Belgian Malines Have Arrived!!!

[theoldchick]

there are 14 maline chicks that have hatched with 5 more pipping and zipping out of 24 eggs. The ones I moved to the barn are all relaxing under a heat lamp. Plus they are bellied up to the food bar.....lol. Let the eating begin!

 

[Shellz]

there are 14 maline chicks that have hatched with 5 more pipping and zipping out of 24 eggs.    The ones I moved to the barn are all relaxing under a heat lamp.   Plus they are bellied up to the food bar.....lol.    Let the eating begin!

Awesome!!! How many chicks now?

 

[Shades of Blue]

the final count is 19 fuzzy butts.....out of 24 so that is a good ratio. One pipped at the bottom of the shell and died before I found it otherwise there would have been 20. My son in law and I would like to keep up to 3 pullets each to enlarge our breeding flock for spring. I guess the rest will either be sold.....or roasted. I will try and get a pic of the happy bunch later.

 

[Shellz]

That's great! Feel free to post your pics here anytime.

 

[Shades of Blue]

well there was a change of plans.....today is the day for taste/texture testing. I have added pics of a cornish X and a Malines side by side to see the differences.

The Malines was 18 weeks old and 5 lb.
The Cornish X was a bit more than 13 weeks old and almost 6 lb.

The other pic is them both stuffed and seasoned ready to roast.

The verdict will be in later today.

 

[Shades of Blue]

okay.....so the taste/texture test went very well. We kept all the Maline and Cornish X meat on 2 different plates and then took a piece of thigh....breast and drumstick to test on both birds.
Maline was just a hair bit more chews for all dark meat. It was not tough and sinew textured and it wasn't rubbery....it just took a bit more chewing. The dark meat was dark if not a bit red coloured compared to the Cornish. We didn't find any colour difference in the white meat. We could not find anything different in flavour with any part of the 2 birds.

So final verdict......

Cost of the Cornish X chicks were $1.80 each (can't raise your own so have to buy)
Cost to process $2.87 each
about $700.00 for feed

cost of Malines chicks.....$0.00 (we have breeding stock)
cost to process 3.50 each (charge more for 18 week old birds)
I am guessing feed will be half the cost at the most as they forage so much $350.00

Malines are definately as good as the Cornish X for flavour plus texture and are not tough due to the 18 week age. So if cost is sooo much lower and no health issues along with good flavour and tender then I believe we will continue on with Malines. I am curious to see how totally indoor raised birds will do compared to the ones raised outdoors this summer. I am also going to order 25 Cornish X to run with the malines we hatch in spring to raise outside. I have time and room to play around so why not.

 

[call ducks]

Shades. You do have a cost/chick for the malines Remeber even though you don't have to buy the chick, you have to raise breeding stock to POL, feed the hen's and cock bird(s), cost per egg, and last but not least cost to incubate eggs for 21 days (you should include the cost of the eggs that do not hatch as well). Also for feed consumption are you comparing the same number of birds in each lot.

 

[Shades of Blue]

Shades. You do have a cost/chick for the malines Remeber even though you don't have to buy the chick, you have to raise breeding stock to POL, feed the hen's and cock bird(s), cost per egg, and last but not least cost to incubate eggs for 21 days (you should include the cost of the eggs that do not hatch as well). Also for feed consumption are you comparing the same number of birds in each lot.

I purchased the 3 breeding pullets and the roo for 15.00 each and then new chicks I just hatched i was going to keep 3 pullets to POL. These should supply eggs to hatch for the next 2-3 years hopefully. I used my 1 Hovabator to hatch out the 19 new chicks and I really don't know how much hydro they take but I am guessing not too much. i would like to buy a Sportsman but I have heard they do consume hydro. So I would have to be serious at hatching to buy one. In the spring I will have to use both Hovabators to hatch out enough at one time. Then refill and do a second hatch 21 days later with both to get the amount of birds for myself and my 3 daughters families.

I have found that the Malines do not consume nearlyas much feed as my other breeds ie. Ameraucan's or Black Copper Marans and for sure the Cornish X. In the summer the breeding stock will all be outside from the start of nice weather until fall, so the cost should be very low as they are huge foragers. I will give them access to purchased food as well to keep a good balance. I was amazed at how little food the 3 cockerels consumed when they were outside and the grass was mowed off better than a lawn mower. The batch of chicks we raise this coming spring will be inside for the first 5-6 weeks until fully feathered. Then our hopes are for them to be outside for the rest of their time until being processed at the 18 week mark. I was only estimating that the feed would be at least half the amount the Cornish X as those birds are eating machines......lol. Time will tell with this and yep it was for the same amount of birds....around 100 chicks. The stink of the Cornish X with all that wet manure is wild. I had forgotten what it was like to raise them. I enjoy the final product but it was this summer that I said there has got to be a healthier....better meat bird.

I used so much straw for the Cornish X thus I had to clean their pen every week until they were gone just to keep them clean as they seem to lay around all the time. The Malines very seldom laid around and they were always on the go chasing bugs or eating and their manure is normal. In general I was really pleased with the 2 cockerels I did process. I purchased them in early July so the results will not be as true as this coming year with the chicks being started earlier.

I was warned by my processor that 18 week old birds would be like eating an old bull. So my family and I were very happy to see that the Malines I roasted tonight was a very nice tasting bird along with the texture even though it was older. I wasn't sure about the colour of the darker drum but it was not the end of the world.

I think there is more testing to do but all in all we seemed to be okay with the Malines. Like you mentioned we need to get a final cost but that will be easier after we do raise in and around the 100 this coming spring/summer. They do look promising so far.

 

[call ducks]

I am very excited to get Malines from Shellyz this spring. I come from a farming background so I am used to breaking everything down into individual costs.

About sportsmen incubators while they do consume more power when getting into large numbers the cost of power/egg{or chick} is cheaper!

 

[Shades of Blue]

I am very excited to get Malines from Shellyz this spring. I come from a farming background so I am used to breaking everything down into individual costs.

About sportsmen incubators while they do consume more power when getting into large numbers the cost of power/egg{or chick} is cheaper!

yep i am from farming background also.....and it is in the blood to count costs.....lol. Glad to hear you are getting some Malines from Shellyz this spring.

I might think about getting a sportsman bator then....I have tossed the idea around but keep talking myself out of it. However the 2 hovabators will not hold enough in one batch to satisfy me. It would be nice to not have to wait 21 days for the second batch to be hatched.