new guy thinkin about some meat chickens.

[ninabl]

i currently have a barred rock rooster and 7 barred hens. i was wondering what i could breed with my barred rock rooster to make a decent meat bird. i was thinking about raising meat birds and i am to cheap to buy chicks and dont want to get another rooster. i know i could get a cornish hen to breed with him... what other options are there? i would perfer somthing that lays a white egg so i can tell them apart from my barred rock eggs. thanks

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

oops double posted.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

To put it another way

20lb of feed, plus 6 months, plus misc costs will get you a scrawny 5lb dual purpose rooster

or

20 lb of feed, plus 2 months, plus <$2 broiler chick will get you a plump 10lb roaster.

 

[ninabl]

you do have a point..... might start lookin for a chick.... cor a cornish hen

 

[BigPeep]

You might try Poulet Rouge. It is a French breed that some Francophobic Americans have renamed "Freedom Rangers". They are designed for free range conditions but are still fast maturing. They do require an additional four weeks over the Cornish/Rock crosses that are used by everyone else. The weight after processing is 4 to 5 lbs. Chicks will cost you $2 or $1.50 for orders above 50. I have all of mine presold to a CSA and keep the balance for myself.

The dual purpose birds will require six months to raise plus will be tough from all that running around assuming you allow them outside. They also don't have much breast meat. You have to really like the dark meat.

 

[ninabl]

thanks for the info. im going to look into the freedom rangers. someone else was also telling me about them. as for the meat i do perfer the dark meast myself but the wife favors the breast meat. and as for locking them up. i have a 8 foot fenced run that i only close during the night. my chickens have free run of several acers but never really leave the front yard.

 

[mcf3kids]

I am a newbie as well - so here is what I have done so far - purchased 12 hens for laying and 12 hens as dual purpose with the intention of using the duals as meat - 11 of each type alive after 1 week - 22 alive at 8 weeks - meat birds (or dual purpose) now ALMOST 2 lbs. Purchased 25 cornish X for meaties - 1 week old - weighing 5 ounces right now - in 7 more weeks HOPEFULLY 6 lb roasters. Def. a big difference in how long you want to raise each of these if you would ultimately like a meal