Black Copper Marans vs Splash Marans for meat?

[Lisee27]

I'm wanting to create my own, slow growing (4- 6 month) self-sustaining meat flock. I'm harvesting my first batch of cornish cross today, and am aware any other kind of meat bird will be slower growing and more expensive.

My question is, I've read Black Copper Marans have a really good flavor. But what about Splash Marans? Do they taste the same as the Black?

I'm planning on using White Jersey Giants, Dark Cornish, White Rock and a Marans in my parent stock. But don't know if I should stick with Black for flavor, or if I could get the same flavor using a splash bird and having lighter color feathers. (I'm also aware Splash may produce blue or black, but would be a better chance of breeding splash than if I used a BCM)

Thoughts?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Taste is an individual thing. You may find that the age you butcher and their diet will have a lot more to do with taste than breed. I have not raised those colors of that breed but I really don’t think you’ll even notice a subtle difference in taste because of color/pattern compared to age of butcher and diet.

With White Jersey Giants and White Rocks in the mix, you don’t have any reason to worry about Splash giving you white. I don’t know if they are based on dominant white, recessive white, or both, but if you select for white offspring to breed that will take care of itself. If you follow the general principle of eating the ones you don’t want to eat and breed the ones you do want to eat, you will soon have a lot of birds you do want to eat.