Breeding meat birds

[chickenobsessed]

Ok I have a question and I can find the answer anywhere

I thought I would ask you

I am thinking about getting meat chickens and I want to know if I can breed them to hatch the next year/spring

I think I read somewhere that you can't hatch them but I really want to know so then I don't have to buy new once each year just keep hatching some
Thanks

 

[fried green eggs]

Meat birds like Cornish X are bred to grow very very fast and are normally processed at 6 to 8 weeks. You need to restrict their diet starting at 2 weeks of age or they will eat themselves to death or break legs. At 2 wks they should only have food available 12 hours each day.
I raised CX a few years ago and by the time they were 2 weeks old they were 2 times bigger than other chicks of the same age. I gave them their food at night so, they would eat, sleep and wake and finish their food by doing it that way I would let them out to free range each morning and get them back in night coop as they would come running/waddling to be locked in for the night. I kept mine till they were 12-13 weeks and the size of small turkeys.
Keeping them longer than they are designed for - you run the risk of them dying from heart problems, broken legs. The CX hens are not good layers and you would really have to restrict diet to get them to laying age.
There are many dual purpose breeds to choose from and you should check out Freedom Rangers for meat. Good Luck.

 

[popsicle]

If you breed CX you will not get a CX. If you breed a Cornish and a Rock, you will not get a CX. Broiler chicks are special crosses of proprietary chickens--I don't believe you would be able to buy the parent stock. Broiler chicks display what is known as "hybrid vigor" the initial cross is where the growth is.

If you breed Freedom Rangers or any other "broiler" chicks, you will not get more of the same.

If you want to breed your own meat birds, read through several of the threads here--I think there's a good one about White Laced Red Cornish project, and many other threads.

Personally, I'm going to be getting Buckeye, Chanteclers and a few others for meat.

 

[Arielle]

I held back several cornish x pullets and when they started laying, I put in one of my dual purpose roosters. Eggs collected and put in incubator--most are clear. Have hope for a couple of the others but still not entirely sure. Will know in another 14 days!!

If cornishx were easy to propogate , more people would be doing it. THe best option is a breed that has been kept up as a good meat bird. I mention thispoint because most have not been kept up for meat characteristics. ANd finding those lines is HARD.

Try the rangers-- they are readily availble, and I"m guessing are a better option to hold onto a few for breeding and see what you get. MIght still be better than a heritage breed that you can find. ( THe hatchery birds that I bought from McMurray BA, SLW, BSL, RIR, are poor meat birds).

I am going to the private breeders for meat bird stock.

Here is an article-- all the birds are good choices for you, including the freedom ranger.
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/4-2/alternatives_to_the_cornish_cross/

 

[ghulst]

My suggestion would be keep a cornishx cock and cross with a rhode island red hen and you will have Freedom Rangers. Feed the cock very lightly and it will work. You can use any dual breed for the hen.

 

[Arielle]

My suggestion would be keep a cornishx cock and cross with a rhode island red hen and you will have Freedom Rangers. Feed the cock very lightly and it will work. You can use any dual breed for the hen.

Have you tried this???

I'm asking because my cckls were like bowling balls and had no interest in the deed.

 

[ghulst]

No I haven't but my boss the owner of Townline Hatchery told be that is how freedom rangers were made. Only feed your cornishx cocks only 1/4 lb of feed a day. That will perk them up.

 

[Arielle]

No I haven't but my boss the owner of Townline Hatchery told be that is how freedom rangers were made. Only feed your cornishx cocks only 1/4 lb of feed a day. That will perk them up.

DO you work at TOwnline? That must be an interesting job!!

Having tried to breed my cornish X, I would just go for getting the rangers and save the headache of re creating the wheel.

( My purpose for my project was to add onto an existing project--- still hoping for a few viable eggs. Whether males or females hopefully this f1 generation will be more fertile than the parent stock.)

 

[enel 1]

Here is what I got when I crossed a Rhode island red cock over a broiler hen. These pics are posted on my thread

 

[enel 1]

This is what I got when I bred a slightly better than hatchery DC with the RIRxCX hens

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