Any meat birds that you can breed and get more meaties?

[Jessika]

I am wanting to try the meat birds...but would be grand to be able to have them propagate (via natural or bator) and have endless meat birds.

I know nothing on meat birds....I have only layers but some are considered dual purpose.

 

[DaKid]

am wanting to try the meat birds...but would be grand to be able to have them propagate (via natural or bator) and have endless meat birds.

I know nothing on meat birds....I have only layers but some are considered dual purpose.

well I can only say is i keep 4 girls --meat birds -X rockS - which have been laying eggs for some time now , so I try ed and have placce my LT. Braham Roo with them in which I have 8 hatching chicks now 3 weeks old also I place my Golden Orp roo with them afterwards and have 6 hatching chicks also about 2 half weeks old ....so I'M wondering and want to see how they will turn out ....right now there with 5 RI R chicks with all hatcring about or aroung the same time and the RI Reds are a lot smaller then the rest so I'm keeping tabs on them and will weigth them this weekend to see the difference in weigth , but so far the x-rock cross are bigger then the RI R


AL.​

 

[kenman]

Quote:
well I can only say is i keep 4 girls --meat birds -X rockS - which have been laying eggs for some time now , so I try ed and have placce my LT. Braham Roo with them in which I have 8 hatching chicks now 3 weeks old also I place my Golden Orp roo with them afterwards and have 6 hatching chicks also about 2 half weeks old ....so I'M wondering and want to see how they will turn out ....right now there with 5 RI R chicks with all hatcring about or aroung the same time and the RI Reds are a lot smaller then the rest so I'm keeping tabs on them and will weigth them this weekend to see the difference in weigth , but so far the x-rock cross are bigger then the RI R


AL.

If I understand correctly, you have cornish X white rock cross hens that you have crossed with a Braham and Buff Orpington? I am very interested in how these grow out. I am thinking about trying cornish x white rock with Barred rock, Buff orp., or black australorp to produce meat chickens that also lay. Any information on what you find with yours would be appreciated.
Kenman

 

[greyfields]

This gets asked an awful lot... so this is the brief answer, search this forum to see posts by people who actually do this:

1) Homebred broilers can be done, they just aren't as optimal, fast growing or efficient as commercial day olds.

2) All broilers are hybrids. So if you hold back broilers and rebreed them, you are re-breeding hybrid birds which means within each clutch of 100 eggs, you'll get 100 different results. It's not entirely predictable.

3) My best results were rebreeding hybrid broiler hens to a Dark Cornish terminal sire. They were heavier than any purbred I've ever hatched, yet they were a couple/few weeks behind even my Freedom Rangers.

It's something fun to do, but keeping a 'breeding flock' of meat birds to cull when you need them really isn't practical. The feeding and management is different, leaving you with split flocks and double the work. It's best to raise broilers as "crops" then harvesting them to the freezer.

 

[Jessika]

thanks!

 

[skeeter]

what Jessika and most of us want,(I think anyway) is not create another meat bird but just put some meat back into the duel purpose breeds
something that can forage well,lay lots of eggs,be good mothers and have some meat on em

 

[Jessika]

Quote:
Yup...you got it.

 

[kstaven]

Getting the best of both worlds is going to be an issue. When selecting for egg production you will find you are selecting a lighter framed bird. When selecting for meat this is the last thing you want. In order to get more meat on the frame you will undoubtedly sacrifice some of the egg production.

 

[Jessika]

You I can't have my cake and eat it too.

I have thought about the cornish x white rock but was looking on advice to whether there was info I was missing on it. Maybe certain "mutt" breeds that would work. I can handle a lighter egg production if I have to sacrifice it for the meat.

I really don't know a lot of people that own chicken (untill now) and I am only in year 2 of raising them so I figured there may be a bit of info I am missing on the subject. I know that diet can help (changing protein levels) but mostly a big tractor was what I was looking at and then they would forge a large part of the time.

 

[greyfields]

Dual Purpose = Meatier than a Leghorn

They really cannot be taken as serious meat birds. The time it takes them to reach weight and the ammount of food they consume during that time mike them poor performing and uneconomical. when you pencil it out, you are better off buying organic, free range chicken.