Best meat breeds?

[Kennas_Kritters]

I have made a huge decision recently that I'm going to be more self sufficient! I am going to start raising meat chickens soon! I have to decide what breed I want to go with and I'm leaning more towards cornish crosses I think. What meat breed would work best? I need a breed that gets large and has white meat. I will be raising them from chicks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Cornishx late the most economical, but you'll have to buy them. You can't breed them

 

[3KillerBs]

Cornish X are hands down the undisputed best meat-producing animal from a feed conversion standpoint that has ever been bred in the history of domestication.

They do require appropriate management to live up to their potential and to avoid the problems that can arise from their nature.

Some people prefer the lower feed efficiency but simpler management of the "ranger" type meat chickens. Also, some climate/geographical factors play into the choice -- such as altitude and extreme heat.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

It really depends on your need and situation.

The CornishX or Cornish Cross is cheap, readily available, and commercially valued as having a very high white/meat to dark meat ratio and the best feed conversion rate in the industry. That said, you can't raise your own - you will have to buy more birds every time you need them (not a big problem, they are readily available through just about everyone and everywhere, most of the year). Also, you will have to feed them, they don't free range well, they sure don't put weight on fast free ranging, and they aren't predator aware (or particularly fast trying to escape predators).

Understand too, this will come out of your entertainment budget - due to economies of scale, you will never get close to the cost of a supermarket chicken.

Now, if you want something you can hatch replacements of (which means you are also likely investing in an incubator, and maintaining a separate area in which to keep the babies till they get some size on them - or building a larger hen house you can partition with them in mind), you can look to a dual purpose breed whose eggs you can hatch for replacement meat birds, cull the males, and keep the hens for egg laying. Sounds great, BUT!

Dual purpose birds don't grow nearly as fast as CornishX, meaning more time per weight. Nor are they as feed efficient, meaning more feed per eventual weight. You can cut feed costs some by allowing them to range your property (if you have it, and if its growing the right greens - your perfectly manicured yard ain't it - and they will destroy it, besides!), but now your birds are more active, which further slows weight gain and tends to toughen the meat, since those muscles are getting used. Also, there is a lower ratio of light meat to dark meat in every DP bird I'm aware of, when compared to the CornishX.

I don't say these things to dissuade you, just to make you aware of the reality of the situation.

and finally, as a fellow Flor-idiot, I see you live in Polk County. Home of Lakeland and Winter Park. Off the top of my head, I believe your chicken keeping ordinances are relatively restrictive (not like Palm Beach restrictive, but not as permissive as, say, Alachua or rural Ocala). Check your zoning - you may be facing limits of just a few birds, no roosters allowed. If that's the case, you can't grow your own, and will have to order/buy replacement birds, plus have a freezer to store your culled. With that small a number of birds, its likely not cost efficient (due to shipping charges) to buy direct from a hatchery, meaning you can only obtain replacements during your local TSC's "chick days", by buying small number from local breeders (for good or ill), or by grouping up with neighbors and splitting a bulk order. Those are all logistical issues you want to explore before you start.

You are asking the right questions - or starting to - but the right answers will be heavily dependent on your individual situation.

 

[Kennas_Kritters]

It really depends on your need and situation.

The CornishX or Cornish Cross is cheap, readily available, and commercially valued as having a very high white/meat to dark meat ratio and the best feed conversion rate in the industry. That said, you can't raise your own - you will have to buy more birds every time you need them (not a big problem, they are readily available through just about everyone and everywhere, most of the year). Also, you will have to feed them, they don't free range well, they sure don't put weight on fast free ranging, and they aren't predator aware (or particularly fast trying to escape predators).

Understand too, this will come out of your entertainment budget - due to economies of scale, you will never get close to the cost of a supermarket chicken.

Now, if you want something you can hatch replacements of (which means you are also likely investing in an incubator, and maintaining a separate area in which to keep the babies till they get some size on them - or building a larger hen house you can partition with them in mind), you can look to a dual purpose breed whose eggs you can hatch for replacement meat birds, cull the males, and keep the hens for egg laying. Sounds great, BUT!

Dual purpose birds don't grow nearly as fast as CornishX, meaning more time per weight. Nor are they as feed efficient, meaning more feed per eventual weight. You can cut feed costs some by allowing them to range your property (if you have it, and if its growing the right greens - your perfectly manicured yard ain't it - and they will destroy it, besides!), but now your birds are more active, which further slows weight gain and tends to toughen the meat, since those muscles are getting used. Also, there is a lower ratio of light meat to dark meat in every DP bird I'm aware of, when compared to the CornishX.

I don't say these things to dissuade you, just to make you aware of the reality of the situation.

and finally, as a fellow Flor-idiot, I see you live in Polk County. Home of Lakeland and Winter Park. Off the top of my head, I believe your chicken keeping ordinances are relatively restrictive (not like Palm Beach restrictive, but not as permissive as, say, Alachua or rural Ocala). Check your zoning - you may be facing limits of just a few birds, no roosters allowed. If that's the case, you can't grow your own, and will have to order/buy replacement birds, plus have a freezer to store your culled. With that small a number of birds, its likely not cost efficient (due to shipping charges) to buy direct from a hatchery, meaning you can only obtain replacements during your local TSC's "chick days", by buying small number from local breeders (for good or ill), or by grouping up with neighbors and splitting a bulk order. Those are all logistical issues you want to explore before you start.

You are asking the right questions - or starting to - but the right answers will be heavily dependent on your individual situation.

I live in Polk city FL. We have 5 acres that I allow my chickens access to during the day. The meat chickens would be in a large coop with a large run. I have done a ton of research and I know this is what I want to do so all advice helps! Since I'm in Florida it's hot almost all the time... what are some things I could do to keep them cool? They will be in a shaded area so hopefully that will help a bit.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation. Lots of shade, and shaded places where they can dig into the earth - which is cooler even an inch or two down than the surface. Cornish X, due to their large size, aren't well suited to FL's heat and humidity, but you aren't keeping them as long lifespan pets, and they certainly can be successfully raised here - I have. Their clean legs and large combs help - but expect them to lay down and pant most of the day, during the worst of our summer weather.

Our climate being what it is, cold is not a concern - you can build an open sided coop for them, with just enough wall/shelter to block drafts for those few days a year we get chill, and for our wind blown rains.

How many birds are you planning on keeping at a time?

 

[speedy2020]

Fast growing chicken = Cornish X
Best taste chicken = White American Bresse

 

[jjaazzy]

Does anyone have a best choice for Hatchery for the Cornish x? Years back I got some ranger meat birds, First off it freaked me out that they looked like regular chickens some were red some were black. Second they didn't mature quick like the Cornish either which also freaked me out thinking they sent me regular chickens. I waited and waited and they never really matured plump. We finally processed them and they were tough and skinny just like regular chickens. I quit at that point. We process enough roosters to keep up with the needs to share and have plenty for soups and such. But I would like to try again, since I have everything I need. I want a truly supermarket soft chicken. Anyone have any suggestions. I see some hatcheries are out.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Does anyone have a best choice for Hatchery for the Cornish x? Years back I got some ranger meat birds, First off it freaked me out that they looked like regular chickens some were red some were black. Second they didn't mature quick like the Cornish either which also freaked me out thinking they sent me regular chickens. I waited and waited and they never really matured plump. We finally processed them and they were tough and skinny just like regular chickens. I quit at that point. We process enough roosters to keep up with the needs to share and have plenty for soups and such. But I would like to try again, since I have everything I need. I want a truly supermarket soft chicken. Anyone have any suggestions. I see some hatcheries are out.

Bit confused why the rangers freaked you out. They're not CornishX, so they won't grow or look or taste like one. They take more time and have to eat more than free ranged dual purpose.

 

[MildlyOffensiveChicken]

I am on week 3 with 25 Delaware “Broilers” from Murray McMurray.

This is my 3rd set of chicks lifetime. Most of them are growing well. They are about double the size of the layer chicks I have in the brooder with them. Some of them are actually out growing their feathering.

They are quite friendly and expect food whenever my hand goes into the brooder.

I do plan to keep 7-10 for breeding purposes.