X pounds when mature. When is "maturation"?

[rebrascora]

by @Ridgerunner

 

[Melky]

Here are a couple resources on how to start raising meatbirds but butcher time is typically 3-5 lbs or at 5-7 lbs and goes by weight broiler vs roaster. Many will weigh birds out each week on same day to hatch date so do not have to feed any more than have to to get to butcher weight so not wasting resources or eating into revenue if selling. See below.

https://articles.extension.org/pages/69066/raising-meat-chickens-in-small-or-backyard-flocks

https://www.thespruce.com/raise-chickens-for-meat-3016587

 

[Compost King]

Just to keep it simple, for meat birds I assume that maturation is that point where feeding them is no longer cost effective for meat production. That goes for those meat hybrids grown only for meat production. As far as dual purpose or egg laying breeds maturation is the point they start laying. I don't know if there is an official definition or how others see it but that's how I always assumed it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just to keep it simple, for meat birds I assume that maturation is that point where feeding them is no longer cost effective for meat production. That goes for those meat hybrids grown only for meat production. As far as dual purpose or egg laying breeds maturation is the point they start laying. I don't know if there is an official definition or how others see it but that's how I always assumed it.

I'm not arguing with you, for me it means about the same thing. We can get so hung up with definitions on here. But I believe the OP was talking about the mature weights the hatcheries often give when trying to make a decision on which breeds to get. That definition for mature weight will be different to yours.

 

[Compost King]

I'm not arguing with you, for me it means about the same thing. We can get so hung up with definitions on here. But I believe the OP was talking about the mature weights the hatcheries often give when trying to make a decision on which breeds to get. That definition for mature weight will be different to yours.

I honestly like your reply better

 

[shedinator]

I don't know what ages they are talking about but I'm confident it is not 6 months. I can't remember which breed it was but I recently saw an SOP that gave different weights for pullet an cockerels versus hens and roosters. There was about a pound or so difference. By general definition they become hens and roosters at one year but I don't know if that is what that specific SOP uses. Since the breed weight is used in judging chickens it is live weight.

Chickens mature at different rates. They tend to put on weight after they are a year old. The skeleton may not grow much if any but they tend to put on meat. Brahma and Jersey Giants will eventually get huge but they are known to be mostly bones for a lot of their early life. I'd expect their maturity date to be well after they are a year old.

Not every chicken of every breed grows at the same rate or reaches the same final size. Not even close. I've gotten cockerels from hatcheries where the difference in individual weight at five months was at least 2 to 1. If you get your birds from a breeder the differences will probably not be that much, depending in the individual breeder's goals, but there will still be a difference. If a breeder is breeding for show (not all do) they breed for a certain weight on a specific diet. If you don't feed them that way they might not grow that way. They should still be better than a hatchery bird. Hatcheries have breeders too but their goals and the methods they use doesn't mean show birds.

At what age do you tend to butcher? What you want is for them to peak at that age. A lot of that will be heredity but how you feed them has an effect too. If you keep them penned where all they eat is a high protein feed they will pack on weight a lot faster than if they forage for a lot of their food. But your feed costs could be higher. I can think of one specific member that butchers at 14 weeks because of the way he cooks them. He has put a lot of effort into breeding a chicken that produces a nice carcass at that age the way he feeds them. I prefer butchering around 23 weeks, I cook them differently and mine forage for a lot of their food. We have different goals and manage them differently.

I don't know what your goals are. I don't know if you are OK buying chicks or want to hatch your own. For pure feed to meat conversion you can't beat the Cornish Cross. The various "Ranger" types aren't that far behind but they are behind. If you want dual purpose I suggest you try different things and see which ones best suit your goals and management methods. We are all different, I don't know what is right for you.

+1 to all this. Weight at maturity is average weight of the breed when they reach the size where they've stopped growing and calorie intake equals calorie expenditure. Of course, as with every other kind of animal, poor management can result in overgaining due to feeding too much, or finished growth at a stunted size due to feeding too little, and even with proper diet and exercise there will be variation, but assuming proper management and enough birds, it should average out.

All that said, "maturity" rarely has much to do with live weight at processing. Ridgerunner mentions a couple meat birds and how quickly they reach processing weight. If you manage those birds well and let them keep going past processing weight, they'll put on several more pounds. But with that gain comes tougher, fattier meat from an older animal, and arguably a lower quality end product. It's the chicken equivalent of choosing a lot of mutton instead of a little lamb, or butchering a 900 lb boar rather than a 250 lb barrow. Sure, you technically get more meat, but chances are your feed conversion ratio is shot and the flavor has suffered.

Imho, the only reasons you should be planning to process a mature bird are because you need to cull it for whatever reason.

 

[SW31]

I noticed that here in France most of the better birds offered by the supermarkets for Christmas had comments such as raised 120 days or 150 days for the higher priced ones. Weight was generally between 2.5 to 3.5 kgs. The cheaper ones had no info on raised dates.
The French turkeys looked quite different to the more rounded ones I was used to seeing in the uk. While it was in the oven I wasn’t sure if I had it cooking breast side up at one point!
I bought a locally raised turkey for this Christmas and was sceptical how much meat was on the bird. However, i was surprised - there was much more than I expected. The taste was a bit more ‘gamey’ and was absolutely delicious.