Our meat birds, after butchering, are tough and dry

[BirchHatchery]

strange I raised some a few week ago to 9 weeks old I raised em on 18 percent layer feed and butcherd them then the same day put into the freezer when their completely unthawed I cook them ive cooked them everyway my favorite is the beer but on the grill for a hour yum yum and none of my birds have been chewy just juicy moist delicious birds I got 30 more going in freezer in 7 weeks however this time im raising them on 24 percent protein maybe I wont have the death loss this time

 

[LindaB220]

strange I raised some a few week ago to 9 weeks old I raised em on 18 percent layer feed and butcherd them then the same day put into the freezer when their completely unthawed I cook them ive cooked them everyway my favorite is the beer but on the grill for a hour yum yum and none of my birds have been chewy just juicy moist delicious birds I got 30 more going in freezer in 7 weeks however this time im raising them on 24 percent protein maybe I wont have the death loss this time

Isn't it the higher protein that causes the birds to grow so fast that they die more easily. How many died. Do you keep them penned up or let out. I have 25 ordered for Sept and I need all the help I can get. Beekissed raised hers with layer because she said the extra calcium would help their legs. I wonder. I do ferment the feeds and the girls I have now are 3 mo old and so healthy.

 

[LeeBrad]

I have always bagged mine and put them straight into the freezer and have no problems with them. Customers tell me how great they taste/are. Ya'll are suggesting to sit them in a fridge for a few days and then freeze them? Tell me more about that.

P.S. I think 10 weeks is too long. 7-8 is what I hear most folks doing, unless the birds are just slow growing.

 

[Mehjr10]

I have always bagged mine and put them straight into the freezer and have no problems with them. Customers tell me how great they taste/are. Ya'll are suggesting to sit them in a fridge for a few days and then freeze them? Tell me more about that.

P.S. I think 10 weeks is too long. 7-8 is what I hear most folks doing, unless the birds are just slow growing.

You basically let them rest in the frig or a cooler of ice until the Rigor passes and the the meat relaxes again. I also look at it as if aging Beef or Venison.

 

[dawgchick]

Is it necessary to butcher them so young? We were hoping to keep a few through the winter, to help keep everyone warmer in the coop, and just butcher as wanted for a meal. Ours are 4 weeks old, now.

 

[wigs]

We had one that was much smaller than the rest, a female, and we decided to keep her. We put her in with the hens, she was 12 weeks old then. She lived another 3 weeks but she did not look good. She didn't go out with the hens, just stayed inside the coop. Her energy level dropped massively and she didn't have much 'life' in her, so to speak. She looked pitiful. Finally we agreed that what we were doing was cruel so we butchered her.
When Dave, was gutting her, there was orange liquid that was inside the cavity surrounding the organs. We decided to bury her instead of freezing her. We were told that these birds are just not meant to live that long unless you put them on small amounts of feed. Basically starving them.
Someone else may have had better luck, but this is my experience.

Wigs

 

[LindaB220]

Is it necessary to butcher them so young? We were hoping to keep a few through the winter, to help keep everyone warmer in the coop, and just butcher as wanted for a meal. Ours are 4 weeks old, now.

Hello dawgchick,

If you've been feeding them 4 weeks and they are getting big, then no. You'll want to process at 7-8 weeks. Next time, when you buy them treat them as chickens. Feed 2x daily as much as they will eat in 15 min and take away the feed. Put your bowls and waterer up high so they have to stand up to drink and eat. Make them exercise. Then you'll have chickens that will run and play. And last longer.

 

[LindaB220]

We had one that was much smaller than the rest, a female, and we decided to keep her. We put her in with the hens, she was 12 weeks old then. She lived another 3 weeks but she did not look good. She didn't go out with the hens, just stayed inside the coop. Her energy level dropped massively and she didn't have much 'life' in her, so to speak. She looked pitiful. Finally we agreed that what we were doing was cruel so we butchered her.
When Dave, was gutting her, there was orange liquid that was inside the cavity surrounding the organs. We decided to bury her instead of freezing her. We were told that these birds are just not meant to live that long unless you put them on small amounts of feed. Basically starving them.
Someone else may have had better luck, but this is my experience.

Wigs

wigs, glad to have you. Once her energy goes it's time to process. Sorry you didn't get a meal out of it, but you did right.

 

[cjpines]

Is it necessary to butcher them so young? We were hoping to keep a few through the winter, to help keep everyone warmer in the coop, and just butcher as wanted for a meal. Ours are 4 weeks old, now.

We butchered ours at 10 wks and that was a mistake. They were tough and chewy. The older they get the more they turn out like stewing chickens.

 

[BirchHatchery]

I really don't no I started with 20 ended up with 8 had huge death loss these were tractor supply birds maybe why? I raised them no different then any other chickens I have raised. now I have 30 that are 5 days old today on 24 percent protein from Welp hatchery and they are growing big and doing great im going to follow their feeding program which is no feed from 6-6pm until im run out of the 50 pounds of broiler feed I have left then I am going to feed them out on my 18 percent layer feed and see how their growing if I need to to restrict feed on the layer feed. i raise them in a 5x3 feet pen with wire floor the manure falls on the ground keeps em clean untile their about 2 weeks old then i move them to the shed 12x12 they have a outside run also but ive never had any Cornish use it