Not a meaty bird

[SandraMort]

When someone says it's "not a meaty bird" or it's only a layer, what exactly does that mean in terms of the practical usage of a dead roo? Do people take excess roos and feed them to BARF dogs? Do they use them for stock? Something else?

 

[Red Tie]

Guess it depends on the person. Stock is always a good use although I prefer some fat on my birds for stock. Stew, chicken and dumplings....pressure cooking if a little older helps tenderize. They just won't have the breast meat you are used to seeing in a meat bird and their legs and thighs just aren't really great either. Dog and cat food is another good choice! Some folks feed them to their pigs.

jane

 

[SandraMort]

So, realistically, if I ever see cheap roos for sale on craigslist or whatever, even if they're old, I can use them for meat? Or is there some point after which they're not usable?

 

[Red Tie]

Again, personal choice. Some people even eat squirrel

Older meat will cook up best in a pressure cooker. Just depends on what you like. Nothing to lose by trying it!

Jane

 

[SandraMort]

So, if its old, its leaner, tougher & more gamy?

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
Yes, most likely.

-Kim

 

[swampducks]

Quote:
Hey, squirrel is good!

We had to cull a broiler who couldn't walk and it dressed out to barely 2 pounds. I fried it. It was tasty. MY FIL likes to butcher all of his at only 2-3 pounds. I would think it depends on how much meat you want, as in how many people you are feeding. Then you'll know whether the amount of effort, time, money expended in those roos is worth it.

I'm only feeding me and my husband, roos are probably a good idea for us. It would take us days to eat a 7 pound roaster.

 

[SandraMort]

AHHH. This is good to hear. I'm the only poultry eater in my family, so a roo would be the ideal size for me? I'd like to give my sister and mother some meat, too, but my mom is single and my sister is married without kids. Nobody needs a turkey sized chicken.

Quote:

 

[swampducks]

Well, the more I think about it, when I buy rock cornish hens in the market, those are only about 1.5 pounds at most. I stuff one of those, takes about 90 minutes to roast, and it's a meal for me and DH.

I may be buying roos next year too. Now I've never done that before (this is the first year I've even had chickens) but it just seems logical to me.

 

[MissPrissy]

You won't get the same meat from a little roo that you get from a rock cornish game hen.

Buy the cornish rocks and process them at 4 weeks for rock conish game hens.

A rooster over 14 - 16 weeks old will be super tough. No amount of pressure cooking will help a 3 or 4 year old rooster for more than stewing. Old roosters = stew.