Fat birds... fat.. fat birds.

I thought I'd post this in general, as I don't so much need advice, rather the maybe 'why'.  If I know the why, then I have advice LOL.  Tis a great thing.

Over the past week, I butchered up 6 roosters that needed to go (gosh they're gross).  The weather was cool, but not too cold, and besides, I thought I'd learn to 'pelt' a bird anyway.  Easy way to keep the feathers rather than pulling, and because these weren't meaty birds anyway, I just wanted the breasts and thighs and gave the rest to the cats.

Anyways, I was astounded at the amount of fat that layered these birds.  They were nicely shaped, not overly heavy chested or legged, but their muscles were nice, organs nice and normal.  Under their skin there was a nice layer of fat (I assume to warm, never butchered this late in the year), however when you cut into them, they had a thick layer of yellow fat.  By thick I mean, on the biggest bird, it was a measurable 1/4 inch.

Is there a particular reason why this would be?  Is it a time of year thing?  For about a month they were fed on straight oats and barley, however they weren't filling out, in fact they were thinning down, so we moved them back to standard layer ration.

Again, I checked their organs, I was worried their organs would be fatty, but they weren't, they were tucked behind a nice blanket layer of fat on the inside.  I don't know if this is a good thing or not.

Interested on what you guys think.  Maybe I'm finally doing something right, or... or not.

nothing wrong with that I dont think...when food is freechoice they tend to put on fat. good to head into winter with that (if they had been keepers)  maybe dont want pullets as fat but then they are going to have to draw on reserves as they go into production.

mirycreek wrote:nothing wrong with that I dont think...when food is freechoice they tend to put on fat. good to head into winter with that (if they had been keepers)  maybe dont want pullets as fat but then they are going to have to draw on reserves as they go into production.

I thought: "Good for warmth, maybe not for health"  Which is why I pulled all the organs apart in each bird to look at them.  I did find chest inflamation in 2 birds, a reddened look under the lungs on the skeleton.  I don't know if it's related, I think it means they were Mareks carriers or not. It doesn't really look like any of the autopsy pictures I can find or what Winston looked like when I necropsied him. Only in two birds though and not on any meat.

I think a certain amount of fat isn't detrimental to health, especially headed into winter. Fat is designed to store extra calories for when they are needed, and provide insulation. Its more of a problem when the usual fat reserves are "filled up" and the depositing moves to organs and other areas. Also likely depends on the "type" of fat. Ie: I've been eating nothing but chocolate bars and McDonalds vrs. I've been eating natural based protein (grass fed beef, bug fed chicken ect). Those are just my thoughts, I confess I did nothing to actually scientifically verify them in the specific case of chickens, but it seems to be the general consensus in human health right now.

The first year we had Cornish x giants we were late slaughtering, some of them had lumps of fat an inch and a half thick. That was too much fat!

I agree with Swamp Hen. We have been taught to fear fat as unhealthy. This is a fashion industry idea. Chickens, thank Gordon, do not read Vogue or Cosmopolitan.

Crippling obesity in animals is bad. But a layer of fat means their bodies are doing exactly what a body that lives in the outdoor elements is supposed to do. A layer of fat is money in the bank from a self preservation point of view.

Fat is also a flavour enhancer. Skinny birds? No thanks. Leave those roadrunners to Wile E. Coyote.