Reasonable plan....extra roos?

[booker81]

I keep forgetting things...

If you do get these guys and like them, try posting an ad on Craiglist saying you'll take unwanted, healthy roosters and chickens for the intent of food. I can dig up the text of my old ad if you'd like. This is how I got started last year with getting roosters. I find it was a LOT easier putting the ad out and letting people contact ME knowing what the deal was, than to go on a goose chase for feeling to determine if those free chickens would be going to a non-food home or if the owner was ok with them being food.

I'm trying to think back, and I think I've gotten about 20 or 30 chickens now that way, all free.

 

[chaseB2]

i have raised dual purpose birds in the past and they honestly are not even worth the trouble of butchering in my opinion lol. i raise my own form of cornish x i have a flock of dark cornish that i am going to cross with a few mix breed hens i have running around and just pashture them for a few months and them feed them out for a month

 

[KenK]

Quote:
To each their own. This is a 17 week old Dominique cockerel, made a nice platter of fried chicken, seemed worth the trouble to me... I understand about feed conversion and all that but still, dual purpose chickens eat good.

 

[doubleatraining]

Booker, thats a great idea. Please let me know if you find that ad. I would love to borrow it.

I ate my first CornishX today. I have always been a white meat so that is why I chose the Cornish....after eating some of the dark meat today....OMG I'm a home-raised dark meat fan. I think I will enjoy the dual purpose birds a lot more now.

 

[booker81]

Found it - thanks to Craigslist keeping all my ads

Title: Wanted - Unwanted Free Chickens/Roosters

"Willing to take old/mean/annoying/unwanted HEALTHY chickens and roosters, any size, breed or age (bantam or large fowl). They will treated humanely and will be used to help feed my family.

They will NOT be used for fighting, be abused, or neglected. I have my own flock of hens and two roosters.

Will pick up within a 20 mile radius of XXXXXXXX, MI on weekends. "

I posted it in the Farm and Garden section (yeah, I know it should go in "Wanted) as I feel I'll get more traffic from folks who might have it catch their eye if they are looking at other items. It's never been flagged and I've never had negative feedback emailed to me (I was worried about that).

As for the "worth" of them - I personally won't raise them from chicks for food only, I like the Cornish X for that. I get better feed conversion on the Cornish X. However, the taste is more rich, the broth more wonderful, and the texture much firmer than a Cornish X. By picking up other people's birds, I'm only out gas and a bit of time for processing, and they've taken care of the feeding. I'm doing a service for them - they choose not to dispatch their own birds, and I provide an outlet for them to take care of the roosters they don't want (or old hens, but 90% of what I get are roosters). My part is only to keep the birds comfortable to the very end - even though I didn't raise them, I prefer to treat my food with respect, no matter who raised it. I owe that much to the previous owners who give them to me.

Both CX and other chickens fill different pots for me

My CX are my roasters, and the dual purpose - even non-dual purpose - chickens are my stock and soup chickens. I'm actually picking up a batch of banties and a large fowl year old rooster tomorrow for a repeat customer....yes, banties can be utilized for food. I skin them, and frankly, they remind me exactly of rabbit. I make chicken stock and shredded meat from them. They taste like chicken

 

[booker81]

Here's a 15? week old RIR or SWL. I can't remember which one it was

He was taaaaasty.

 

[doubleatraining]

Booker, Thank you so much for that. I just posted it. I will let you know what kind of response I get.

I am also trying quail starting tomorrow. I am single so the idea of me raising 25 Cornish X and trying to store them is crazy. I will probably get a few more in the spring if my local guy orders a bunch....I can get 5-6 from him and thats plenty. I like the idea of "recycling" these unwanted roosters and it will hopefully keep my freezer full.

 

[doubleatraining]

Booker, if you wanted to share some of those recipes.....I'm always looking to add to my recipe book.

 

[booker81]

Quote:
I'll try to write them up and I'll post them, hopefully tomorrow.

If I can remember how to submit to the BYC recipe thing, I'll put them there for future use!