[FrostyM]

Hi all,


Finally got around to dispatching 3 of my La Bresse cockerels yesterday. After much thought I went with the cone method and cut their throats. Found it a bit difficult on the first one but was happier with the second and third. It was my first time killing any poultry so it was all new to me and I think it all went reasonably well.


The one thing I was disappointed about was the size of the finished bird. They were 20 weeks old and when I weighed them before the kill they were 3.6kg, 3.5kg and 3.5kg. When they were all cleaned out they weighted about 2.1kg each. That works out at about 60% kill out? Is this normal? I had expected more from them to be honest, especially considering when looking at them running about they looked huge and they felt big in the hand. Maybe I was expecting too much from them, and they aren't the biggest of the flock I have the 2 bigger ones saved for breeding. 2.1kg is a fine size for a roast for the family but I was hoping to kill at 16 weeks next year and I am now worrying they will be too small for me to kill at that age.


Any comments or advice appreciated

[AndynJ]

60% dead weight is normal

[FrostyM]

Thanks for that. I thought I had read 75% somewhere but that was probably for some kind of commercial wonder bird. Atleast i know now that I haven't done anything wrong, or have inferior birds or anything. Might mean I need to tweak my plans for next year but it's no disaster. I can't wait to taste the birds now, hopefully they have been worth all the work

[shygirl]

Im just wondering why you chose that breed?

i looked online and this is how the french finish them -

 
 Diet and slaughter times are also strictly controlled. Birds are required to spend their final days in an epinette, a building traditionally used for forced feeding with grain mash and milk.


When butchered, the chickens have a clear reddish-pink tone to the flesh and pronounced yellowish fat.
    pretty cool 


welldone for you first attempt - it never comes out looking like tesco chicken anyway. 

[FrostyM]

They are certainly not looking like a tesco chicken anyway 


I decided to get these because I liked how they sounded, good growth rates and they are also meant to be good layers. I didn't finish them the french way as I wanted birds that were as free range as possible and it seemed strange after free ranging them to confine them for a few weeks at then end. The skin has a blue tinge to it and the fat is very yellow. I haven't tasted them yet but I will let you know when I do. I got 12 day olds and there were 5 hens and 7 cockerels. All 5 hens are now laying, eggs started appearing at 18 weeks and while still quite small are coming fairly steadily each day. If they taste good they could be the perfect dual purpose bird. There is a plan to breed 2 batches of 18 or 20 birds each next year. It hasn't been ran by the boss yet though 

[Victorian Farmer]

I think it would be better to make you're stock like river cottage better egg numbers and finish products like castle farms