I have a few questions on raising meat birds. First, how do you get tender meat? I have friends that raise meat birds and have ate some of theirs', but the meat was very tough. I also had my first 6 roos of various breeds butchered a couple of yrs ago and they were tough also. I don't know how old they were, they had their full feathers, but they weren't to old. I have a friend that ordered his first cornish x chicks and recev'd them this week. THe hatcherie also sent 5 pearl leghorn roos as packing peanuts that I kept. We want to put them in the freezer, but we have no idea how to raise and feed them so they taste good and are tender. So my next question is what feed do they eat? We have laying hens, do they eat the same food? I know you butcher around 6-8wks old. Do we keep them penned up or free range with the rest of the hens? I know this is alot all at once, and it has probably been answered lots of times, but if someone could answer these questions for me, I would be so appreciative. Thanks!
