Bigger Chickens

[jerrybob]

Wow.......chickens are twice as big!!!

Why chickens are twice as big today as they were 6 years ago

 

[Creamer]

When we raise meat chickens we usually take the hens out at about 6 lbs because they quit growing but we let the cockerals keep going and we have a lot of 10-11 lb roasters. They are definitely not fryers though!

 

[nybirdman]

Today's meat birds grow so fast their legs can't support them.

 

[Sonny580]

I had the leg problem 3 years ago when I did try so called meat birds!---at 7 weeks they were around 15 pounds! (shouda butchered at 5 weeks maybe!) anyhoo,----they were loaded with fat inside like you would not believe, and we never did find a way to fix them!---fry was out,--bake or boil was out.---We ended up tossing the meat out,---so tuffff that you couldn't eat it! thanks; sonny580

 

[Creamer]

Today's meat birds grow so fast their legs can't support them.

It takes the proper rations to keep their legs under them. I really struggled to find a feed company to mix the proper ration. I was trying to grow them without antibiotics so I had to have the feed mixed myself. I went through three feed mills before I found one that knew what I was talking about.

We found the hens just lay in the fat after 6 lbs (dressed) but the cockerals will keep growing. The hearts give out on the cockerals though if you let them get too big plus the meat can get tough. 10 weeks is about all you have to get them grown (hens 6 weeks).

 

[Sonny580]

All of ours were roosters and they were all too tuff to eat! thanks sonny580

 

[check]

So what about organic chickens?

 

[Creamer]

Ours were organic. That was the reason I had to have special feed ground.

 

[NorTracNY]

I read enough horror stories of the Cornish cross that I went with Freedom Rangers. I typically lose 1 out of 25-30 because of leg issues. The rest I process at 9-10 weeks. Not as fast, but I can pasture them. The family LOVES the meat.