Best "Non-Meat-Bird" Meat Bird?

[kstaven]

In many cases I would recommend buying chicks from a breeder because hatchery dual purpose tends to be geared more for eggs than a meat frame. There are exceptions out there though.

 

[journey11]

Quote:
Good point. If you're wanting a sustainable homestead flock, you're going to want to start with the best stock you can afford.

I bought some hatchery barred rocks once and other than their barred feathers, they were very sad specimens of the breed standard.

 

[SJ]

In my very limited expierence its toss up between NHR and Delawares. I lean towards the Del because they are so friendly.

 

[kstaven]

I have a personal leaning towards Delawares. IF you can get good stock they have a better growth rate than the NHR I have encountered. On the same note Dorkings can be a very good meat carcass. but once again that goes back to good stock. Buckeyes have potential, but heavy framed stock seems to be rare and they grow out very slowly.

Get on the breed threads and watch the auctions here. There is some very good stock rolling around this forum.

 

[ShadyHoller]

I like Delawares and Delaware-based crosses. Like SJ said, they are friendly. They are also vigorous foragers. Keem 'em out of the garden, or they'll rototill it!

 

[phasianidae]

First of all, you have some awesome Araucanas! If you want a meatier bird, maybe you would like a larger heritage breed or some Freedom Rangers? Heres a link to where I got my Freedom Rangers: http://www.jmhatchery.com/free-range-broiler/colored-range-chicks/prod_5.html

 

[kla37]

Quote:
I have a friend from Mexico who raises EE's and BO's for meat and eggs. He won't eat the Cornish X's, he says they are not chickens, but turkeys, and also that they don't taste like anything. They aren't what he is used to after growing up farming in the mountains of Mexico. Some people want a chicken to look like and taste like a chicken, not a frankenchicken.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
I have a friend from Mexico who raises EE's and BO's for meat and eggs. He won't eat the Cornish X's, he says they are not chickens, but turkeys, and also that they don't taste like anything. They aren't what he is used to after growing up farming in the mountains of Mexico. Some people want a chicken to look like and taste like a chicken, not a frankenchicken.

I recently butchered BOxEE roosters and they were great!

 

[MarkBo409]

I started my flock last summer with 4, 8wk old Light Sussex. 3 ended up being roo's so they went back to the farm. one was replaced with Light Sussex. 2 others were replace with a Golden Phoenix, and a Red Star. The Sussex that I have had from 8wks is my prize. She is a large beautiful bird who lays avg of 5 eggs a week. She would have made a great table bird but I love her too much. The Phoenix and Red Star are smaller less meaty looking, but lay nice eggs. Its worth mentioning that they made it through winter fine with no heat. Just lights and heated water. Light Sussex highly recommended.

 

[josepdrhodes99]

I don't know much on the subject, I'll tell you what I've read and my opinions from my chickens.At 12 weeks of age in my opinion a chicken stops growing bone, at least I think by that point there bodily fully developed. There combs will get bigger, and they will lay eggs several weeks later, but still there bone size stops growing about that point. Back in the old days, the mane purpose of chicken was a frying bird. Some people didn't consider it "real meat" and never was as popular as grass fed beef. This is a WEIRD society where we eat more chicken than beef! Joel Salatin tells all about how for most of humanity herbavors (cows, sheep, goats,ect) where raised on large amounts on ranches and nomadic herding, omnivores such as chickens where kept on the side, mostly for the eggs. After 12 weeks of growing, the chickens start putting on muscle mass (by the way, this is why the cornish are so popular, they grown on muscle but the bones are smaller). Back in 1925 a 2 and one half pound chicken (live wheight!) at 16 weeks was expected, my hatcher stock barred rocks are about 3 lbs live wheight at that age. So even hatchery stock can be pretty good. Just my 2 cents.