We have several young Roos

[junebuggena]

Just for reference, these are carcass pics of hatchery barred Rock/Easter egger mixes (mostly, there might have been some other breeds in there). I didn't weigh any of them. Each bird, pressure cooked and the meat pulled, yields about 3 cups of meat....about enough for a pan of enchiladas here

. They were raised on all-in-one, I think it's 19 or 20% protein. Not free ranged, raised in a decent sized grow out pen and got lots of exercise running away from the lead rooster

.

How old when processed? I'm thinking about raising some of my Barred Rock/Easter Egger cockerels for meat.

 

[donrae]

A little older than I wanted

. I think 7-8 months.

 

[FaerieChicken]

Quote:
Yes I know, I would buy them in large quantity off Ebay, 22lbs I try to stay under $200 if I can, sometimes I can get it for $179 shipping incl! They would last me for about 4-6 months depending on what I am using them for. Mostly as treats, but when we had got the meaties as babies, I was making sure it was a part of thier daily rations, they were free range along with the other chicks we had got during the chick days sale in March, those meaties sure did get big quick and looked super juicy, but we had to get rid of them before we could process, ended up just giving them away! They still had 2 months to go! Now that we have started raising chickens again, I am starting from scratch and still need to build an appropriate coop. I figured that since we had to get rid of our last flock, that this new flock, the roosters we got for free since there were so many, we will just eat since they are already grown and ready to go. Thanks for the pics, very nice looking meat, hardly any fat! Yummers! ;P

 

[FaerieChicken]

Quote:
Wow, that looks super delish! Now I have something to look forward to! Thank you thank you thank you! So hungry right now. Can't wait to make those enchiladas! Thanks for the pictures, and all the info from everyone. I think I will continue a few more weeks with the starter @ 20% protein and the scratch n BOSS with scraps! Hopefully they will be very tastey at the very least!

 

[Mutt Farm]

Quote: That's a good price. Is that live or freeze dried? I'm paying $15. for about an 8 oz of freeze dried. I'm going to try growing my own. It looks really easy. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/30444/how-to-grow-your-own-mealworms-instructions

 

[FaerieChicken]

Quote:
Freeze dried, I wanted to grow my own too, but it seems too involved for what I would have time for. I already give the roosters the scraps/leftovers. I have a hard enough time trying to get my live in nanny, and she is a good friend also, to get the feeding right for the chickens, she has been mixing the starter with the scratch for the hens the past couple of days they have free access to oystershell but my goodness, if she is filling up thier 3 feeders with the crumble and scratch and the hens are knocking it over its just wasting it! I had to "remind" her last night as I was closing up the enclosure and taking out the feeders, to give the girls 2 feeders of lay pellets ONLY and 1 feeder of crumble (for the pullets that are weaning) and the scratch is a TREAT that she can mix with the BOSS and give a couple of small piles outside of the enclosure for them to "scratch" around for throughout the day! UGH I wish I could just be a full time stay at home take care of everything sorta gal!

 

[Mutt Farm]

Quote: Oh my. I'm feeling ya! I just a year ago March quit my away job and now work from home. I had hired help, it was just too much for them to understand. I was chickenless for many years for that very reason. I'm a stay at home take care of everything, but I'm old now. Don't wish for that! Re waste, I hung my feeders. They were wasting so much. somebody posted an interesting thread with a sort of catch basin for wasted food. I can't find it now.

 

[FaerieChicken]

I like the PVC pipe idea, the tubes that you can mount on the wall, or to the cage and cap off at night. I saw it on pintrest or facebook..... I think it was through BYC on FB! I really want to try that for the feeding, then you just fill the PVC tubes and then you don't have much waste or critters getting into your food! I use the rubbermade/sterilelite tubs and empty the sacks of feed into them. They seem to work for stoarge, but cant feed from them really! Maybe I can create a way to attach a funnel that runs into the PVC tube feeders and store the tubs up high and fill the tubs with the food, then the food just funnels down into the tubes...... hmmm.

I don't like geting older, I sure do feel like I am 60 in this 35 yo body sometimes. But I keep pushing and going. Just chugging along. Zombie like at times :O I will get things back to good some day, its all a work in progress, for now, I am trying to figure out these roos and get them ready to eat, oh, I took pictures last night, I can't wait to get to wifi this weekend and upload some! Oh the little things that are so silly that make me so excited anymore......