Are brahams good to eat or easy to source?? Or am

[salshep20]

Or am I better off getting jersey giants for meat??

 

[rascal66]

Or am I better off getting jersey giants for meat??

I think it really depends on what style of meat you are going for. Both Brahmas and Jersey Giants are slow growing birds, meaning the will probably be ready for butcher at around 6 months or age or more. (I have only raised Brahmas and Brahma crosses before).

However, if you really want a faster growing, free ranged "country chicken", I recommend checking out the freedom ranger broiler, or potentially crossing them with other heritage breeds. (Its what I am doing) and the roosters are impressive at around 4 months.

 

[3KillerBs]

For meat it's impossible to beat the Cornish X broiler.

The "ranger" type broilers are a good compromise between the slow growth and lower meat to bone ratio of the "dual purpose" chickens and the special care needs of the Cornish X.

 

[rascal66]

For meat it's impossible to beat the Cornish X broiler.

The "ranger" type broilers are a good compromise between the slow growth and lower meat to bone ratio of the "dual purpose" chickens and the special care needs of the Cornish X.

We raise and really enjoy the Cornish cross! I would totally recommend them if that's what they wanted!
We have a lot of family and friends however that prefer the free ranged older birds, so I can understand when people try to aim to raise heritage meat birds. Those aren't bad either!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I can't speak to Jersey Giants, have never raised them. I do have Dark Brahma (in spite of my climate). I feed them once daily, the free range the rest, which helps reduce my feed costs, but makes for lighter birds at given age than ones allowed to free-feed. All five of my DB are hens, which of course are lighter than the Roos.

Yesterday, I had cause to weigh one.

"Chuck", my (visually, at least) largest Brahma, and my favorite (together with "Darkest Diane"), weighs 6.83# at 8.5 mo of age. Chuck, btw, is a pullet, don't let the masculine-sounding name fool you.

As an aside, they all went about 7 mo before they started laying, they only lay about every other day, and its a medium to medium lg egg.

Even free ranging, that's a lot of food, and a lot of patience, before you get any "production" out of this breed, and given both age and activity level, this meat is only suitable for stock, stew, or sausage.