What's the most important thing you've learned from raising meat birds?

That it is easier than I expected. MUCH easier.

As to your learning experience, it is pretty much that way most places. That is why most of us process our own.

Where abouts are you in Ohio?

Order chicks from a hatchery that is close by and try to raise them when it's not too hot. 
 

Scalding is everything. Make sure you properly scald your birds before plucking them and then rest the carcasses for a few days before freezing them.

Oh, and butcher them as soon as they fully feather out. Slightly smaller birds are much more tender for frying. I try to never exceed 5 or 6 weeks of age.

1. Any chicken can be a meat bird if bred correctly for size type and growth.
2. Processing is not as hard as it's made out to be...really it's only as hard as you make it on yourself.
3. Processing in the early morning is a great thing the chickens are more relaxed and the whole thing is done much quicker than later in the day.
4. If your birds aren't meatie enough feed more protein...protein equals meat not fat it's the carbs and sugars from the starches that make fat chickens 
    

That's all I can think of for now but then again I just got home from work and so my brain has decided to go to bed without me lol. I think this is a great post for helping others with doing their own meaties. Great idea!!

I've learned that you don't have to feed high protein to a CX to get a bird that develops meat...they are genetically predisposed to have more meat than a DP and they will follow their genetic code.  Saying you have to feed high pro to a CX to get them to develop muscle is like saying you have to feed low protein to bantams to keep them small and medium proteins to a DP to keep them at standard size.  What is sufficient protein for any chicken is sufficient protein for a CX. 

I've learned they will free range better than any DP chicken I've ever owned because they have higher motivation.  I've learned they don't have to stink or be dirty if you colonize their bowels with probiotics and raise them in open air situations, not penned to a coop.  I've learned that when they have normal bowel function, they aren't thirsty all the time.  I've learned that they are fun to raise and are as cheap as DP birds to finish for processing.  I've also learned that they are amazingly easy to process compared to older DP chickens...you really don't have to pluck their feathers so much as just wipe them off.  They have little smell when processed, either from their wet feathers or from their viscera. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beekissed 

I've learned that you don't have to feed high protein to a CX to get a bird that develops meat...they are genetically predisposed to have more meat than a DP and they will follow their genetic code.  Saying you have to feed high pro to a CX to get them to develop muscle is like saying you have to feed low protein to bantams to keep them small and medium proteins to a DP to keep them at standard size.  What is sufficient protein for any chicken is sufficient protein for a CX. 

 

I've learned they will free range better than any DP chicken I've ever owned because they have higher motivation.  I've learned they don't have to stink or be dirty if you colonize their bowels with probiotics and raise them in open air situations, not penned to a coop.  I've learned that when they have normal bowel function, they aren't thirsty all the time.  I've learned that they are fun to raise and are as cheap as DP birds to finish for processing.  I've also learned that they are amazingly easy to process compared to older DP chickens...you really don't have to pluck their feathers so much as just wipe them off.  They have little smell when processed, either from their wet feathers or from their viscera. 

True I agree you don't need extra protein for CRX but you might for other chickens such as dual purpose birds.

I had never heard of the probiotics other than feeding it to them when you first get them to help with pasty but. That's very interesting.

I do agree with the feathers wiping off. CRX also don't have the hairs either to be removed. We use a torch to remove them off ours.

My experience with CRX was not so nice though even though we tried to free range them on 12 acres it didn't work out for us because they would get into the layer coop which has a smaller area and eat from the free feeder offered to the laying hens in there. They would also bite and jump at anyone who went into the yard because they were always that hungry. They just aren't the birds for me.

Everyone's needs are different and CRX will work for some but not for others. Glad that they work well for you.