Meat chickens??

[FourRingCircus]

DH's cousins brought over some chickens that he has had for about 18 months. He said he meant to have a better set up for them by now, but just doesn't have time for them. THey also haven't gotten a single egg in all that time, but said he had only been feeding scratch/cracked corn (not sure exactly what). I put them in a separate area from my other chickens since he said a few of them looked pretty rough, but 4 of them were pretty. It looks like he brought me 2 blck sex links, 2 RIR/prod. red, and 1 Buff Orp.... and 3 meat chickens??? They are white, look like bowling balls with seriously fat legs/feet, and are missing crazy amounts of feathers. I don't know what else they could be? I have never had meat chickens for myself, but he said the people he got them from told him they were from a production farm. Before I saw them I figured battery hens, but that's definitley not the case (at least compared to the ex-battery hens I have seen). At least one is laying though. I didn't even think it was possible for them to live this long, much less lay eggs! I need to go ahead and butcher them though because when it got warm the other day I could hear one gasping...

I know at least one was an egg eater b/c I caught it in the act... that plus the poor diet (and maybe a snake or two) would explain the lack of eggs because they started laying for me within a couple days of getting here. In the span of the couple of weeks that I have had them they have even figured out what a roost is :slap: (minus the bowling balls on stilts... they still cower under a table each night).

 

[Zass]

Poor things.

(Buff orps are among my favorites)

 

[FourRingCircus]

Thankfully the buff and others are doing well - the look good, eating well, laying some eggs. It's the "meat chickens" that definitely are struggling, but if that is for sure what they are, it's no wonder since their bodies really aren't design to live this long.

I have only ever butchered one other chicken... anything I need to look for to deem whether or not the meat is edible? I figured they will be crockpot worthy either way. I don't plan on plucking them, just skinning them. I am guessing the liver should look similar to a rabbits or squirrels with no spots, and a healthy dark red correct?

 

[Zass]

Yeah. <br /><br /> __________ Sun May 31, 2015 11:37 pm __________ <br /><br /> Squirrel are delicious.

If you don't do plucking, skinning is an option.

 

[katiebear]

. anything I need to look for to deem whether or not the meat is edible?

The meat should be fine, crock pot should remove any worry about toughness..poor things, the legs just can't support the heft of the body. As long as the hearts and livers look good you should have nothing to worry about.
The other breeds you mentioned are all great layers. The Rhode Island reds can be a bit aggressive though...watch for signs when you introduce them to your flock. Just my experience though ,maybe not all of them are like that.
I wish I could score some free chickens :mrgreen:

 

[Miss M]

We recently butchered our first meat chickens. Your description matches them perfectly.

They can live longer, and occasionally a hen will even lay. Usually, they can live longer if they are pastured, instead of kept in confined quarters with all the pellets they can eat.

I remember learning quickly that scratch is not a sufficient diet for chickens. It's no surprise he wasn't getting eggs!

 

[FourRingCircus]

Interesting about RIRs being aggressive - I started out with them and never really had any issues. I wonder how much difference is there between a true RIR and what many people pass off as RIRs but are really production reds? Cant' say I have ever had a true RIR although there is some potential that a rooster I got early in the season with a chicken coop purchase was a RIR and if that's the case, I 100% agree with the whole aggressive personalities. He was crazy!!

It will add some color back to my flock. I have been wanting a buff, but my lone survivor chick from last year was a crazy aggressive rooster that went to another farm since he lost his rooster (DH's coworker/buddy... his whole flock for the first couple of years came from my backyard). I have one remaining BSL from when I first started with chickens 6 years ago... the other few BSLs and RIR/PRs have all either died or disappeared since then. We'll see how it goes. They did have some interaction with my current flock and my rooster instantly went up to them and pecked each one on the head - gotta love the whole pecking order deal. Glad I am not a chicken :x .

 

[Marinea]

Another vote for RIRs being aggressive. We got away from quickly.

After 15 years of various breeds, we are sticking with our Orpingtons- lavenders mostly, some buffs, and crosses between the two. Solid layers, good foragers, and I am amazed at how well they accept new little ones into the flock. We have three different "groups"- adults, a set of 5 younger ones, and a group of 4 much younger ones. There hasn't been an issue at all- our adult head rooster has stopped any bullying in its tracks.

 

[FourRingCircus]

I currently have a very diverse flock - Black Australorps, Blue Laced Red Wyandottes (what my roo is, and he is wonderful!), Easter Eggers, one bantam, black sex link, and a few chicks from a few different hens (a couple of which are a very pretty gray - maybe what would be considered lavender?). I do have one roo that was crossed with a Black Aus. (maybe twice?) and it's really brought out the dark colors in the BLRW line - I kept him in hopes that he will have his daddy's demeanor. He looks to have the same coloring and feather patterns, just much darker.

For next year I have 6 Dominiques and 6 Americaunas that are feathered out, just waiting for them to get a bit bigger... my friend is raising up a few Buffs for me as well. I like color variety, can you tell? I was hoping to keep everything at home from now on but last year was a bust with chicks (lost a BUNCH of them, mostly due to a snake that was unknowingly living under the nest box :x ) and I didn't have a single broody this year :evil: .

 

[MaggieJ]

Don't give up on hoping for broody hens this year. It's only the beginning of June! I often have hens go broody even in July or August.

 

[FourRingCircus]

Mine normally are in the spring which is why I have pretty much given up - the last 2 or 3 years I consistently had one hen hatch out the 3rd week of April. She showed some signs this year, but never actually sat on any eggs. I guess you never know. I'm not counting on it though, which is why I went ahead an bought chicks this year.

 

[EnglishSpot]

Off topic and species, but my sister's duck laid and hatched 18 eggs. Eighteen. That duck isn't big enough for all those babies under her!! There's always a couple popping out from under her!!

 

[Celice]

sounds like they where a cornish breed (jumbo Cornish x Rocks I think?). Its a breed that some hatcheries sell that are not meant to live very long and grow at a very alarming rate naturally and is meant to be butchered at 6 months. If they life longer they start getting health problems because of their weight.

Murray McMurray sales them: https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/jumbo_ ... rocks.html

 

[FourRingCircus]

sounds like they where a cornish breed (jumbo Cornish x Rocks I think?). Its a breed that some hatcheries sell that are not meant to live very long and grow at a very alarming rate naturally and is meant to be butchered at 6 months. If they life longer they start getting health problems because of their weight.

Murray McMurray sales them: https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/jumbo_ ... rocks.html

That's what I am guessing they are... <br /><br /> __________ Mon Jun 01, 2015 3:36 pm __________ <br /><br />

Off topic and species, but my sister's duck laid and hatched 18 eggs. Eighteen. That duck isn't big enough for all those babies under her!! There's always a couple popping out from under her!!

It's so funny when they do that! I had a chicken on a ridiculous amount of eggs - 27 between two hens if I remember correctly?? They hatched a few days apart and shared the chicks...

 

[PSFAngoras]

Actually, we've raised Cornish Rock crosses in the past. Ours were kept on chick starter and later finisher, and we ended up with 8# birds in 8 weeks. I can't imagine those things living to six months old, a couple already suffered dislocated hips and had to be put down before they even hit the eight week mark. We did it off property and had some issues with it (housing), so I switched to meat rabbits, which I can keep year round and raise at my own place. Looking back at it, when we get a piece of property, I certainly don't mind doing meat chickens again even though I don't enjoy cleaning them compared to rabbits, but I will NEVER get that breed again. Sure they grow fast, but they must be miserable for those eight weeks. I'll find a good dual purpose heritage breed to keep around.

 

[Celice]

Actually, we've raised Cornish Rock crosses in the past. Ours were kept on chick starter and later finisher, and we ended up with 8# birds in 8 weeks. I can't imagine those things living to six months old, a couple already suffered dislocated hips and had to be put down before they even hit the eight week mark. We did it off property and had some issues with it (housing), so I switched to meat rabbits, which I can keep year round and raise at my own place. Looking back at it, when we get a piece of property, I certainly don't mind doing meat chickens again even though I don't enjoy cleaning them compared to rabbits, but I will NEVER get that breed again. Sure they grow fast, but they must be miserable for those eight weeks. I'll find a good dual purpose heritage breed to keep around.

maybe I'm thinking about jumbo turkeys. they take a longer time to grow out than chickens. My Dixie Rainbows are a good breed! large, good egg layers, and pretty to look at. I have 2 roosters and I'm thinking about butchering one just to keep ant possible fights from happining.