Meat birds as quality family time... REALLY! *GRAPHIC*

[ronniega1]

wow i could not eat what i loved as pets.. i have silkies so they would not be eaten anyway....but my turkey no way....but your chickens look great and the cooked on tastey...the kids seem to be having fun so good for you enjoy....ronnie

 

[MissPrissy]

Nice birds and gorgeous kids!

You are teaching them a lifetime skill. Nice work, Mom.

 

[chiknlady]

Those birds are HUGE! Are they Cornish X's or another bird???

 

[legacyln]

I have a laying flock now and was considering meat birds next year. I got on this forum today because I am going to have to take my 5 mo old rooster out, he is attacking the kids, so we're going to become hen-only. Anyway, I've been dithering about whether to eat him but the last picture in your series just cinched it for me!! Yum!

btw how old are your kids? Mine are 4 and 2 but I would like to integrate growing and butchering meat birds into our life in the next few years.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Those carcasses look to be in the 5 to 6 lb range, not that huge, but big enough.

Did you weigh them Menageriemama?

Jim

 

[chiknlady]

Mind you I don't yet have meat birds--so my frame of reference may be off--but the one on the table is larger than her son's head!

 

[ninjapoodles]

What a good, clean job you did...and I have to say, you and your kids are all just as adorable as can be!

 

[SandraMort]

I'm finding it interesting how my (vegetarian!) children are asking questions and learning about processing chickens. Last night at dinner, my seven year old was asking whether I'd slit the chickens' throats or cut off their heads while eating his burrito. My omnivorous mother in law looked a bit uncomfortable. LOL!

 

[menageriemama]

Aw, thanks everybody

You made my day!!

sred98: They are/were cornish crosses from MMM. I will order from them again next year for sure! They were about 12 weeks in that series of pics. I rest them in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking and I like to brine them first if I am organized enough...

legacyln: Dominic is 8 years old and Genevieve is 4. My youngest son Sebastian is 20 months, so he just runs around the yard playing with his trucks and going down the slide

Lazy J: They dressed out to an average of 8 lbs, some a bit bigger, some a bit smaller. I like them large because I try to get at least 3 meals out of each bird.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Hi Ronnie! These are a special breed of meat bird, they're hard to keep alive past about 15 weeks, though some manage to do it. They're bred to grow super fast, and they don't really have much personality at all. Not like regular breeds. That makes it a lot easier to go ahead and do the deed, and it's hard to get very attached to them, too.

I've raised both these types of meat birds, and a lot of dual purpose and heavy breed birds. The difference in personality, behavior, and longevity is huge. They're nothing like your lovely silkies! They do make good eating, especially raised at home. I'm looking for something a little different, myself, but they have their place in the food chain.

edited for typos