[daz]

just been watching river cottage and they did a comparison of cheap chicken with free range etc and the cheap ones were killed at 39 days and the free range were 70 days old
now i know they do this in order to get money coming in asap but is there any taste/ texture difference in eating an older bird of say 6 months a year or more

[GrannieAnnie]

Munty is more experienced with older eating birds, but we started to rear free range meat birds in April.  The white ones get to maturity at 8-10 weeks, the brown ones at 10-12 weeks (which they are now and the grey ones at 12-14 weeks.  the reason you eat them younger is for tenderness, same as all meat.

Older birds will be tougher if you try to roast them, but Munty told me to steam an older bird first, then roast it, or you can stew them etc.  But slightly older birds do have a better taste, I think!

Oh and, remember, the older the bird the more expensive it will be as it eats more food than its younger relative!  

[pushrod]

In blind taste tests people nearly always choose the younger caged birds as they are considerably more tender than free range ones that are older and have used their muscles more.  A year old bird will definitely need different cooking methods or it will be  tough.

[Aunt Sally]

It was interesting to see the huge difference in fat content and omega 3 levels in the differently reared  birds too.

[daz]

It was interesting to see the huge difference in fat content and omega 3 levels in the differently reared  birds too.

yes especially as there seems to be a trend now of putting the stuff in things like bread where it shouldnt be

[mdueal]

We ate our first home grown meat bird at the weekend. It was out of this world - amazing really meaty texture that you dont get in the supermarket chickens that are pumped with water and god knows what else. They have been so easy to rear and I would really recommend doing it to anyone!
Our only problem now is that we have 14 birds all ready at weight and they are still eating like billy-o so we are going to have to speed up the killing and preparing and put them in the freezer or they will be the most expensive chickens going!

[Vember]

I've no experience with chickens but I did do 3 Guinea fowl last year, basically males I didn't need.
The stuff I've since read said to cull at 3 months, but as I wanted to be sure of their sex before I waited till they were 6 months.

They were really nice I put some bacon on the top whilst roasting but I doubt they needed it.
I saw some in Te**o last week selling for £6, which is roughly what I paid for my birds feed etc but the birds(at Te**o) were tiny by comparisson to mine !!

I said I wouldn't do it again as it was just a case of getting "rid" of the male birds, but they were soooo nice I've got 6 more "cooking" under a broody hen now and I'm hoping they'll be ready for Christmas

[kenny d]

I've had chooks for 8 months now , My origonal thoughts were to have some table birds but after rearing the young i've got attached to them , But With the soaring price of poultry meat latley im going to have to have a second look at it . Does any one know which breed would be a good table bird OR bettr still is it practial to put turky eggs under a broody ??  :?

[Bodger]

Kenny its very practical to put turkey eggs under a broody. Its done all the time.

[blossom1044]

Glad someone talked about this.

We're getting 4 new layers at the weekend, but I've been tempted to get some days old chicks to raise for meat as we have the space and time (ish).

I can feed our family of for almost 3 days on a single supermarket (medium freerange chicken), but probably only 2 days on a home grown one (small freerange chook).

I've always bought free range whole chickens from the supermarket which cost between £6 and £9.50 per bird.  Or did :roll:  :cry:   Therefore I am wondering economically how much does it cost to raise your own free range meat at home?  

I know I could work it out as us accountants have a nosey nose for figures :oops: , but I wondered if anyone (who is or has done it) has worked out the cost.  I'm only thinking that appart from knowing what goes in my chickens at home and their rearing which makes you more confident in their final taste - how cost effective it is in comparison to those big horrid profit increase price bending stores people?

OK OK I am getting on ethics band wagon.  Off now promise.

Obviously I am aware of feed prices increasing as well.  I'm probably going to have to think this one through, but seriosuly if anyone can or has worked out the cost of rearing in your backyard PM me if you want?

God I sound like an accountant geek!

[daz]

im sure i read somewhere that chickens eat about 125 grams of food a day for 70 days is nearly 9 kilo's but lets say more for a faster growing bird and then there's the fact they wont eat that much when little so call it 10 kilo's per bird for 70 days as its just a nice round number the feed i buy is £7 soemthing for 25 kilo's cal it £8 and that works out as £3.20 per bird plus price of purhcase of bird or breed your own and they are free

this is all just guess work on my part as i have no expeirience in this and im sure someone will put it right but even if it works out as £5 i think thats still good

[blossom1044]

Daz

Tt's close to what I was coming to, if the chicken was "home" grown.

thanks for a quick summation.

sorry for hyjacking thread (again)! :oops:

[diamond_lil]

Please can we make this thread a 'sticky' as it is full of really useful stuff.

Thanks
DL

[pushrod]

I got some birds (ja757's) to table for £2.40 each that included purchase crumb and growers pellets, spotlights for warmth in the early stages,  although i did get a bargain for the pellets as they were on the sell by date. Their cleaned weight was 5 to 6 lbs. On the other hand you don't have to feed them just corn and pellets. You can make up a significant part of their diet from leftover pasta, rice, potato etc. I also always empty long grass cuttings into their run.

[muntjac]

feed a home grown free range bird on a mix of growers and other corns etc and you will feed your family for a 5 days or more  not 2 as the ones ur buying from the shop