heritage roosters

[Megs]

so im trying to decide if its really worth the time/effort/$$ to raise extra heritage roo chicks for the table. Ill have australorp and ee (similar sized hens). this would be my first time growing a bird with the intention to eat it! we did eat one cockeral last year but he was just raised the same as my layers (no high protein food or anything special) and he was probably 6 months when we processed him, not a ton of meat really but good soup!

how long does it take to grow out these heritage breeds to eating size? i have done some reading and it looks as if 12-16 weeks is sufficient?
what % of grower feed should they be raised on? keeping in mind they will be on starter for at least the first 4 weeks at least (until roos are obvious and can be moved to seperate quarters)
how many could i comfortably grow out in a 12X12 space to eating size? could possibly free range in the day (depends on predators and if they ventured over to my veggie garden)

 

[Kim_NC]

Our favorite meat bird is Cornish X. BUT we always raise out the roos from our hatches and consider it worthwhile. That said...I'll add that if/when we buy heritage chicks, it's only pullets.

SooOOOooo...we don't go 'out of our way' to raise hertage roos, but don't 'waste' what we hatch either.

We like to process heritage roos at 16 weeks, depending on our workload they sometimes go to 18 weeks. At that age they average 3 - 3 1/2 lbs finished weight. We raise them in a run with about 10-12 sq ft per bird, partially roofed so they can get out of the weather. That would equate to 12-14 roos for your 12 X 12 space.

I wouldn't worry with feeding them any different than your others. Ours spend the first 8 weeks with the pullets, eating the starter/grower crumbles. Then we separate the obvious roos, switch to 16-20% pellets, depending on what's best priced at the time. They get the same treats as the other chickens - garden waste, grass clippings, meat scraps, etc.

They would definitely make their way into the veggie garden if it's fairly close by and unfenced.

 

[TimG]

I processed a 16 1/2 week old Delaware cockerel that was raised on chick starter (and layer pellets for the last week or so). He was 4 lbs 2oz dressed; a Delaware/EE mix dressed out at 3 lbs 10 oz at the same age. Different proportions than a Cornish X -- even though these were about 4 lbs, they don't have as much meat as a 4 lb Cornish X would have -- they aren't as plump.

I had some Delawares (from a different source) processed at about the same age a couple years ago. I do not recall the dressed weight, but I do know that one of them produced barely a pound of meat (I slowed cooked it and weighed the meat that I plucked off the carcass). I did not weigh the meat from the others because I did not want to repeat the bad news. I still have one of those Delawares in the freezer -- when there are Cornish Crosses in the freezer, they get taken out first.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I don't raise cornish crosses because we would like our production to be self-sufficient and can't find any reasonable way to do that with cornish crosses. So i don't have a comparison, but i definitely think it is worth it to raise heritage breeds for meat - especially if you free range them until about a month before butchering.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
I don't do Cornish either. I raise 5 varieties of large fowl. Mostly for show not just to eat. BUT, in any breeding program the breeder will have to cull down for the next generation. That means processing. Usually by 5 or 6 months old I know with certainty who I am keeping and who will join me at the dinner table. I use DUMOR 24% chick starter, and start mixing in Purina Flock Raiser at around 3 to 4 months old.

 

[petrelline]

I raised barred rock cockerels to 12-16 weeks on a mix of 24% gamebird and 21% broiler and they averaged 3.5lbs. They would have been heavier but I free ranged them for the last month and they stopped gaining weight quite as fast as they had been up until then.

 

[Megs]

i think im going to give it a go! i will have a 12X12 stall for them in my barn, as well as a movable 10X10 tractor, so i can house them in the stall and turn them out in the tractor, or i can split the group when they are larger if need be and house half in each (probably raise around 15-20 roosters, i might keep a few to sell in groups with hens later in the year if there are any particularly nice looking ones). Ill either have a family memeber process in exchange for some birds or take them to a local place.

i can also free range them in the forest behind my house that is fairly far from the garden, if they behave! might lose some to predators that way, but it would probably be beneficial.

ill have to go see what grower % feeds there are at my local feed store! ive never bought grower for birds destined for the table.