Luna Mesa
In the Brooder
- Oct 10, 2025
- 2
- 19
- 24
Live vs. Dressed Weights — Don’t Be Misled (Final Results)
I ordered sixteen Red Broilers from Meyer Hatchery on June 2 and raised them at 5,000 feet. All sixteen arrived strong and thrived with zero losses.
At twelve weeks I processed two roosters that dressed at 5.0 lb and 4.75 lb. Over the next few weeks I finished the rest, with the final bird processed at fourteen weeks dressing 2.65 kg (5 lb 13 oz). Across the full batch of sixteen, the averages worked out to ≈ 9 lb live, ≈ 5.8 lb dressed, and ≈ 3.7 lb packaged.
Overall yields came to 63 % live-to-carcass, 63 % carcass-to-freezer, and about 40 % live-to-freezer.
These birds grew far heavier live than Meyer’s published chart suggests—their fourteen-week estimate lists 5.84 lb live, while mine averaged roughly 9 lb. Yields ran a little under their advertised 67 %, but that’s because I debone the breasts and discard the backs, which naturally trims weight.
Even with those leaner cuts, the flock finished uniformly and hardy—no heart or leg problems, no altitude setbacks, and not a single loss. For comparison, my previous batch of McMurray Red Rangers averaged 9.1 lb live, 6.8 lb dressed, 4.7 lb boxed, but I lost 4 of 16 midway through.
Bottom line: Meyer’s Red Broilers may not reach the yield percentage shown on paper, yet they’re steady growers and survivors. Their chart lists live weights, not dressed, so plan your harvest goals and freezer space accordingly.
I ordered sixteen Red Broilers from Meyer Hatchery on June 2 and raised them at 5,000 feet. All sixteen arrived strong and thrived with zero losses.
At twelve weeks I processed two roosters that dressed at 5.0 lb and 4.75 lb. Over the next few weeks I finished the rest, with the final bird processed at fourteen weeks dressing 2.65 kg (5 lb 13 oz). Across the full batch of sixteen, the averages worked out to ≈ 9 lb live, ≈ 5.8 lb dressed, and ≈ 3.7 lb packaged.
Overall yields came to 63 % live-to-carcass, 63 % carcass-to-freezer, and about 40 % live-to-freezer.
These birds grew far heavier live than Meyer’s published chart suggests—their fourteen-week estimate lists 5.84 lb live, while mine averaged roughly 9 lb. Yields ran a little under their advertised 67 %, but that’s because I debone the breasts and discard the backs, which naturally trims weight.
Even with those leaner cuts, the flock finished uniformly and hardy—no heart or leg problems, no altitude setbacks, and not a single loss. For comparison, my previous batch of McMurray Red Rangers averaged 9.1 lb live, 6.8 lb dressed, 4.7 lb boxed, but I lost 4 of 16 midway through.
Bottom line: Meyer’s Red Broilers may not reach the yield percentage shown on paper, yet they’re steady growers and survivors. Their chart lists live weights, not dressed, so plan your harvest goals and freezer space accordingly.
