a better meat bird choice

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

I am going to be getting my first meat birds this summer. I have ordered Cornish x but I am reconsidering it because I really don't like the idea of that kind of accelerated growth and the whole failure to live long due to its breeding and health. I would like opinions on another breed that is flavorful and large but not stereotypically weak and sick due to the breeding. I like the idea of a traditional meat chicken. I don't mind if the breastmeat is less. I want a normal chicken that wont have bone problems and can live longer if I don't butcher them all at once. Oh, and they have to be on the quieter side like black australorps or buff orphingtons.

Also has anyone experimented or have experience altering diet and feed types for optimal flavor? I want to make up my own feed and supplement a lot of kitchen scraps and farmers market scraps, i dont want to go the commercial route. I want to see if I can increase flavor in The meat. Or would the difference be undertectable.

 

[cultivar]

if your not pushed on having fast maturing birds why not try standard cornish/ dark cornish, they are the building blocks of the modern broiler and will give the nearest carcass type to a cornish x, they take about 20-24 weeks to finish to a weight of 5.5 - 6.5 lbs oven ready, altough if buying hatchery stock they usually tend to be a bit light as hatcheries usually aim to have a bird that lays well, like any breed you'll need to look around if you want good quality, the cornish could also be used as the male line in breeding your own meat birds crossed with various breeds of hen if you wish to go down that line, overall i find standard cornish hardy,good foragers,nice looking in the yard or on the plate,lol , and i never had leg problems, i usually fatten cockerals and then process the hens after their second year in lay

 

[punk-a-doodle]

You live in an area that gets quite hot, so factor that into your breed choice along with things like whether you want to breed your own or order chicks each time, whether you want to range them on pasture or in more enclosed areas, if you want wide or narrow genetic diversity, if you just want meat or if you also want show birds/eggs/brooding and breeding birds,etc.

If you have a local source raising birds other than Cornish X, buy some to taste/talk to them about why they raise those breeds/etc. Remember that if they have birds from a hatchery, those may perform and taste vastly different from birds bred by a breeder.

If only wanting meat and wanting to order chicks each year, there are various sources of "freedom rangers". These are still a commercial crossbreed, and results vary as far as health and other factors go. The ones I ate from a local couple raising meat birds in Utah were much richer and tastier than their Cornish X raised using the same methods and pasture. I had a dud naked neck from them, and then a naked neck that tastes better than the ranger, but those were also hatchery birds.

 

[wsmith]

You may want to consider some of the various Heritage breeds. In most Heritage breeds, the cockerels grow much faster and get bigger than the pullets. If you purchased cockerels, you get the lower price from a hatchery, plus a fantastic tasting bird that isn't a cross. Barred Rocks and Buckeyes get to be a good size, even Dominiques can dress out at about 4-5 lbs at 25 weeks, Jersey Giants are the monsters of the Heritage world, and can push 10 lbs at processing. Lots of choices, and you get breeds that are nice looking too. They taste better and have better texture than the fast growing cornish crosses. But then againm they take longer to mature, so you are feeding them more over a longer time. Its a trade-off, but i would rahter feed a cockerel for 25 weeks and enjoy the fantastic flavor and texture of a more mature bird than the texture and lack of flavor found in most commercial meat crosses. Just my opinion.....

 

[Alex818]

I'm thinking about picking up some "Red Rangers" or "Freedom Rangers". I'm reading that they're big enough to slaughter at 10 to 12 weeks vs. the Cornish X's at 7-8 weeks. I also read that they don't have the leg problems like the Cornish X's and can free range easily. You may want to look into those breeds.