Beating a dead horse *Changed to Breeding Project Talk Update Post 71*

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

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I have run into this as well, but I think it's more the color of the birds as opposed to CX, specifically. They won't buy white birds. So...Delawares may not do any better for you on that front! If I had red or buff cockerels, I could sell every one of them at a premium, and they would drive out to the boonies where I live to pick them up!

 

[mstricer]

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Us too, exactly.

Are there any sustainable meat breeds?

I will try the cornish this time, and will be free-ranging them, but next time will try something else... maybe those red broilers...(what are they mixed with?) Are they similar to freedom rangers?

Guess I wont know till I try it!

I don't know exactly what the red broilers are (they're not telling

), but this is what sold me on them:

Since red broilers are more active than Cornish Rocks and grow slightly slower, they rarely experience leg weakness or Ascite, which is fluid in the body cavity.

ETA: I also heard from someone on here (don't remember who) that they have more dark meat on them than CX.​

They are just Freedom Rangers they just can't call them that. I'm just at the end of my growing time on 22 FR and 22 CX's the FR are around 12 1/2 weeks and CX's are at 8 1/2 weeks and I also have 2 CX's that are 12 1/2 weeks. We processed the 1 FR and 3 CX's a couple days ago (the 12 weekers) Most everyone was at the same weight after process 1 8 lber and the FR at 7 lbs the other were 6 1/2 and 7. They were hens. I liked the taste of the FR and think they appear to have bigger thighs and legs. On the CX's I like the white meat and hell I can't tell the difference in the two. Maybe I will have to taste them side by side. All of them free-ranged the same amount I didn't notice any difference in their ranging. I moved the tractor every other day and never changed the spot for food and water they had to go at the farthest it is now 75 ft. to eat and drink. I guess it is preference in the birds I haven't decided yet. It may come down to price and if Meyers gets FR's this coming spring.

 

[NevadaRon]

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Ideal's RBs are cheaper than the FRs - if you buy less than 50, anyway. Do you know if the quality is comparable?

 

[Morgaine]

I will NEVER get the Red Broilers from Ideal again. We got 25 CX and 25 RB this Spring. We raised them side by side, everyone got the same feed (fllock raiser). At 7 weeks we had the CX processed and none of them dressed out under 5 pounds, at 13 weeks we had the RB done and most of them were 2.5-3 pounds. The biggest RB was almost 3.5 lb dressed.

Also they were sooo mean! Every night we would have to load them up into the coop to keep them safe because of raccoons and I can not tell you how many time they drew blood on us because they would just attack and bite.

Ugg I hated them!! And there was no difference in taste between the RB and CX. So we will stick with the mutants, lol

 

[remadl700]

I have raised both. I have always had health issues with the CX's ie.. legs, legs and legs... I lost half of them to this and just falling over dead. If we were able to determine it was not going to make it we processed it but it was a constant battle with this.

They did taste very good and this has a lot to do with the handling of the meat.

The FR's have always been healthy all they way through processing no leg issues and very few deaths. Right now I am 50 for 50 with 3-4 weeks to go on this batch. The one thing I am seeing with them is dramatic body size differences. Some will have to go another 2 weeks beyond the original date.

If you want fast its the CX's if you can give it an extra 2 weeks the FR's are not as large but I thing they have a taste advantage over the CX'.

JM 2 cent.

 

[Jared77]

I don't know that Ideals colored broilers are FRs because they also sell them in black. Ive entertained thoughts of a side breeding project by taking a red broiler to RIRs or NHs to see if I could get a more sustainable meat bird. I'm in the no white bird camp too with 2 big reasons.

1) To me it looks like an big AG, type of industrial chicken which is exactly what I'm trying to get away from by raising our own birds.

2) Solid white is not a naturally occuring color in nature so its tough for me to want a white bird on the property.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

We are going to put our Buckeye Rooster over our chunky Delaware hens for a red/white sex link experiment this coming year.

Buckeyes are a little more white meat than other heritage breeds, but seem to be a little slower growing. The Delawares grew faster than Buckeyes. but no one beats the CornX. We are hoping this cross will make a nice meat bird and point-of-lay red pullets we can sell. Will not be able to report until next fall though.

This could be a sustainable cross for us, as we would also keep pure Buckeye and pure Delaware breeding flocks.

We eat both CornX and surplus heritage cockerels, but we get our CornX free through the 4-H. Not certain I would pay for them since I can hatch my own, just looking for that perfect combination....just like everyone else.

Today is a sad day, it is butcher day for the surplus young stock tomorrow.

I'll get over it when we start the oven!

 

[NevadaRon]

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LOL!!!

 

[Jared77]

Keep us posted on this, Im VERY curious to hear how this cross pans out

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Me too, and I agree with you Jared, I am absolutely against having any white animals on the property... I don't know why, they just seem so "fake".