I just did a Birthday party for 40-50 last weekend. The Birthday girl(turning 60) wanted pulled chicken sandwiches as her main dish. I cooked 6 Tyson whole young chickens, each averaging 6lbs. I too, was curious as to how much meat each bird would yield, so I weighed everything I could possibly strip from the bones, minus the skin, of course. I did this to 2 separate birds. Both came in right at 36oz of smoked meat. If my math is right, that's right at 38%. I was figuring on 4oz portions, and with 10 or so kids there eating hot dogs, I figured I would be safe with my 6 birds. When I left the party I peeked inside the roaster and saw that there was enough meat left for 3-4 sandwiches, not too shabby. haha. I also, was hoping for a better yield. Hmmmm?
Hope this helps, Dave