[Dave C]

These are the Farm Ranger pullets I have kept back for breeding in spring.

2 of the pullets have a strong Buff Sussex look  :scratch:




And this Pullet was 3.5kg about 3 weeks ago
She maybe too big for breeding!!




Looking forward to penning them with this big guy in spring

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

I RECIEVE MY COU COU DE RENNES THIS WEEKEND I CANNOT WAIT

I Also culled a Light sussex cockerel
i skinned this time found it pretty easy too around 15 mins
portioned the legs and breasts
and actually thought the breast where decent size

2 legs weighed 650g and both breasts 400g

[macgro7]

I can't wait to see your pics!!!
I kill a chicken every weekend.
Got myself a "killing cone" the other week and it makes my job cleaner and faster. Really happy with it!

Last Saturday my wife wasn't feeling well so I slaughtered and de-feathered a red sasso pullet. Made a brilliant chicken soup - slowly cooked for 6 hours! It was so well Clocked in fact that all the meat came out of the bones. After it cooled down it became a jelly, since all the gelatine dissolved from bones.
The best medicine you can get for cold!
I still have 5 red pullets and 2 cockerels. I'm giving a trio to my uncle and keeping 2 pullets myself and most likely a cockerel although they annoy me with following me everywhere and constantly wanting more food lol what can you do? They are broilers after all! Lol

Btw
My red sasso cockerels look almost exactly like this guy:

It's bielefelder, supposedly really good dual purpose breed. Anyone heard of them? Do you think sasso have their blood? Most pullets look you yours Dave! Buff sussex

[Dave C]

I RECIEVE MY COU COU DE RENNES THIS WEEKEND I CANNOT WAIT

I Also culled a Light sussex cockerel
i skinned this time found it pretty easy too around 15 mins
portioned the legs and breasts
and actually thought the breast where decent size

2 legs weighed 650g and both breasts 400g

Look forward to seeing them 

[Dave C]

I looked into the Bielefelders last year but couldn't find any utility strains.
They are a great DP breed in Germany and the USA making good weights but over here they are bred mainly for eggs  and sex linked chicks.

Your cockerel is probably a Sasso X44b being sent by accident or a throw back sharing the same genes.

Every batch of Sasso X431a I rear look different some just red and some like Buff Sussex, this last batch even had a nacked neck in there 

[macgro7]

Yes. All cockerels were like that. Some girls are just like buff sussex. One is more like speckled red.  They are all similar size though.
Really pleased with them.
Next year I want to try some naked necks

[Dave C]

Bet them cockerels are bonny mate try and get a pic up of them 
The barred and the reds are all intermediate, so medium growth birds so should finish similar times and weights.

Be good to keep 1 back for breeding.

[macgro7]

Bet them cockerels are bonny mate try and get a pic up of them 

Oh no! They are massive and very heavy!
Boys do have longer legs than the pullets bit still a lot of meat on them.
I expect them to start crowing soon as never heard any from this year's birds - except for seramas lol

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

i skinned another couple of cockerels on tuesday and got to say i was pretty impressedd plenty of meet on both they was around 6 months
i weighted breast and leg meat and was over 1kg
i just have to refine the technique of skinning and will be good to go

[Dave C]

I must say I much prefer to pluck if I have a few to do, as it's worth heating a large bucket of water to dunk them in first, we also eat a lot of roast chicken and we love the skin.

If your only taking the breasts and legs/ thighs you don't even have to skin the whole bird just the front and sides and you can do it in seconds.
I did a goose I shot at the weekend in about 2 minutes.

[Dave C]

I'm not really planning on culling anymore this year I have the breeding stock more or less how I want them.

I have 2 Dark Laced Indian Game cockerels spare, so I might give them away or they might make dinner when there about 3kg. 

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

i like roasts but i found that the skin was a bit thick on these birds and slightly rubbery
so
i have see a deal for some butchers boning knifes that scot rea uses on youtube £9.75 which i thought was a good deal

what temp do you get the water to is it about 170
going to do this tactic on the muscovies

i had goose for christmas last year and quite liked it

[macgro7]

Muscovies and geese are nightmare to pluck...
But it's worth it! I still have at least three of them to do. Maybe this weekend if we have space in the freezer.
The tiny little pin feather that I just could be bothered to take out after like 2 hours of plucking duck... just burned them with a blowtorch.
I think my birds I fat enough to go to freezer and make nice roast.
Oh I miss roast goose

[Dave C]

i like roasts but i found that the skin was a bit thick on these birds and slightly rubbery
so
i have see a deal for some butchers boning knifes that scot rea uses on youtube £9.75 which i thought was a good deal

what temp do you get the water to is it about 170
going to do this tactic on the muscovies

i had goose for christmas last year and quite liked it

Not sure on the temperature of the water, just as hot as I can get out of the tap, I dunk them for a few seconds then try plucking the wing tip feathers, keep doing it until they com out then start plucking.
Remember you don't want to cook the bird 

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Coucou de Rennes
Cock 2.3kg
Females £1.6 in guessing 13 weeks which would bring it on line with LS