Anyone breed their own meat chickens? What rooster/hen breed? Why?

[chickendidwhat]

We tried White Giants from Murray McMurray and while they are growing tall/big framed...they are very slow to mature (which is noted on the hatchery website). We killed 6 at 19 weeks and after processing them it was like eating chicken on a stick...without the chicken.

Some of the meat was tough already as well.

We raised Freedom Rangers last year. They turned out fine (the ones the weasel didn't get) but I was looking for a more sustainable bird. Something that, if left on its own, would breed and live and produce...

We have some Barred Rock and RIR roos that we will be processing in the next few weeks along with the rest of the White Giants.

At this point we are leaning toward going back to Freedom Rangers...


Greg
www.thissmallfarm.com

 

[jadell]

I've butchered several Black Giant roos that hatch out in the spring with the same result. My two main roos are HUGE, but it takes them almost 1 1/2 years to get there. I doubt they would be that great on the table. I've got some freedom rangers going right now, and can't wait to try them in a couple of months. (I lost 24 of 'em to something that's smarter than my game camera) Rare Feathers, the freedom rangers don't breed true. They are a hybrid just like most other meaties.

 

[alaina]

gotta butcher young, or boil/stew the meat to get it tender, always wondered how people did it back in the day when they would kill a chicken for dinner and cook it the same day? Must have been tough as heck!!

 

[onthespot]

My blue/black English type Orpingtons. The cockerels are VERY meaty at a young age. About four months old they won't fit in a crock pot any more. I am working on a new cross for dual purpose EE's. This roo, crossed on Coronation Sussex hens... so far he is not man enough to wrangle the big old hens very often. Still waiting on a fertile egg, LOL. He is big, but he is still a baby, just needs more time to realize how big he is. Here's a pic of him at about five months old.

and my blue orp roo, he was about nine months old here.

 

[Saltysteele]

freedom rangers are a hybrid and will not breed true. some have bred them and had results similar to the parents, though. i have no personal experience.

i'm tracking some light sussex chicks i hatched, and they are growing like crazy (not as fast as cornish x or the freedom rangers), but faster than any other birds i've had. my black australorps also have gotten quite large, relative to my easter eggers of the same exact age.

my light sussex are the australians, which my rooster has to be at least 12 pounds. they are nice, wide, heavy birds.

the freedom rangers are the way to go if you're looking to buy meat chickens, IMO. they might not grow as fast as cornish cross, but pretty close without the health problems. at 12 weeks of age, the smallest ones dressed out at 5-1/2 pounds. i'm embarrased to say we did not process them all, but still have some we're trying to find the time to process, and they're probably about 16 weeks now. getting huge! however, they are able to fly over a 4-1/2 foot gate without problem, and are walking around like a normal chicken, compared to the cornish x's sit to eat and only move to get water, and back and forth.