Meat on my rooster

[Anorm016]

I had a back yard mix rooster that looked like an Easter egged as a chick and a Rhode Island Red as an adult. He was mean MEAN MEAN so we decided to cull and quarter him to eat since we didn’t want him to go to waste. He didn’t have a ton of meat and the largest parts were his legs and thighs. Is this because he wasn’t a meat bird, because it was a roo or what. They have 24/7 access to good quality food and I gave a mix of sunflower seeds and corn and oats to scratch each day. They also free range just about every day for at least an hour if not longer... any ideas about why such little meat?

 

[nuthatched]

He's not a meat breed, you're correct. Most EEs are lousy for meat.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I had a back yard mix rooster that looked like an Easter egged as a chick and a Rhode Island Red as an adult. He was mean MEAN MEAN so we decided to cull and quarter him to eat since we didn’t want him to go to waste. He didn’t have a ton of meat and the largest parts were his legs and thighs. Is this because he wasn’t a meat bird, because it was a roo or what. They have 24/7 access to good quality food and I gave a mix of sunflower seeds and corn and oats to scratch each day. They also free range just about every day for at least an hour if not longer... any ideas about why such little meat?

Longer answer - you are comparing to a CornishX "supermarket" chicken. They have been genetically selected for extremely fast growth, a high proportion of breast meat to thigh, and are raised in conditions where they don't get much opportunity to move and are encouraged not to - being fed essentially 24/7.

Easter Eggers are mutts, typically derived from combining two "large egg-laying" breeds (not necessarily two "large", egg-laying breeds) in a way that is anticipated to make a pretty egg. Shell genetics is a complicated thing I hardly understand. Important for this conversation is that it doesn't matter - they aren't "meat birds", and likely aren't even particularly good "dual purpose" bird breed, most of which coming out of hatchery lean more egg than meat anyways.

Then, your bird exercised for its feed - reducing speed of weight gain further.

You got what we would expect you would recieve, under the circumstances.

I have a culing project with my own free ranging birds, its been going on a bout a year, with a mix of breeds (mostly mutts now) - you might find it instructive. There are cxullings all thru - weights and pictures. or you could just jump here.

 

[Anorm016]

Thank you guys, I’m ok with not getting a lot of meat. We are far more interested in getting eggs and we have no real desire for meat birds we just didn’t want to waste his life. He might have been mean as hell but that doesn’t warrant him being wasted. We are new ish to chickens and this was our first cull I just wanted to make sure we weren’t doing anything wrong, that we didn’t miss something in their feed. I assumed it was because he was an egg breed and not caged up in a tiny cage. Thank y’all again

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you guys, I’m ok with not getting a lot of meat. We are far more interested in getting eggs and we have no real desire for meat birds we just didn’t want to waste his life. He might have been mean as hell but that doesn’t warrant him being wasted. We are new ish to chickens and this was our first cull I just wanted to make sure we weren’t doing anything wrong, that we didn’t miss something in their feed. I assumed it was because he was an egg breed and not caged up in a tiny cage. Thank y’all again

That's what BYC is for. Now you know you didn't do anything wrong.

also, this is a quote I dig up from time to time on these forums, you may find it comforting.

"When the need arises - and it does - you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse." - Robert A. Heinlein

The same is true for your chickens.

I don't expect a chicken to act like a human, but i DO expect it to know its place in the flock. It is no kindness to allow an aggressor to live and continue abusing the innocent (or yourself) for reasons of emotion.

Aggressive Roosters become meals for myself and my family.

I take no joy in it, but neither do I shirk from the duty. The bird has chosen its place in the culling line by its behaviors, I merely give motive force to its election.

 

[Anorm016]

That's what BYC is for. Now you know you didn't do anything wrong.

also, this is a quote I dig up from time to time on these forums, you may find it comforting.

"When the need arises - and it does - you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse." - Robert A. Heinlein

The same is true for your chickens.

I don't expect a chicken to act like a human, but i DO expect it to know its place in the flock. It is no kindness to allow an aggressor to live and continue abusing the innocent (or yourself) for reasons of emotion.

Aggressive Roosters become meals for myself and my family.

I take no joy in it, but neither do I shirk from the duty. The bird has chosen its place in the culling line by its behaviors, I merely give motive force to its election.

Yes that does help, it was not a decision we made lightly but he had to go. My children were afraid to go out when he was out. Thank you

 

[CNJ]

Thank you guys, I’m ok with not getting a lot of meat.

I would go with the Big Red Broilers from Mcmurray Hatchery, they are good egg layers and dress 5 to 6 lbs at 12 weeks or 10 lbs., if you decide keep them longer. They grow fast, and live a normal life.