When to butcher barnyard mix excess roos?

[Meddipa]

Hello, I've just hatched out 12 barnyard mix chicks, and unfortunately can't keep any more roosters. Our plan is to post online to see if anyone is willing to take any that are roos off our hands, and if not, into the pot they will go. They are various mixes, but mostly fairly heavy breed so I'm hoping that it's worth our while to butcher them. My question is when is the "ideal" time to butcher for a non-meat breed? I've done meat birds at 8-9 weeks, but of course these will grow much slower. I'm not to particular about how much feed they consume or getting the most of my money's worth in meat to feed ratios, so to speak, more just when they will be at the largest size without getting too tough or reaching maturity. Thoughts?

 

[Molpet]

I proceed at 16 weeks
Some people 12 some wait until 6 months

 

[Parront]

Hello, I've just hatched out 12 barnyard mix chicks, and unfortunately can't keep any more roosters. Our plan is to post online to see if anyone is willing to take any that are roos off our hands, and if not, into the pot they will go. They are various mixes, but mostly fairly heavy breed so I'm hoping that it's worth our while to butcher them. My question is when is the "ideal" time to butcher for a non-meat breed? I've done meat birds at 8-9 weeks, but of course these will grow much slower. I'm not to particular about how much feed they consume or getting the most of my money's worth in meat to feed ratios, so to speak, more just when they will be at the largest size without getting too tough or reaching maturity. Thoughts?

When the crowing starts is a good time. They start harassing the hens and after that they will get tougher and not that much larger.

 

[Severne]

I do it at 22 weeks, but mine are a smaller mix.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

I asked this question too; and the summary is for tender meat go for <16 weeks. For the most meat you are likely to get, go for around 20 weeks. For less than 16 weeks it might be okay to fry or barbecue, but after that it is better to oven bake or pressure cook. Otherwise you may find the meat too tough and stringy.

 

[Torinik]

Between 16 and 20 weeks is ideal for me. If you can handle the crowing and the general making a nuisance of themselves, 6 months isn't too bad either. More meat and I actually like it a bit tougher, which isn't really that pronounced if you cook it right. I used to process my brahma's at 9 months because by then they'd have a decent amount of meat on their large frames. At 6 months they were still skin over bone. For a good coq au vin, a rooster of at least a couple of years old is ideal in my opinion, but taste is very subjective. See what you like, and grow and process according to that.

I think for a lot of people it's a cost factor also. Which is completely understandable and logic. If you can have them forage some of their own food, they will grow slower and it may or may not cut the feed cost because you'll be feeding them longer. If time is no constraint that's an option, but you will of course be processing later and the meat will be tougher and 'tastier'. They also tend to end up not as bulky as when you only feed them growing mix.
I read a story somewhere about icelandic chickens being completely self-sustaining, which is great if you have the space to do that. You will still end up with a small chicken though. But who cares if meat and eggs are relatively free, right? Land has its price and you will be processing several birds instead of one CX, there's a cost factor in that too. So, that depends on your circumstances and preferences.

I feed my birds lots of greens that I grow in the garden and table scraps of course, on a daily basis. I often give them access to a part of the lawn that's fenced off, since I'm limited in space it's figuring out a balance in letting them forage and letting the patch recover. They get very active on that patch, especially when they're still young, so they probably burn more calories than they find there. They also get in destructor-mode on that patch, hence trying to balance the destruction and recovery. But I want to eat a healthy and tasty chicken that is a bit tougher and redder than the broiler processed at 8 to 12 weeks. For me that's worth the extra time and feeding cost for a skinnier bird compared to a fast growing broiler.

 

[Severne]

Between 16 and 20 weeks is ideal for me. If you can handle the crowing and the general making a nuisance of themselves, 6 months isn't too bad either. More meat and I actually like it a bit tougher, which isn't really that pronounced if you cook it right. I used to process my brahma's at 9 months because by then they'd have a decent amount of meat on their large frames. At 6 months they were still skin over bone. For a good coq au vin, a rooster of at least a couple of years old is ideal in my opinion, but taste is very subjective. See what you like, and grow and process according to that.

I think for a lot of people it's a cost factor also. Which is completely understandable and logic. If you can have them forage some of their own food, they will grow slower and it may or may not cut the feed cost because you'll be feeding them longer. If time is no constraint that's an option, but you will of course be processing later and the meat will be tougher and 'tastier'. They also tend to end up not as bulky as when you only feed them growing mix.
I read a story somewhere about icelandic chickens being completely self-sustaining, which is great if you have the space to do that. You will still end up with a small chicken though. But who cares if meat and eggs are relatively free, right? Land has its price and you will be processing several birds instead of one CX, there's a cost factor in that too. So, that depends on your circumstances and preferences.

I feed my birds lots of greens that I grow in the garden and table scraps of course, on a daily basis. I often give them access to a part of the lawn that's fenced off, since I'm limited in space it's figuring out a balance in letting them forage and letting the patch recover. They get very active on that patch, especially when they're still young, so they probably burn more calories than they find there. They also get in destructor-mode on that patch, hence trying to balance the destruction and recovery. But I want to eat a healthy and tasty chicken that is a bit tougher and redder than the broiler processed at 8 to 12 weeks. For me that's worth the extra time and feeding cost for a skinnier bird compared to a fast growing broiler.

Exactly, I only use the cockerels in soup, pasties and pie, but I free range them until 22-24 weeks when normally I pick out my favorite rooster and eat the rest. The butchered roosters are almost free from 8 weeks on after I move them out of the brooder.

 

[Compost King]

The best time to process excess roosters is when you want them gone. While smaller birds have less meat on them larger birds likely wasted too much feed to get to that size unless its a meat bird. I process my birds when its most convenient for me as far as flock management goes.

 

[RUNuts]

I process shortly after first crow. Neighborhood and crowing isn't appreciated. Although it tickles quite a few of us. 2 pound birds mostly. But the flavor...

 

[sandesnow]

We do 24-28 weeks. I don't find the meat tough if you are patient and let the meat rest, or if needed, break the rigor.
We restricted pen size from 12 weeks to 24 weeks with a nice 4 grain scratch in with their normal grower feed and you get a decent bird at 24-28 weeks of age.