Showing off my LF Dark Cornish

[Ms Biddy]

I love them! I've always been interested in LF Dark Cornish. I have wondered about plucking since dark pin feathers can be unsightly. I don't know if it's practical to wait until their feathers are all grown in, but plucking is such a breeze when there are no pin feathers to pull.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Have you butchered any yet? I butchered my rooster today, the pin feathers were awful. I hate to skin a chicken, but I have no choice with this guy.
On a good note, they'e both filled out nicely the last couple weeks. I was otherwise quite pleased with the carcass.

I have not butchered yet. I only started hatching from my trio in March so the oldest babies are 11 weeks.

 

[staceyj]

Here are my parent birds. The rooster has filled out nicely since I got him.
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One of my hens is on a nest of eggs. I had a saddle on her until she went broody. She was the rooster's favorite.
View attachment 1433073

Here are some of their 9-11 week old progeny. I have them in with Bantam Cochin/Chocolate and mauve Orp crosses and a couple of guineas.
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Gosh Rae! They are so beautiful!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Have any live weights on the cockerels?

 

[Redhead Rae]

Have any live weights on the cockerels?

Not yet. I'll probably do that at 16 weeks.

 

[Molpet]

need pic of the processed bird in this thread too
I know you posted one... somewhere .... I can't find

 

[Redhead Rae]

need pic of the processed bird in this thread too
I know you posted one... somewhere .... I can't find

LOL indeed!

I wasn't very timely at processing the birds, or getting live weights. By the time I really needed to process my extra cockerels, I was pregnant and unable to stomach processing. So I had someone else do it.

This carcass (which doesn't have any necks, gizzards or feet with it) is from a 6 month old cockerel. If anyone is interested in what it weighs, I believe this particular bird is still in the freezer. We are working our way slowly through our stock of older DP cockerels.

They are about 2/3rds dark meat and 1/3rd white meat. We cooked up a similar sized bird to the one in the pic above and this is what the meat ratios looked like. This is a full sized dinner plate with just one thigh and leg on it.

This is the plate with all the meat removed from the carcass.

One thing that is really nice, is that the 3.5 month cockerel I sent to be slaughtered with these bigger boys, was proportioned just the same just smaller. I really need to get weights on them.

 

[Morrigan]

How did it taste?

 

[Molpet]

If anyone is interested in what it weighs, I believe this particular bird is still in the freezer.

Yes please
When ever your in the freezer, no hurry

 

[Redhead Rae]

How did it taste?

Unfortunately, this guy tasted a bit funky. The person who did the butchering for me, left the lungs and kidneys in the carcass and my FIL (who brined and cooked the bird) didn't realize he needed to finish that off before cooking.