Chicken math isn't supposed to work this way!!!!!

[PennyJo]

@Ridgerunner what a great ways to think lost by many of today.. I give my neighbors eggs just for my
barred rocks being noisy when they lay

 

[Beekissed]

@Beekissed your White Rocks are ready to butcher at what age? And what size carcass do you wind up with?

I usually butcher around 5 mo. of age at the earliest. I don't usually weigh them but the carcasses are sufficiently meaty enough then to warrant killing them, so pretty heavy and large. WRs are one of the meatiest dual purpose breeds out there...hence using their genetics to produce the CX meat birds everyone raises.

Mine get rolling fat eating foraged feeds almost entirely....they are not welcome in the coop at feeding time, so they are lucky to snatch a few mouthfuls that may get left over after all the other adult birds have left the coop. I don't know that I ever saw that much fat on and inside of male chickens until I started raising these WRs and I've butchered plenty of other breeds of chickens over the years. Never saw a rooster carry that much fat, especially if they were free ranged all the while.

 

[canesisters]

I'm late chiming in on this one - but wanted to toss out that of all the breeds I've tried so far, Speckled Sussex are the friendliest. They are curious and mine are always the first to check out something new in the pen. I also have been very pleased with the Jersey Giant and Australorp.
But for broody... Wynadottes are the most determined I've had.

 

[Beekissed]

They are also the most cranky, mean birds I've ever had...every single time I've had a Wyandotte in my flocks I've had to cull them for poor laying and bad temperament. Mostly for the bad temperament.

Good for training young dogs on chickens, though....

 

[PennyJo]

I had not chimed into this one either just found it. I own 9 Barred Rock, 9 Easter Eggers and 4 Olive Eggers
I did have 9 Light Brahmas and two Rhode Island Reds. The reds went first pesky little occasional layers..
found the Brahmas did not lay regular either sold them

 

[catjac1975]

Would your husband or neighbors mind a rooster? you can also buy hatching eggs .

There is a chicken farmer in town. We give our unwanted roosters to him or to others for soup chicken.

 

[PennyJo]

"catjac1975, post: 265670, member: 2197"]There is a chicken farmer in town. We give our unwanted roosters to him or to others for soup chicken.
That works I do not keep roo's either I do not want to do the hatching just to have chicks I have to butcher
if I cannot place

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm pretty much the opposite. My main purpose in having chickens is for the meat. I have 11 cockerels I'll put in the freezer later this week or maybe next week. I just finished canning 18 pints of some of the best chicken broth you'll never taste. I also like to play with the genetics, the eggs are more of a nice side product. I understand a lot of people aren't into butchering chickens, that's up to them and none of my business, but I grew up butchering chickens. To me it's just the way things are.

 

[PennyJo]

"Ridgerunner, I'm pretty much the opposite

I did also unfortunately my other half did not and is not comfortable doing so
being mostly blind I am unable to do it all myself.

 

[PennyJo]

headed to home depot planning a new chicken run