It really Looks good.
I just had the last 50 done and the guy weighed some. They were a month past when I planned to do them due to several reasons. I can and have done them by myself, but it is too much work with very many and I am in the middle of moving and never planned to raise any this fall....
The biggest ones were 11 PLUS lbs, DRESSED.... ROASTERS. They were 42 days on Oct 28th, when the rest went out of the commercial house.... I get the small "left behind" ones.... the house averaged less than 5 lbs LIVE weight..... I more than doubled their size in 60 days.... And remember. these are NOT the cream of the crop but the "runts" in the house.....So these were in the neighborhood of 16 weeks, when they went. Took the 35 smallest/crippled/ having trouble getting around ones, a week ago, then these went last Thursday eve to be done on Friday. So about 112 days total.... would have been glad to see them all go at 10-11 weeks but that is how it worked out. The 1st group averaged 5-6 lbs dressed, this second group averaged over 8 1/2 lbs dressed....
There is a TON of meat on them. They had actually really slowed down eating so I know they had reached their "mature size"....
I just need another freezer.... I wanted to do cut some up into parts, but right now getting moved is paramount, so they went in the freezer whole... With them out on grass and all, well, what with dodging the hawk, they will have more taste than the ones sold commercially directly out of the houses. The nice thing is that they are free if I go get them as soon as the houses are picked up.... and there is no heat or brooding or anything due to their age/being feathered out and all. I do lose some, up to 25% sometimes, as they make the transition to a whole different situation.... but they are free, so not a big loss. Most are lost in the first week so I don't have alot of feed in them yet.
The poultry companies that contract with these guys, with the commercial houses, don't want the birds leaving the premises alive.... they can give them to anyone but they are supposed to be killed. I have an in with a couple of guys and I never reveal where they come from....several of the dairy farms I test have poultry houses, so I can pretty much just say that I raised them.... so they don't get in trouble.... but it saves them from having to go through and catch and then kill all them.... and sometimes you get some REAL nice ones that I swear the catchers are just too lazy to catch up. Sometimes they are crappy. I try to never turn them down... and really need to start canning them for chicken salad and other stuff. Wish someone was close enough to use some as I would be glad to share when I get them. Sometimes I go 6 months and don't get any, then other times, like this bunch.... I was unprepared as I wasn't planning on any this fall with the new house/moving/redoing deal.....but hated to turn this new source down. I lost a total of 50% due to the pouring down rainstorm and cold wind the next day after getting them.... it was awful....and then the hawk that was getting a few.... but, now have things set up better. I won't be getting any more until after the weather warms up a bit. I have a good market for them live at a poultry swap twice a year to ethnic groups.... so need some in March for the May date and again in July for the Sept date.... and I have freezers full right now.... But, with the mess this country is in... I am not sorry to have a huge surplus of meat right now.
