How many of you FULLY Free Range your Cornish X Meaties? Tractors do not count.

[call ducks]

Quote: Yes not something that can be easily done. The 'father' of modern poultry breeding says it takes at a minimum of 10 years to get a good chicken

 

[Beekissed]

I've found a pretty neat way to get into meat birds really cheap and fast if you're willing to deal with them being older than tender age. Someone else has paid all the money and did the time on raising, then can't close the deal when it comes time to processing, so they often offer these roosters in the ads for free. I picked up 19 birds like that this fall/winter, some were very huge birds. I just feed them at my place on fermented feeds for a couple of weeks to take the gamey flavor out of them and then I have some fully grown roosters. The first group were a buck a piece and the last 13 were free. I got that last batch from a guy who had done the same thing and picked up 40 free roosters of all breeds in the ads but got tired of processing them and it ran into his deer season, so he gave the rest away.

I just pressure can them into jars and that takes care of tenderizing the meat. Very cheap, no keeping birds for a long time, someone else paid to raise them to a butchering weight and put all the time into them. The fermented feed makes them all taste wonderful, regardless of age or breed.

 

[Chad Cool]

I've found a pretty neat way to get into meat birds really cheap and fast if you're willing to deal with them being older than tender age.  Someone else has paid all the money and did the time on raising, then can't close the deal when it comes time to processing, so they often offer these roosters in the ads for free.  I picked up 19 birds like that this fall/winter, some were very huge birds.  I just feed them at my place on fermented feeds for a couple of weeks to take the gamey flavor out of them and then I have some fully grown roosters.  The first group were a buck a piece and the last 13 were free.  I got that last batch from a guy who had done the same thing and picked up 40 free roosters of all breeds in the ads but got tired of processing them and it ran into his deer season, so he gave the rest away. 

I just pressure can them into jars and that takes care of tenderizing the meat.  Very cheap, no keeping birds for a long time, someone else paid to raise them to a butchering weight and put all the time into them.  The fermented feed makes them all taste wonderful, regardless of age or breed. 

What is the oldest you would want to buy the roosters at? Do you debone and can? and do you can every one.

 

[Beekissed]

What is the oldest you would want to buy the roosters at? Do you debone and can? and do you can every one.

It doesn't really matter as the canning process renders them all to the same tenderness. I have deboned and canned and this last batch were not deboned. Yes, I can every one. We don't bake much around here, mostly soups and stir fry so it suits our eating style.

 

[ChickenSkool]

What kind of shelter/coop do you have inside the electric netting? How many birds in what size of fencing? Thanks, sorry if this info is elsewhere...

Hmm - I hit reply but I guess what I post doesn't go under then post that I was referencing? Sorry, still new here... I guess if this seems random, just ignore & sorry...

 

[Beekissed]

Most use a hoop coop type structure for meat birds while ranging them on pasture...there are many good, light weight designs for those and they are economical and easy to make. Your stocking rate would depend on your quality of forage and how often you want to move that fence. CX are such avid hunters and foragers that it doesn't take long until they have trampled the pasture and decimated the wildlife in a certain area, so you might want to keep your stocking rates low or your fences large.

 

[ChickenSkool]

Thanks, I posted my really long detailed question post in a new thread on this forum. This question was supposed to be specifically in reference to a certain post, but it didn't work out that way. Sorry, maybe you can look at my "new thread" post? Because I know you have posted a lot of great info on this forum.

 

[Beekissed]

I'll try to find it!

 

[ChickenSkool]

I'll try to find it!

Thank you, I hope it's not too hard to find. I'm slowly learning how to navigate this site better! Is there a way I could point you to it?

 

[Beekissed]

You can copy the link address in your toolbar and use the feature at the top of this text page that looks like a chain link to paste it into your post.