When to butcher my roosters.

[Dgevry]

Hi all I'm sure this isn't the first time this has been asked but I can't find a straight answer.

I have gold laced Wyandotte chickens and I plan to keep a few roosters and butcher the rest to load my freezer.

I am not sure when they will be good quality table birds without being tough or wasting a ton of feed.

They are in tractors and not free ranging.

Any help would be great

I also have turkey's I have the same question for if anyone has that answer

 

[Peep_Show]

I have semi-tolerant neighbors, but for roos when they crow they go!


But, seriously, I do not know the growth rate of Wyandottes. Find out what a full-grown roo weighs and figure out a way to weigh your birds. I'd shoot for something slightly under that weight just because the growth curve on birds slows near maturity.

With turkeys it depends on what size you want your birds. I've had young hens butchered for a 7-lb carcass (great on the bbq smoker) to those that I didn't slaughter at Thanksgiving and waited until near Easter and they were 56 lbs dressed out. (Lots of freezer parts, stir fry and ground turkey) The birds had free-choice feeding and seemed to be way ahead of growth schedules. Of course, those big toms ate LOTS of feed and weren't very cost efficient in that manner, BUT it was managed to barter one for some custom tiling work which would've cost an arm and a leg. win-win

 

[azelgin]

I am not sure when they will be good quality table birds without being tough or wasting a ton of feed.

After trying to figure this out over the years, I've decided never. They just don't get enough size to them to be worth the effort. Others may have had better luck, but I end up waiting until they're about 9 month and then they go into the pressure cooker and turned into taco/enchilada/soup meat.

 

[PrairieChickens]

For most heritage-breed chickens like Wyandottes, it's 6 months for roosters you'll be using as fried chicken or bbq, a year for chickens you want to roast, and anything older than that should be slow-cooked.

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't know that there is a magic age to butcher your roosters. They do take longer to grow out than the Cornish X, but I think you get a much better bird. Yes, they do get tougher the older they are, but the secret is to cook them low and slow. When I have several to do, I bone them out and pressure can the meat. That tenderizes it so nicely and is so handy to have in the pantry. You have ready-cooked meat for enchiladas, soups, stews, salads, sandwich meat, or just to warm up and put over rice or potatoes if you need a quick meal.

 

[Cluckysnap123]

I don't butcher them. They all die of old age and I blackmail the neighbors into tolerating the crowing!