Anyone know--- How long for ISA Browns for meat?????

[Momma_Cluck]

Thanks Everyone-- I think I'll rais 1/2 of them to add to our flock... and find homes for the rest....
Did pick up 6 Cornish Cross today for $1 each... all they had left! This will be our 1st time doing Meaties-- so am starting small-- will do a bigger batch and order from a hatchery later in the year.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[silkiechicken]

"Dual" meaning more meat than a leghorn is my definition of what I consider dual. Take it or leave it, but as far as I know, in general people consider "dual" types as anything with some meat on the bones. They still use the term "dual" in stuff like the Henderson's breed chart, so who knows.

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

There are a few on there which have been moved from "meat" to "dual" like Langshans, and most "dual's" sold by hatcheries tend to be more "layer" b/c they breed for eggs to hatch to have chicks to sell.

Type: Breeds can also be separated by the purpose for which they were originally developed. Dual Purpose were develped for both meat and eggs. These days, most of these breeds are only found in backyards and small farms. [formerly Meat] indicates that in the days before Cornish X Rock dominance (post World War II), this breed was highly prized as a meat bird. Layers are those breeds that are principally used for egg production. As a general rule these birds are active and lively, lighter in weight than most other standard breeds, and not broody. Game breeds were once bred for cockfighting. It is believed they were the first chickens to be bred by humans. As a general rule, they are noisy and pugnacious, but some can be docile toward toward humans, and hens can be very protective mothers. As a rule they have low egg production. Fancy breeds are those with special features, such as crests, feathered feet, unusual colors, beards, muffs, or five toes. Some fancy breeds are strictly ornamental, but many others are will also be found among the layer and dual purpose breeds, as well. Bantam breeds are little birds of ornament and pleasure. The term bantam comes from a small chicken that originated in the Bantam region of Java, but after they were introduced to Europe centuries ago, any small variety of fowl was called a bantam. Bantams include both miniature versions of the large standard breeds and True Bantams, breeds for which there is no matching large standard. The descriptive term True, however, does not mean a naturally diminutive breed, since many True Bantams have been highly engineered by breeding programs.

Maybe in enough years the known term of dual will change.​

 

[smith2]

Quote:

OMG! That is too funny! I'm just glad that, for once, it wasn't me losing my mind.

I wouldn't bother butchering ISAs personally. I never have, but I have some ISAs and I cannot even begin to imagine the carcass would be worth the work (or money if you pay someone else to do it). I didn't know they were considered a dual purpose bird, I'm thinking whoever made that classification needs to rethink. They're awesome layers. But they're skinny minnies.

Mine are skinny minnies, too. I have about 40 worn out ISA's and can't decide what to do with them. I don't mind dressing them but I hate to waste my time. Too bad there is not an alligator farm handy. I could just make vulture food?

 

[MissPrissy]

Pigs will eat the chickens you discard. KNow anyone with pigs?

 

[MissPrissy]

One thing the industry does to market their hybrid/mutt layers is to slap "dual purpose" on any hybrid they created.

It is truly heritage breeds for the most part that are the dual purpose chickens. Fat sassy orpingtons give good eggs but also have enough meat to end up in a pot when the laying is over. Extra orp roosters have enough meat on them to make a good 'fryer'.

Again, educate yourself on the purpose of a bird. There are many standards for the use of the bird, a broiler is not a roaster, is not a fryer, is not a capon, is not a stewing hen, etc.

 

[Bossroo]

Also, what we read about a dual purpose breed standard was written when they were in their glory days of many decades ago. The birds of today do NOT come close to the original standards as todays' hatcheries are selecting for egg production qualities to the detriment of the other half of the equation. Sure, they may look purdy, run over hill and dale chasing after a bug, and lay a pretty colored egg. But one can't eat a feather or even the colored egg shell, and running after that bug has it's own costs of time and meat toughness. If one does an honest study of one's own true costs of raising today's dual purpose birds, one would grab onto one's wallet. I have raised mostly the BR, RIR, and NHs from 6 decades ago up to 3 years ago, and I will say without a doubt... they ain't the same birds. What we read on most postings about them are romanticised vissions of days gone by.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
18 to 22 weeks.

 

[Ohhhdear]

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How old are ISA's that are worn out? At what point do you decide they're worn out? I know these are production birds and usually lay almost every day of the year. Compared to other breeds, what's worn out?.. when they lay 200/365? or 100/365? or 5/365 days of the year?

Not to be critical, because I do understand that for some folks raising chickens is not so much small scale fun and pets who give back, but it's business and food and their livliehood. But I do want to know approximately what age my 12 ISA Browns will become worn out and need replacing.