Best Reproducible Meat Bird

[tinybarnfarm]

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This is the very cross that I am seriously considering doing myself. Please keep us updated on how those birds do for you.


How many weeks would you grow them out to and what size bird do you end up with?

 

[gmendoza]

A.T. Hagan :

Quote:
This is the very cross that I am seriously considering doing myself. Please keep us updated on how those birds do for you.

I got a dark cornish bulldog roo with two bulldog hens that I will be making a "tractor of love" so they can mate. when they are done,then Ill put the rir roo and 3 hens in there,then it will be the dcb roo with the amber links,then the rir with amber links,and so on and so forth.​

 

[chickened]

Well if you put them on wire and free feed you can get them to 5 to 6 pounds dressed in about 16 weeks. The DC slow the growth but also allows cage growing which is faster. Free ranging add another month, I have done it both ways.
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How many weeks would you grow them out to and what size bird do you end up with?

 

[Jared77]

I have done this cross and they get huge and had no health issues. You get better results by breeding the offspring back to the DC.

Are you taking the FR/DC roo to a DC hen? Just want to be clear on how your doing it.​

 

[Noymira]

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I process more depending on size than age. I like my birds to dress out between 5 and 6 pounds. With Dellys Usually that can be any time between 18 and 24 weeks (around 4 and 6 months). Roosters are usually between 8 and 10 pounds live weight hens closer to 7 or 8. They are usually fully grown by then. Since I keep the ones that grow fastest with the best feather pattern(has to be a good looking well rounded bird) right now the birds I am processing are not quite what I am looking for (they are basically culls, the smaller slower growing birds) but the more that I keep the best birds and cull out the less perfect, the closer to perfect my meaties will get. I am hoping for having them process ready between 16 and 24 weeks and to get larger meatier birds as I go but I'm not to that stage yet. I am still kind of in the beginning of the program, just feeling my way but I am liking the results I get so far. I do rest my birds after processing until they are less stiff and I salt water brine them or marinate them with my cooking seasonings before cooking them which makes the meat much more tender. The article I read on processing Heritage birds said that you can process roasters ( which is what I mainly use) any time between 6 months and a year the only difference is that you would cook the older roasters slower and at a lower temp, 300 degrees for 30 minutes per pound versus 375 for 20 per pound which is what is suggested for store bought birds.

I would also like to add to the list of breeders (Love Whitore birds and their look) for Delawares:
1. Paul Harter who sells chicks but not hatching eggs for his birds,
2. Sandhill is another good source they do both Dellys and Brahmas and their birds look really good.
3. Stacy Tate also does nice heritage Dellys

My program for my Brahmas is similar to the Dellys. Boys are between 12 and 13 pounds live weight and girls between 8 and 10. They can be processed at around 18 weeks and will dress out 5 to 6 pounds (7 to 8 pounds live weight). My boys seem to grow a bit slower than the girls but they are both seeming pretty large and well built. Haven't processed them yet but this is what I have gotten for information from the breeders who sold me the eggs for my birds and it seems right on the money. My birds by 8 weeks surpassed my other large fowl birds in size and weight but kept the temperament of a lap chicken. The only negative is that they are very shy of new people and take a bit to warm up but they will follow me around for treats wherever I go.


I hope this helps.

I have heard good things about the Brahmas and Delawares for DP, but haven't had any experience with them. I am working with some Black Copper Marans I plan on breeding for DP, since I've got some good large birds to start with. I would love it if you kept in touch with the Meatbirds thread on how your progress goes with your program!

 

[chickened]

No, I bred the DC roo to the FR/DC hens, the FR/DC roos went in the pot. I suppose both ways would work it just made more sense to breed back to a pure DC roo for convenience. One thing I did not try was breeding siblings but I have found that that will decrease the traits I achieved after a few generations.I just remembered that the pure DC hens are poor layers and that the cross hens laying is greatly improved meaning more chicks to dabble with.
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Are you taking the FR/DC roo to a DC hen? Just want to be clear on how your doing it.

 

[Jared77]

That makes sense, I wasn't sure if there was a reason (other than convenience and the poor layers that DC are) or a combination that performed better as far as who was put over who.

 

[royalhighlandbantams]

I have one cornish rock hen that I considered crossing with a white rock, but she lays so infrequently it is impractical.