Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[neopolitancrazy]

I'm pretty sure the advice came from experienced poultry people, right here in this thread ... ?

Notice I referred to experience with production livestock, not exhibition livestock. I grew up on a production livestock farm, in a rural region populated by families whose incomes were solely dependent on productive farms, not hobbyists willing to feed 100% of their culls for a year and a half before they picked their 1-10% of breeding stock. I am still appalled and flabbergasted by the wastefulness tolerated amongst exhibition poultry hobbyists.

Just my opinion,
Angela

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Notice I referred to experience with production livestock, not exhibition livestock. I grew up on a production livestock farm, in a rural region populated by families whose incomes were solely dependent on productive farms, not hobbyists willing to feed 100% of their culls for a year and a half before they picked their 1-10% of breeding stock. I am still appalled and flabbergasted by the wastefulness tolerated amongst exhibition poultry hobbyists.

Just my opinion,
Angela

Yes, I did read your comment.

Industrial poultry is extremely efficient, that's for sure.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

While we are on the topic of the culinary value of our culls...

I have a question. This above article was a wonderful educational read on the various ages and different ways to cook. It has a chart that lists age and weights for the various cooking techniques..
My question is this:
The weight listed, is it the live weight or the carcass weight???

Christine says the weights in the article ware processed weights.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Christine says the weights in the article ware processed weights.

Thanks so much LeslieDJoyce!

Now, I have another question, if I can figure out proper words or terms! Is there a formula to determine what the processed weight will be from the the live weight?

Does that make sense?

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Yes, I did read your comment.

Industrial poultry is extremely efficient, that's for sure.

poultry, pork, beef, eggs, milk et cetera. Productivity/efficiency is EASY to improve; if that's what is important to you, select for it.

Best wishes,
Angela

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

poultry, pork, beef, eggs, milk et cetera. Productivity/efficiency is EASY to improve; if that's what is important to you, select for it.

Best wishes,
Angela

Thanks for sharing your opinion on this.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Thanks so much LeslieDJoyce! 

Now, I have another question, if I can figure out proper words or terms!  Is there a formula to determine what the processed weight will be from the the live weight? 

Does that make sense?

If you presume 75% you'll be close. It might depend on the age of the bird, though. I've never processed a very young bird. You don't lose much in feathers, and you can eat most of the rest. I tend to remove excess fat as I don't enjoy that much. I use the necks and giblets. I scald & peel the legs/feet and use those. I haven't brought myself to use the heads, but those are usable. If the female bird has egg yolks I can use those, too. I might get more than 75%.

Lots of farms sell feet and other parts at a pretty good price.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Imagine my surprise when I got the the SOP and started reading the economic characteristics of various breeds.

I have chosen Speckled Sussex as the breed I want to work with for many of the same reasons you listed for yours. One of the neatest things I have run across was where a Breeder from England went through all the points listed in the SOP for Speckled Sussex and explained WHY that particular selection criteria was in the SOP. It was all based on reasons of economy!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have chosen Speckled Sussex as the breed I want to work with for many of the same reasons you listed for yours. One of the neatest things I have run across was where a Breeder from England went through all the points listed in the SOP for Speckled Sussex and explained WHY that particular selection criteria was in the SOP. It was all based on reasons of economy!

Cool. If you read stuff about assessing dual purpose birds for breeding potential, all the stuff they say to look for is supposed to produce better meat and eggs.

I figure if I select toward the type aspects of the SOP for my breed until I see more "stability" in my line, that should improve productivity along the way, too. Once I get the stability, then I could start selecting from within that for precociousness.

Originally I had thought I could work on both simultaneously, but really it's too much for me.

 

[Wisher1000]

Precociousness?