Best breed for meat?

[KikiDeAnime]

Please do NOT suggest CX, I will never buy those again!
As soon as it's spring again, I will be purchasing chickens to raise for meat.
We did Cornish X first but I hate those and last year we did 'Slow White Broilers' as our local feed store calls them and as the name suggested they did grow like normal birds. Loved them because they were amazing to raise.

I would love to try something else.

What would be a good breed to raise for meat?

 

[Rose Quartz]

As soon as it's spring again, I will be purchasing chickens to raise for meat.
We did Cornish X first but I hate those and last year we did 'Slow White Broilers' as our local feed store calls them and as the name suggested they did grow like normal birds. Loved them because they were amazing to raise.

I would love to try something else.

What would be a good breed to raise for meat?

Taste wise I like barred rocks.

 

[Parront]

I am getting some White Rocks from Ideal for meat. Hens lay OK, boys get eaten.

 

[RUNuts]

I liked the CX and limited feed. Yes, they turn to blobs when given unlimited feed. Something else? Are you in a hurry? (CX with limited feed.) On a budget? (CX with limited feed.) Money and time is no object? Then anything tastes like chicken!

Read in this section about Red Rangers, Moyer's selections and all the variety. Report back and we will encourage you.

I've raised Barred Rock hens, CX and Barnyard Surprises. The CX with limited feed are larger, more economical, but taste close to the same. Close, diet plays a part. Spoiled me for grocery store meat or restaurant fare. Really, it comes down to your system and what you want.

If you are satisfied with heritage chicken carcasses, pick a direction and go. If you like large breasts and legs, nothing compares to CX. Although the purpose meat breeds are getting close.

I want to encourage you to look at how you want to raise the birds, then pick the breed that meets your goals of meat. As with all projects, define time, cost and quality. In my backyard, speed and cost rule, so managed CX. I'm trying the home hatched eggs (through my short sightedness, I wound up with egg laying hatchery stock and am getting small birds). Learning a lot. Cockerels started crowing at 11 weeks and dressed at 1.5 pounds. Taste great. Making soup.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

I liked the CX and limited feed. Yes, they turn to blobs when given unlimited feed. Something else? Are you in a hurry? (CX with limited feed.) On a budget? (CX with limited feed.) Money and time is no object? Then anything tastes like chicken!

Read in this section about Red Rangers, Moyer's selections and all the variety. Report back and we will encourage you.

I've raised Barred Rock hens, CX and Barnyard Surprises. The CX with limited feed are larger, more economical, but taste close to the same. Close, diet plays a part. Spoiled me for grocery store meat or restaurant fare. Really, it comes down to your system and what you want.

If you are satisfied with heritage chicken carcasses, pick a direction and go. If you like large breasts and legs, nothing compares to CX. Although the purpose meat breeds are getting close.

I want to encourage you to look at how you want to raise the birds, then pick the breed that meets your goals of meat. As with all projects, define time, cost and quality. In my backyard, speed and cost rule, so managed CX. I'm trying the home hatched eggs (through my short sightedness, I wound up with egg laying hatchery stock and am getting small birds). Learning a lot. Cockerels started crowing at 11 weeks and dressed at 1.5 pounds. Taste great. Making soup.

Don't ever want to raise CX again. Don't ever ever want to do BR for meat so that's a no go.

 

[Rose Quartz]

Don't ever want to raise CX again. Don't ever ever want to do BR for meat so that's a no go.

They are sweethearts. ^u^

 

[FowlWitch]

I've been curious about Dark Cornish, personally. Try those and report back for us (me) haha

 

[Compost King]

I have a slow white broiler female who just started laying she grow a little slower and little smaller than my Red Ranger females. I recommend Red Rangers. They aren't a breed because they are a Hybrid but they aren't CX. Slightly larger and faster growing than Slow White Broilers though. The Slow White Broilers seem like a meat production line of White Rocks to me.

 

[Amer]

I liked the red Rangers.
Sure, they were rather large (height wise- they weren't over-heavy like CX) but good at ranging, and tasted good too.

 

[americanchicks]

I have raised CX and Red Rangers. There where pros and cons to both. Some say that CX are messy, lazy, and no good at foraging. For me I found them fine. I let them out 3 times a week and they would scratch in the grass and take dust baths. They do poop a lot but if you don't get a whole bunch or have a lot of space its not that bad. Also that 9 week old harvest day is nice.

The RRs where fine too. They took longer to grow, I raised them until they where 14 weeks and I got 6 to 7lbs after processing. Plucking is a bit more of a pain, more feathers. They where fine at foraging just as good as the CX. They are a little more active.

When it comes to meat production they are different. If you are a big fan of large meaty breast, CX for sure. If you are more into dark meat then I would say the RR. They have wonderful large thighs. As far as flavor I liked the RR more. They where more flavorful than the CX.

Hoped this helped. Just remember dont get too many. If you dont have a pucker or helpers it can be a very daunting task. Last year I raised 28. I had some help but mostly did them all myself. It took me 10 days. This year I only got 13, much easier