are barred rocks meat birds?

[Telamon]

are they?

 

[PineappleMama]

List I was working on...

Meat = Huge birds in uber fast time... only Cornish qualifies
Several USED to be meaties, until Cornish X came along, now they're Duel Purpose. (weight max is the #behind name)
DP=Duel purpose... weight behind name

MEAT - Cornish X8-10m6-8f in 8 weeks
Were Meat now DP Jersey Giant10, Brahma9, Orp8
DP BREEDS - Favs7.5, Java7.5, Rock7.5, Barn7, Sussux7, Buckeye6.5, Delaware6.5, Dork6.5, RIR6.5,Wyan6.5

Layers broken down by color... weight-breed-#eggs according to Henderson
WHITE EGGS - 4.5lbLeghorns6, 7lbMinorca4, 6lbCatalana4, 7.5lbFavorolles4, 7lbSussux4, 3.5lbFayoumi4 (sm)
REGBRN EGGS - 6.5lbRIRL6, 6.5lbDelaware4, 10lbJersey GiantL3, 8lbOrp3, 7.5Rock3, 6.5lbWyandotte3, 6.5Buckeye23, ?Stars6
DARK BROWN EGGS - 6/7lbBarnevelderL3, 7lbMaranL3, 6WelsummerL3, 4lbPenedesencaM4,
BLUE EGGS - Ameraucana4

 

[cthrash1]

Quote:
any large fowl chicken can be a table bird... But there are some that are raised as dual purpose(eggs/table). And then there are the super fast growing special meat birds.

Depends on how mad the rooster makes you too!!!

 

[Telamon]

my barred rocks don't grow so fast...

 

[petrelline]

All chickens are meat.

Barred rock roos get to about 4 lbs dressed in 16 weeks. The hens are much smaller. The breasts are long and thin. The legs and thighs are big and meaty and dark. They taste terrific at that age, but the meat will be denser (not tough, but not as squishy as a supermarket bird). If you like dark meat with a lot of taste, you'll love a rock. But they definitely do not look or taste like a "real" meat bird, with a big fat rounded carcass.

Here's one of my roasted rocks from last year:

 

[PineappleMama]

^ Ohh great answer Petrelline... of course now I'm hungry, but great answer still.

 

[Telamon]

thanks! now i can tell my mom you CAN eat barred rocks!

 

[Bossroo]

Last Sunday, we had a BBQ for Father's day. Friends braught over boneless chicken breasts from 3 RIR (6)that they raised. I also thawed out boneless breasts from 3 8 week old Cornish X's (6). The breasts from the RIR (6)amounted to approximately both breasts of ONE CornishX's (2). Both sets were prepared at the same time using the same marinade and BBQsauce that my wife made. The only difference in preperation was that I cut the cornishX breasts (6) in half lenghwise so that they all were of similar thickness so that all the meat would be done cooking at the same time. ( now 12[total 18]). Both tasted the same,The breasts from my birds were more tender and juicier.

 

[Bossroo]

Quote:
At what age does the dual purpose birds achieve those weights as compared to the Cornish X's 8 weeks? What would be the comparable weight of the Cornish X if allowed to grow to comparable age? The most efficient egg layer is the Leghorn...Since the egg laying ability varies wildly ( 50% +/- ) by breed, the cost of upkeep of each hen that produced that egg is huge. Therefore, the cost of producing meat from the DP breeds will also vary wildly which most breed efficionados don't take into account.

 

[Country Living Farm]

Quote:
Nice looking bird. How did you keep the thighs and legs together? When I do mine, the legs stick straight out and I can not keep the thighs together and it makes it difficult to get in the slow cooker or in the roasting pan.

Tks