Are welsummers good meat birds?

[luckyramu]

Hello. I'm thinking of getting either copper morans or welsummers for dual purpose birds. I like the dark eggs and how the summer rooster looks. How is the meat on them?
Ty group.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

The same as other chickens.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

They won't beat the Cornish Xs, but if you hatch out your own to replace your old hens and eat the roos, the meat is a good bi-product. I mean, what else you gonna do with them? I currently only have dual purposes, myself. A meaty would be nice sometimes and I might do that also, but no need.

 

[becky3086]

I used my last one in a casserole and a soup but then I butchered him when he was older.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Maybe in a soup or stew, but that is about it.

 

[petrelline]

My wellies are skinny, they would not be my first choice as a dual purpose bird. The marans are definitely better, although my experience is entirely with the cuckoos and not with the black coppers (I assume the body type is the same, I don't actually know). My marans were nice big birds at 6 mos when I finally figured out they were roos and ate them.

 

[Ibicella]

I wouldn't make a roast out of one, but for stewing and putting into soups, stews, pies, casseroles, and any recipes requiring cooked chicken meat, yes!

 

[Opa]

I cook my excess welsummers but they certainly aren't a very good choice. Even roosters that I have taken to 28 weeks barely had enough to make it worthwhile. I much as I hate doing it, I will cull cockerels at hatch if I don't have someone who wants them. They just don't put on enough weight to justify feeding them.

 

[luckyramu]

k. I'm getting the gist. I really like the dark eggs. what about copper morans? Any better as far as meat, or about the same?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well....really the wellies are non-setters and everytime I hear about a non-setter the word leghorn comes to my mind. So I would think that the marans would be the better dual purpose. That being said, I have eaten even leghorns. Taste just like chicken. Depending on what resources you can tap into, you can make almost any breed work for you. If you have an affordable grain source and enough property, the meat is almost free once you have your breeders. Thats the way I handle it anyway.
There are a few people on the forum that use leghorns as their meat birds. Processing isn't fun for me, but it is the only way I can see to make use of my unwanted males and have a more productive flock.