Were my buff orpingtons too small?

[silverchick_161]

I dispatched 3 buff orpington roosters yesterday at 16 and a half weeks old. I was going to try to wait longer, but they were getting hard on the hens. After processing, they weighed between 2.8 and 3 pounds. Is this normal at this age? They appeared healthy. My chickens have a coop/enclosed run but also free range almost daily. I have been feeding Purina start and grow since day old chicks. They share a couple handfuls of scratch and mealworms per day, plus any edible weeds from the garden and the ocassional treat from kitchen leftovers. Their poops look like normal chicken poops to me, and I did not have any problems with the batch except for one chick who didn't thrive and I put down at day 2. My flock consists of several breeds of brown egg layers (orptingtons, penedescencas, barred rocks, a golden buff, and a blue copper maran). There was a total of 14 in the flock before dispatching the buffs. Thank you!

 

[NatJ]

You mention the Purina start & grow-- I assume that was available free choice?

I don't know specific weights for Buff Orpingtons, but it sounds about right to me.

If they were about 3 pounds after processing, they were probably around 5-6 pounds live weight, which isn't bad for a dual-purpose cockerel from hatchery stock at 16 weeks. There is a good reason Cornish Cross are popular as meat birds! (Almost twice as heavy at half the age.)

 

[silverchick_161]

Sorry for the late response. Yes, free choice. It makes sense that dual purpose bred would be smaller vs. a breeder who is selecting for heavier birds for meat. Even more so for breeds designed specifically for meat production. Thanks!