adding leghorns to my flock??

[BantamPhantom21]

I will be expand my chicken area soon. I mean as making a fence around my chicken shed as my chickens will be free ranging in it and my rabbit cages are inclosed also. My 4 Rhode islands are my layers and they are my 1st own hens so there here to stay. BUT, I'm looking into get leghorns for butcher, how many should I have? When do I butcher and should I get more as soon as there butchered??

 

[Veer67]

I wouldn't suggest Leghorns for meat, they are more "scrawny" because almost every characteristic they have is for the purpose of laying. You could try Cornish or Cornish Xs, but if you don't desire short lived chickens I would suggest getting one of those hatchery meat birds (like red rangers and etc...).

 

[BantamPhantom21]

Ya I want some breed of chicken to be buctched for meat. I just don't understand that if I have 4 meat birds, and I have them all butchered, when do I get more?

 

[Coralietg]

I am stuck with two Leghorn roosters that were supposed to be Cornish X's, if I get chicken and dumplings from them I will be lucky. There's really not much on them.

+2 to the Cornish X's. I'm doing them twice a year.

 

[Coralietg]

To answer your side question, my plan is doing 25 meat birds, twice a year. We have them split right now, sixteen 6 week olds, and ten 2 week olds. When we process these, they will be packed into the freezer. I am ordering more in the fall, another 25. We are a family of 2 adults and 2 kids so I wanted enough to last through the year.

 

[BantamPhantom21]

O ok I see, it is just me and my fiance, I don't want a huge amount of chickens as I have little room. Haha

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Dual purpose males will take 15-20 weeks to get good size and then not really meaty. Unless you go with like Jersey giants or other extra large breed, or like stated a ranger type. Cornish can be as fast as 5-8 weeks depending on size of birds you want. You should figure figure out how often you want chicken and how much. If say you wanted a Cornish hen type meal for each once a week, they would take 5 weeks at least. And freezer space needs be take into account also. If your could freeze 10 hens at a time and no more you would be ok with a 10 birds every 5 weeks (1 for each person per meal). After 1 or 2 trials you should have idea what you can do and have what you need. I have a large family and my wife says X meat birds and we work out what we do with them and always have birds in the freezers (We have 3, 7 cu feet chest and 1 full size stand up. Along with the side by side). But we hunt fish and garden, and have cattle we can butcher when we want fresh beef for less than $3 lb. Each and every person needs figure out what they want and what they can handle. Better to start small and be a little short than to large and be overwhelmed. Most hatcheries (At least those I look at) will ship meat birds year round, and 1 or 2 layer breeds. Also if you have issues you won't be neck deep in birds you don' want to keep or harvest, if there any issues that way.
That and meat birds are a lot different than layers. After the first couple weeks you'll understand.

 

[GD91]

Yup, don't go with leghorns if you want a good meal.

My leghorn is the skinniest of all my birds, the best layer & lays big double yolkers occasionally, but so ridiculous looking when she "attempts" to brood an egg because she just looks so awkward trying to cover it with her skinny body.

Poor girl, didn't even know they had the tendency to brood, but she tries to copy the fluffy, round Pekin / cochin bantam who seems better suited to the job, They are friends

 

[Veer67]

Yup, don't go with leghorns if you want a good meal.

My leghorn is the skinniest of all my birds, the best layer & lays big double yolkers occasionally, but so ridiculous looking when she "attempts" to brood an egg because she just looks so awkward trying to cover it with her skinny body.

Poor girl, didn't even know they had the tendency to brood, but she tries to copy the fluffy, round Pekin / cochin bantam who seems better suited to the job, They are friends

This is how my Leghorn looks when she tries sitting on eggs.

 

[LindaB220]

This is how my Leghorn looks when she tries sitting on eggs.

God love her. She's trying.