We have a few sadist roosters who need processing. I don't think I can do it, but it's more of a processing issue for me. I just don't think I have a station that's well enough equipped, yet. Still looking for a cheap stainless steel table and a chicken plucker. We have an old washer, but I am not confident enough in my abilities to convert it, yet. Plus, I kind of want to use it for a pottery wheel or something else.
I should probably just give them away, but I want to know what free range rooster tastes like! As soon as I get the first few out of the way, I'm sure I'll be raising meat birds. I've been keeping the hens away from them, but two of them keep jumping the fence; masochists, I guess.
well correction- A couple hours ago I expanded number 6's pipped whole about twice it's size and went check just now it has hatched. Is still wet, icky and attached to the shell but otherwise looks ok
Woo-hoo! Go #6!
Just don't give them anything else...they'll figure out what goes down and what doesn't. My last 3 took nearly 6 days before I actually saw them eat food.
My flock was originally a special dual-purpose breed, and I got 50:50 cockerelsoults. So I grew the cockerels onto 16 weeks (as the hatchery recommended) and had them processed. They dressed out to 2-2.5Kg, which I priced at C$10/Kg. IOWs, they ended up being ~C$25/bird. The only complaints I got were that the birds were too big, as several people were buying for their own single seat at the table. This time around I plan on culling some females at 10 weeks, and charging C$12/Kg for them...as they will both be better sized for single people, and I'm told will possess a more tender meat. The roos I will grow on to 14 weeks and then process...yielding a slightly smaller bird than last time.
I'm really hoping the fermented feed yields a better meat:carcass ratio given the birds don't have to work hard to process the food.
A local grocery store sells Organic whole chickens for $11/Kg.
I know the price is justified, we just can't afford that. But then we have 6 people eating from a single income, so things get kinda tight. I have been seriously considering raising meat birds for profit. We have 3 acres of pasture land and another 2 or 3 which are wooded.
I guess the permits and regulations really put me off. I have heard that is what makes it hard to turn a profit with meat birds. We do need another source of income, though. Right now I'm focusing on getting my construction business back off the ground. That takes up almost all of my time. 6-7 days a week, unless it's pouring. Then I'm inside, reading about chickens.
