Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[jolenesdad]

I never weighed any meat birds until 2 weeks, and most batches and the Delawares this round I only started at 3 weeks.

today I weighed the two Robust White cross hatchlings. They’re 2 weeks today, and they are the same weight as the robust whites were at two weeks old.

I have some random weights from their dad the Delaware, but he was a sloooooow growing boy.

these both have the Delaware barring although one is more of a silver/grey and the other three that are 7 days old are solid white. One has a spot that may be black leakage like the robust whites have.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Nice looking Chicks!! Interesting that those weights are the same weight as the robust whites were at two weeks old.

As always I love the pictures.

 

[jolenesdad]

Delaware Male
Largest 5.2 lb
Average 4 lb
Smallest 3.25 lb

Imperial Male
Single Male 9.75 lb

Imperial Female
Largest 8.25 lb
Average 7.5 lb
Smallest 6.5 lb


Well, we have reached the end of yet another round of meat birds! They are 13 weeks old and head to processing tomorrow. I locked them up tonight without feed after cleaning out the coop they are in so there's nothing in the shavings, and will load them up tomorrow at 4:30AM. I am super torn about what to do with my Delawares. I really became attached to them, but, they are cockerels. This is what happens and they e had a pretty grand life. For me and my life right now, I don't need more around while we get ready to sell the place. No one around here wants to work with Delawares, so, it should be me who eats them rather than rehome them to someone I don't know. I learned so much from these birds, and really appreciate them. It's an interesting part of the journey for me... I really want to rely on heritage birds, and for some reason I've allowed this disconnect to a hybrid bird where I have no problem eating them. These Delawares have just been SO fun... and... I named a few. WELP! I think I may end up keeping the largest boy. Photo below.

I didn't get too many pullets, but I am keeping them all. I will do another round next year of more delawares to try and get more pullets. Once I have 15-20 pullets that I like, I will hatch for Cockerels. Patience is a virtue, and I want to do it right, with as much genetic diversity as possible if Delawares are to be my ultimate utility breed. These birds are so wonderful, I know Dawnridge farm will continue to improve them and I'll have even better stock to start my eventual program with.

Ive given three pardons to the Imperial pullets. Two that I had to care for and one that has integrated with my laying flock so why not. It will be interesting to see how they fill out and if they can thrive while full-grown.

Overall, I would probably say I kept the Imperials a week too long, and the delawares three or four weeks too short.

Imperials: The boy does not stop crowing all day long. At least five or six times in a row for a few minutes at a time many times throughout the day. That started at 12 weeks, finding his voice at 11. He has a little group of 5 or 6 girls that stay together with him everywhere he goes. He mounts a couple, and multiple Imperial girls are squatting to me at 13 weeks. It also looks like from the weight they are probably really hitting a poor feed efficiency level, feed kept going up a bit this week and they haven't gained AS much this week as the previous few weeks. What is really interesting and I can't wait to see in the carcasses is in these last two weeks they really have filled out a nice breast, much more than I was expecting them to have. If I didn't already have 30 hens and those held over robust whites, I would be keeping a few of these for fun. They are nearing a size, though, where I imagine they will get into trouble trying to jump off of things and injuring themselves. They're at this in-between size. The robust white's were large enough that they would climb roosts but that's about it. Other than that, I know they won't get up high on things. These imperials will easily climb up things to the highest height, and land on their breast on the way down.

As I mentioned, they have developed breasts, just not heavy ones. All of the weight seems to come in their legs. I can't wait to see the leg and thigh portions on them.

Delawares: The boys really seem to be filling out this week. It looks like they have been going through a molt and I wonder if it would be best to allow them to grow a few weeks after that for optimal size? There is a noticeable difference in the birds this week in their stature that is interesting to see. For this experiment, I really want to see what the current "utility" delaware is at 12-13 weeks, but in the future I would like to see 16 weeks I think. They are incredibly active foragers and very active. They run around in a pack and take over the yards in the mornings and evenings. If I am out there, they are all over the place, and otherwise they are in and out of the coop frequently. They have become incredibly hawk-savvy. This week I have seen multiple hawks around the property, and I have not lost a chicken in weeks.

Overall, I am very pleased with the Imperials. I will definitely be continuing to use them. They are a much more "healthy" version of a broiler, that moves and behaves more like a traditional chicken. I think they will likely produce enough meat on the bones to be a nice in-between of a cornish and a heritage bird.

I've never had the opportunity to eat heritage cockerels from a utility line, so I am excited to see how the carcass looks for the delawares. They definitely have satisfactory leg and thigh portions (nothing of course like the imperials) but slim to no breast to feel on a few. I've heard that the Delawares get breast later...

I’ll update after processing with carcass photos.

 

[Newyorkrita]

They all look like really nice birds.

 

[Morrigan]

Great report! All of your birds look really good.

I'm very excited to hear how they dress out and how they taste. My Imperials are 8 weeks now -- 2 male and 2 female. They look exactly like yours, except younger. I'm trying to talk myself out of holding back the 2 females, as I already have 2 held back Slow White Broiler hens and one Red Ranger hen, and not nearly as much space as I would like.

 

[slbenter]

Always an enjoyable and informative read. I see what you mean about the narrow breasts on the Delawares vs the imperials. The construction of our new home is just about complete, and shortly after the new year weather permitting we should be ready to start building the coop. I plan to begin with some of them. Looking forward to seeing what you might hold back if you decide to let a couple develop out.

 

[jolenesdad]

IMPERIAL BROILERS FOR THE WIN!!!

wow.

first the meat is very noticeably pinker than any hybrid broiler I’ve raised previously. Even the breasts are quite pink and delicious looking.

I parted half the Imperials... and kept the big rooster whole.

the boy came in at 6.9 lbs dressed.

the girls boneless thigh packs are A POUND AND A HALF. The legs are almost twice as big as even the robust whites.

I’m going to be eating some of this tomorrow to see if there’s a taste difference. There is supposed to be...

Largest of the Delawares look good, the smallest are babies, and could have used more time. They’ll make some great broth.

 

[Morrigan]

Nice!

Thanks for the pictures. I'm even more excited for my Imperials now.

 

[Morrigan]

And, 3 lbs for a 13 week old heritage bird is very respectable, IMO. I've grilled and roasted birds in that age range, or a week or two older, and found them quite tasty and tender.

 

[Kiki]

IMPERIAL BROILERS FOR THE WIN!!!

wow.

first the meat is very noticeably pinker than any hybrid broiler I’ve raised previously. Even the breasts are quite pink and delicious looking.

I parted half the Imperials... and kept the big rooster whole.

the boy came in at 6.9 lbs dressed.

the girls boneless thigh packs are A POUND AND A HALF. The legs are almost twice as big as even the robust whites.

I’m going to be eating some of this tomorrow to see if there’s a taste difference. There is supposed to be...

Largest of the Delawares look good, the smallest are babies, and could have used more time. They’ll make some great broth.



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Boy oh boy your fridge looks nice and clean.
Mine always has spills in it.