Best meat birds, NOT Cornish cross

[Egghead_Jr]

What's the reason for not wanting CornishX? This is an important question. If it's to avoid hybrids altogether then most of the recommendations above are hybrids too.

If the only interest is meat then the hybrids are the way to go. Only advantage to a non Cornish hybrid is the flexibility in butcher time. The CornishX will have little give in butcher time, you'll be restricted to butchering over a span of three or four weekends if straight run. Females being smaller can grow out longer. The other hybrid meat birds require more feed, will make good broilers at later age for more flavor and texture, and have less restriction as to butcher time so some can be left to grow to fryer or even roaster age.

If the interest is for a sustainable flock of of meat birds then pure Cornish from a breeder is a good avenue or one of the fast maturing dual purpose birds, again from breeder stock not hatchery. New Hampshire is a prime candidate, Delaware and Buckeye are others. There is not much more for dual purpose that will flesh out as quickly as those. Other good growth rate breeds tend to grow the frame (bones) faster than the flesh. Lanky birds of good size and weight but not well fleshed carcass. Breed of this nature is Plymouth Rock and some others but Plymouth is the Fast growth but lanky icon. Why it was the cornerstone of meat industry in making hybrids. Plymouth over New Hampshire was most popular pre 1950's intro of Cornish/Rock.

The Delaware was not really used in meat industry rather a byproduct of the norm. White sports from the Plymouth/New Hampshire were retained and bred to create a fast maturing bird with white feathers. It's characteristics of meat quality lent from the New Hampshire lineage.

I can't stress enough the importance of obtaining stock from breeders if you pursue using a breed of bird for meat.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

And because honesty helps everyone (as in, I'm calling myself on my bullshit) - I just spot checked a handful of my birds with a TERRIBLE scale. Literally me standing on a bathroom scale in the sand and clay, holding birds.

My Golden Comets, obviously not meat birds, are weighing in between 3# and 3.5#. They are in their 16th week.

My Dark Brahma are ranging from 3.5# to just over 4#, though I would SWEAR they look bigger. Same Age. Its all the feathers.

Spot checked a few of my Hoover Hatchery Rainbows, they show the most variation, 4.5# to maybe 5.5#. In their 20th week.

Will update with the weight avgs of my CX and Pekins, also 20 weeks, shortly.

/edit

My cX Hens are both 10# solid, but not solid enough I would try to claim 10.5#. The Roos are just each side of 12#. The scale SAYS 12#, but one is a little lighter than the other. Again, 20 weeks. They are getting butchered as soon as there is room in the freezer.

And my Pekin ducks (spot check, not a weight of all of them) are coming in between 10# and 11.5# as a group. Some are 20 weeks, a few are 16 weeks.

Anybody recommend a good scale? Spring or Digital, does it matter??? Hanging, i assume, with a good bag for putting the birds in while I do it?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I found australorps and orpingtons roos to be good at 12 weeks. Small, but still respectable.

There's plenty of alternative hybrids too, like rainbow rangers.

 

[Parront]

And because honesty helps everyone (as in, I'm calling myself on my bullshit) - I just spot checked a handful of my birds with a TERRIBLE scale. Literally me standing on a bathroom scale in the sand and clay, holding birds.

My Golden Comets, obviously not meat birds, are weighing in between 3# and 3.5#. They are 16 weeks.

My Dark Brahma are ranging from 3.5# to just over 4#, though I would SWEAR they look bigger. Same Age. Its all the feathers.

Spot checked a few of my Hoover Hatchery Rainbows, they show the most variation, 4.5# to maybe 5.5#. 20 weeks.

Will update with the weight avgs of my CX and Pekins, also 20 weeks, shortly.

Anybody recommend a good scale? Spring or Digital, does it matter??? Hanging, i assume, with a good bag for putting the birds in while I do it?

I can say I like my old scale. It is a hanging spring milk scale and will weigh up to 60 pounds. I got it at an estate sale for $20.

It has 2 needles to weigh more than 30 pounds, which function I have not used yet.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally bantam Cornish are my favorite so far. Enough meat for 2 people per bird in my family, and they grew fast. Reached full size in I think 3 months. Also super easy to catch since they don't like to run or fly

 

[iwltfum]

I use a cheap analog luggage scale with a 5gal bucket hanging to put the bird in, although I haven't weighed any birds in a while - just got pretty good at guessing the weights of any birds that I need to know the weight of. I like analog and manual things most of the time, but when it comes to scales and thermometers, digital is probably better and less prone to error. Unless of course you score a beautiful old produce/dairy scale!

 

[Parront]

I use a cheap analog luggage scale with a 5gal bucket hanging to put the bird in, although I haven't weighed any birds in a while - just got pretty good at guessing the weights of any birds that I need to know the weight of. I like analog and manual things most of the time, but when it comes to scales and thermometers, digital is probably better and less prone to error. Unless of course you score a beautiful old produce/dairy scale!

I think it is pretty accurate. It was in the original box. No electricity required.

 

[Parront]

The old timers in our area were never big farmers, so sometimes at the estate sales we get cool old small farm stuff. I got some nice chick drinkers that are heavy crockery that the chicks can't knock over.

 

[iwltfum]

I think it is pretty accurate. I was in the original box. No electricity required.

Yeah, those things are great - I'm jealous you found one. I was saying anything other than one of those, might be better to go digital. Plus, I always thought it would be easier to look at a number as digits than trying to hold the reading at eye level and count tick marks in the field if you need to-the-pound accuracy.

 

[Parront]

Yeah, those things are great - I'm jealous you found one. I was saying anything other than one of those, might be better to go digital. Plus, I always thought it would be easier to look at a number as digits than trying to hold the reading at eye level and count tick marks in the field if you need to-the-pound accuracy.

I agree, digital is probably easier and more accurate, & even one of these that was not in good condition might not be accurate. For my home use it is perfect, if a little large! It is good for weighing feed, just add until you get to the mark. I am sure that is what the milk seller did.