Processed RIR & BO Roos

[kingsfarm]

Processed 5 RIR Roosters (6 Months Old) and 1 Buff Orpington .....The Buff definately had more meat on hime than the Reds...Just a little note for first timers like me to know. The buff is big enough for stews and so on....the Reds would take more than one for a family I think....They were fed the same. am anxious to cook one to see if tender....soaked 2 hrs. in salt brine than refrigerated for 2 1/2 days. I hope this is the right place to put this observation...I do not raise meat birds per sae but use RIR's, Buffs, Barred Rock, cross astrolorpe and Buff.....haven't killed any of the others yet because they are pullets and laying buff hens.....hope this helps someone...G

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

I've got three RIR cockerels that are nearing butchering size. Did you find it hard to get the pin feathers out of them? How clean were you able to get the carcass? I butchered Australorps and found the dark feathers left a fair amount of pinfeathers behind, but it didn't affect the flavor. Mostly I want to know in case I give some to my parents. My mom's a little more "sensitive" about being able to tell that -gasp!- the meat she eats was once a real animal.

 

[kingsfarm]

Hi, these were skinned - We do not eat the skin....will use for soup (small ones) the buff will be stew size - am from Louisiana and will use a little one in a chicken and okra gumbo ... yum-yum next time will attempt to make chicken sausage, should be delicious.....

 

[Illia]

The Rhode Island Reds most people own are always smaller than, say, Orpingtons because RIR's from hatchery stock (most of them out there) were bred solely for production, not meat or dual purpose.

But, we always like hearing someone's experience.

I don't raise "meat birds" either, I raise dual purpose birds but they're usually the show-quality type, because those are MUCH bigger and meatier than the hatchery based ones.

Then again, few breeds I have are offered by hatcheries/feedstores.

 

[ozark_chickies]

Quote:
I had the same expirience , as you with RIR and BO roosters. IMHO the Buffs were eaisier to process, due to thier larger carcass size.

 

[galanie]

The Orpingtons should be bigger and meatier as they are a "dual purpose" breed. RIR and most of the other breeds mentioned are primarily layers. Australorp are dual purpose too but most that I see are just as small as RIR's are. I love the legs and thighs on those Orp guys, meaty! Barred Rock is another breed that is meant to be dual purpose and so should be meaty but I've no experience butchering them.

 

[Azriel]

I processed a bunch of roos earlier this summer, RIR, SLW, Orps, and EE's. I was very happy with all of them, the EE were the smallest, average 3#, with the rest about 4-5# and 1 SLW at almost 6#. They were 17-18 weeks. They were feed a 24% grower, and free ranged with tons of grass hoppers to eat. So far I have either baked or roasted them, next will be chicken stew.