Would these be good to eat, if so, at what age?

[thespinningcottage]

Please forgive me for what I'm sure is a repetitive post. I've searched several ways and can't find a direct answer. We have a BCM rooster in with red sex link, EE, barred rock, and BCM hens. We are getting enough eggs from them (10 hens) for now. We would like to incubate some of their eggs for meat. Would it be worth it? If so, at what age should we slaughter? Thanks for any opinions.

 

[TimG]

It depends upon what you mean by "worth it". At 5-6 months of age, the cockerels should be big enough to provide a meal. They won't be as big as a Cornish Cross at 8 weeks. And, they'll cost more to feed (unless you are able to pasture them and even then might cost more) than a Cornish Cross. Plus you'll have to care for them longer. Some will say that the meat on your older birds will have more flavor and better texture, others will say it is tough. (A lot depends upon how you cook it.)

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I prefer the heritage, dual purpose and any cross birds for eating – I enjoy the flavor. We do not worry about age, just butcher when the chicken/roo feels like a good meal – sometimes it can be a year old or when it starts to irritate me.

We just cook low and slow, even on the bbq.

Recently there was a great thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=289594 (hope this link works)

Posted on the first page by srsmith69, is a great pdf article that I saved: www.albc-usa.org/documents/cookingwheritagechicken.pdf I found it very informative, maybe it will help you.

 

[thespinningcottage]

Thank you both for your replies. The article was an absolute wealth of information. Now I'm excited about this project. Since this is for our family, I don't imagine the cost of the feed will be too far out of line, especially if they're our own hatch and not ordered from somewhere that we'd pay for the chicks and shipping. Again, thanks so much!!