Buff orpington processing, rooster weigh in

Rooster weights
About time to get the facts out, smiling. Last week I took 7 cockerels to the abbatoir. I was very pleased with the three appropriately aged fellows, pleased with the inappropriately aged fellows, and displeased with one inappropriately aged fellow, which did not come from my line of orpingtons. Won’t go there with the line origin, it doesn’t matter, thinking a nice dog food item.

Things were getting rather crowded in the chick grow out pen, with four hens coming into lay and these young males, had to let 7 go, even though four of those were not of the preferred age for processing of no less than 24 weeks.

Just a quick post to post results, have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

These weights are all the after processing weights.

Buff Orpington cockerel, 24 weeks old – 5.31 pounds (this dude has a huge carcass and lovely thighs  )
Buff Orpington cockerel, 24 weeks old – 4.6 pounds
Cochin cockerel, 24 weeks old – 4.59 pounds

Buff Orpington cockerel, 19 weeks old – 3.90 pounds
Buff Orpington cockerel, 19 weeks old – 3.70 pounds
Buff Orpington cockerel, 19 weeks old – 3.54 pounds

One scrimpy buff Orpington cockerel, 19 weeks old, not from my line – 2.89 (almost a pound less than the largest of the other 19 week old buff orpingtons, and he also looked much, much smaller, with incorrect buff colouring)

Thanks for taking the time to post this.
Really goes to show how much growing they do in that last little bit. And it is the growing that means the most. The frame is already there, they are just laying meat on their bones. You have gotten a pound more meat in that last 4 weeks or so. Very cool! I bet you could push them even a bit harder if you wanted too.
I find that 22 weeks seems to be the magic number for the PChants. Magic because they are just starting to drive me crazy, but they have also had the extra time to grow more. I think mine will go in a little later this year. I have just not been organised enough to get everything separated like I like and get them fed how I want. I will be 24 weeking it to I think! Will try to post the weights for you.

Thanks for the weigh in results Cindi I look forward to the follow up taste comparison.

If all goes well I will be challenging you to a weigh in in the near future  

Nice to know exact results like that. Thanks.
I have never kept my cockerels that long before butchering them as we do them ourselves about 10 -12 at a time as a group looks ready. I am already eyeing up the dom cockerels hatched in may.
I always wonder how much they eat in that last month f it is really efficient after all.
Although I can see if you are taking them somewhere the biggger they are is bter as it makes it worthwhile.

These comparisons are integral to knowing the birds. I am going to post a picture of last year's two males. They are a week older than these that left on the 6th August this year for processing.

the photo of last year the males were 20 weeks and 25 weeks, the processing this year was 19 weeks and 24 weeks. It really and honestly is amazing how much can change in the mass of flesh that covers the bones during that last month. I should one day, if I could do it, don't think I could though, just not enough planning, do tests of birds at each week. For example, 19 week at 24 weeks, 20 weeks at 25 weeks, 21 weeks at 26 weeks. I am wondering at what point the flesh weight does not change much. Geeze, think I wonder about wondering too much. Anyways, picture....have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

Last years males at 25 and 20 weeks old, huge and incredible difference in the size of the body, frame is pretty much the same

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I was wondering if time of season makes a difference in weight as well.

Where do you take them and what do they charge?

bckev wrote:Where do you take them and what do they charge?

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Can you post some pictures of the processed cockerels please?
here is a link I found...
BC Meat Plants Public List by Region
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Hi CynthiaM,

I'm curious as to the live weights of your adult Orpington Roosters and Hens. From the various pictures I have seen of your birds, I suspect that they are quite a bit larger than mine, although I have not weighed them yet.

What line was the little guy from? For interest sakes?

Fuzzy, I am not going to publicly divulge where the fellow's lines came from, not good ethics, but I was disappointed in some hatching that I had done with some hatching eggs. Only 6 of the 18 hatched, and I kept only 1, to see what the male grew out like, the others were culled. The difference between the two lines was so drastic that I took drastic measures, chicks of that line and mine were hatched together. Could tell from the second of emergence who was who is that little zoo.

I have the males in the fridge, today I will be repackaging by way of food saver vacuum sealing and freezing them. They have rested now for 5 days and are perfectly aged to freeze. I'll bring those into this thread one day, good reminder....

Prices vary around here alot. And the prices have gone up drastically too. the place in Pritchard has only gone up minorly, to $6 and the place in Armstrong has gone up drastically to $7. These are for the heritage breed as they are not as easy to deal with as the big meaties that have huge vent holes and just don't care about being picked up to have their heads lopped   (or so the processor gal told me). The place in Armstrong is 20 minutes away, the place in Pritchard is 1 hour away, so really need to figure out if it is less expensive to just pay the higher price of $1 and have them more local. But then on the other hand, I love to drive, and a beautiful drive to Pritchard to a most awesome and perfectly set up slaughterhouse for poultry and wonderful people -- I may still have to go for long drives. Two times that day, drop off and pick up, but, still......love to do that drive, I shall call it an adventure into wonderland, it is exciting and thrilling to me to go driving way off to booneyville. I like to have the birds processed at these places because they are government inspected. Should I ever have extra birds to sell to anyone who wishes a table fowl, it is 100% legitimate and could certainly well pay for my time of raising them. But....we always eat them all up, and since the beer can method, which I shall always use now (I like how the bird sits on the can and has the effects of the oven, or what have you, surrounding the bird, and the bird steamed from the inside out from stuff in the can (don't even have to use beer, I bet any liquid would work) ). Oh boy, now I am ramblin' a little on about stuff that is, well, kind of related, I guess to what I was discussing. I have not weighed the birds beforehand and would not bother. that is an effort that I choose not to expend energy on. I could, but just too lazy. I should, but just too lazy, maybe one day, when I am not so lazy. A thing to understand, from what I understand about understanding, is that the processed bird is about 75% the weight of the original bird, which is minus head, feet, guts and feathers, so some math could be in order to see what the live bird approximately weighed and it would be pretty accurate. Anyone wanna do that math and put the figures here in the post? I am too lazy   . I just know I am getting very decent sized bird for our kitchen table. that big 5.6 one is pretty nice looking.....have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

Going way, way back to Sesame Street days..."one of these things is not like the others"
We too have a cockerel that is VERY small for his (alleged) breed and age. I wonder if they could be from the same lines? Live and learn I guess....It has been a very educational experience. I now know who NOT to deal with! If someone won't stand behind their product, be it eggs or birds, they do nothing but damage the reputation of every breeder out there. It's one thing to talk the talk but any REPUTABLE breeder will also walk the walk! Ours is a business where word of mouth is everything!