 weeks).

Reading this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/217576/cornish-hen-size-age

Some people, for the same chicken breed, will butcher at different ages.

I've read two things:
- Too old and they get heart and legs problem because of their size
- Too old and they start to LOSE weight!


Why do some butcher at 4 weeks while others at 12? Personally I wanted to wait for them to gain the max amount of weight without health issues, maybe around 10 weeks. I let them go outside often, so I thought with the exercise and foraging, they might gain the weight in more weeks than chicks confined in a closed coop with food 3-4 times a day. So I just based my butchering date on info I read on the web and from the logical side of letting the chicken play outside and exercise more.. but I would like to understand this a little better!

Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It depends on the breed.
If you're talking about Cornish X then 3 1/2 weeks should give you a Cornish game hen sized carcass.
6-7 weeks will give a good sized broiler.
The older a bird gets, regardless of breed, the firmer the meat will get if they're allowed to range.
If you want melt in your mouth meat, don't let them get too old or let them forage much.
If you want more flavorful meat, then by all means but expect to have to store and cook them differently.

If you're talking about a slower meat bird like freedom rangers, just add a week or two to the above.

If you're talking about a heritage DP breed, they'll need at least 12 weeks, perhaps 20.

The Cornish X or any other bird won't LOSE weight as they age, they just won't gain as much in relation to the feed intake.

 

[Sabz]

Oh ok, I read that somewhere else, about the weight loss past a certain point.

Thanks for the info. I like more flavored meat and like my slow cooker or the "rotisserie" setup on the BBQ, so I will wait a few more weeks. Or might butcher a younger one to compare.. which would help me better than theory

 

[LindaB220]

Oh ok, I read that somewhere else, about the weight loss past a certain point.

Thanks for the info. I like more flavored meat and like my slow cooker or the "rotisserie" setup on the BBQ, so I will wait a few more weeks. Or might butcher a younger one to compare.. which would help me better than theory

Let us know which you decide is best. I've got 25 coming in Sept . It'll be good to know.

 

[Sabz]

I might have to do a test this week Linda!

One of my little ones has a leg problem. If she seems in pain or doesn't recover, I will end her pain. She is 5 weeks old, so I'll have an idea of the taste / tenderness if I have to do it!

I also have a couple of REALLY large ones that I will certainly butcher a few weeks prior to the others. My roosts are already fighting (it's new from this week). It is crazy, like in movies.. So I'll watch them and if it becomes too much of a problem I'll cull the most aggressive ones. Unless I'm able to build a baby coop for them.. I was thinking about that for the last few days.. I may need a spot for quarantine one day. At the moment, my injured baby is in the house. While she is most comfortable, I might get attached and it is not something I desire.. having a separate coop could come in handy. I just won't insulate it and bring electricity to it, too much trouble.

But anyhow, I think I'll aim for the largest possible. My main reason for raising chickens is to be self-sufficient. I have a large garden as well.

Here is my thinking:
- I can eat one-two eggs per day from my layers for breakfast
- If I consider that a portion of chicken is 3 oz, I aim to eat 3 oz of chicken per day for supper or lunch (yes I know, I may get tired of it lol).

So, I'll need 3oz x 365days = 1095 oz of chicken.
I can do two batches before fall comes and it's too cold. I'll have 36 chickens (assuming that 2 could die from the next batch, in reality I'll have 38).

1095oz / 36 chickens = 30.4 oz
If I convert that to pounds, each chicken needs to weight at least 1.9 pound.

I know this is all pretty much theorical and I will probably eat more than 3 oz sometimes, and will also eat other meats, but.. this is my thinking and the main reason I don't want to butcher too early / small birds.

Wasn't that a long explanation? lol You can call me crazy, it's ok

 

[LindaB220]

I might have to do a test this week Linda!

One of my little ones has a leg problem. If she seems in pain or doesn't recover, I will end her pain. She is 5 weeks old, so I'll have an idea of the taste / tenderness if I have to do it!

I also have a couple of REALLY large ones that I will certainly butcher a few weeks prior to the others. My roosts are already fighting (it's new from this week). It is crazy, like in movies.. So I'll watch them and if it becomes too much of a problem I'll cull the most aggressive ones. Unless I'm able to build a baby coop for them.. I was thinking about that for the last few days.. I may need a spot for quarantine one day. At the moment, my injured baby is in the house. While she is most comfortable, I might get attached and it is not something I desire.. having a separate coop could come in handy. I just won't insulate it and bring electricity to it, too much trouble.

But anyhow, I think I'll aim for the largest possible. My main reason for raising chickens is to be self-sufficient. I have a large garden as well.

Here is my thinking:
- I can eat one-two eggs per day from my layers for breakfast
- If I consider that a portion of chicken is 3 oz, I aim to eat 3 oz of chicken per day for supper or lunch (yes I know, I may get tired of it lol).

So, I'll need 3oz x 365days = 1095 oz of chicken.
I can do two batches before fall comes and it's too cold. I'll have 36 chickens (assuming that 2 could die from the next batch, in reality I'll have 38).

1095oz / 36 chickens = 30.4 oz
If I convert that to pounds, each chicken needs to weight at least 1.9 pound.

I know this is all pretty much theorical and I will probably eat more than 3 oz sometimes, and will also eat other meats, but.. this is my thinking and the main reason I don't want to butcher too early / small birds.

Wasn't that a long explanation? lol You can call me crazy, it's ok

Or a 1/2 lb two or three times a week. Don't forget that you get a lot of other stuff with it. Bones and skin for boiling. Broth, soup. Chicken salad. Lots of ways that don't have to have 3 oz a day. Big casseroles, chicken pot pie. Man, I'm getting hungry.

 

[Sabz]

Yeah, but those will be used for my lunches Stews and soups with the veggies and peas/grains from the garden! Miam. Can't wait to taste my first home grown chicken.
Did you already test if the chickens raised on normal feed versus FF taste different?

I hope I can make this work!

I'll only need to go to the grocery store for cheese, milk and beer lol (almost.. also key ingredients like floor for my bread, oil..)