broilers?

[BirchHatchery]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

has anyone raised the colord range broilers are they better or worse the whites are they more natural do their legs give out ? pros cons on them thinkin of gettin some how would they do in a barn/ sumtime free range. will they constantly eat like the cornish rocks? From Welp Hatchery they have the white slow growing broiler the black and the red whats the diffrence between these birds? just the color?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

The most consistant weight gains, feed conversion ratios, and carcass weights are going to be from the cornish x's. From an economical standpoint they are by far the best hands down. They will free range like a normal chicken if they are able to at a young age. Ours are sometimes started out on pasture at 7 days old.... some start them at day one. They are very efficent with feed and consume quite a bit of calories in grass, clover, seeds, and insects. They do best with a 20% + protein diet from start to finish.

Below is two images of different ways to raise the cornish x's.... I found the bottom one to be the better. The first picture is a free range set-up.... yes broilers will free range like normal chickens if given the oppurtunity. You have to start them early on pasture. I hear so many stories of people raising them to five weeks then plopping the basketballs on pasture thinking they are going to look/forage for food. Not realizing that in another week they were destined for the dinner table. The average strain of broilers has a lifespan of only 45 days. Cornish x's bodies are not designed to go past this 45 day mark but many backyard chicken people do just that as they want a bigger bird. Which is fine but you have to slow their growth down just a little bit, and free ranging them at a young age does just that.

If you want pretty birds that take a few weeks longer to grow out then go with the colored broilers. Most of these strains came from Hubbard Breeders in way or another. The genetics all stem back to Hubbard but many poultry enthusiast took these birds and started their own lines and tried to develop their own meat bird. Some worked and some didn't which is why the colored broilers are a grab bag of colors, weights, and conversion ratios.

The best I have seen are the ones from JM Hatchery, second would be the ones that come from Hubbard themselves (these are imports from France). The rest of them still havn't figured it out yet. If I would have to pick a third best I would say the Kosher Kings but I've only raised them once so I'm not sure how consistent they are.

Here is typically how these are raised.... First one is a tractor, second is a hoop house with electric netting.

I would expect little if any taste difference from the Cornish x's vs the ones from JM Hatchery. Your looking at only a 2-4 week difference so not much difference. I think if you were to see a difference it would be if you raised the cornish x's in tractors vs the rangers on soley free range.

If your looking for a efficent chicken that will produce itself year after year.... has a unique taste... and brings top dollar if your market can withstand it.... is a good dual purpose heritage breed. However these take time and effort to market.

Both birds have their place in the markets but if your looking to make money while feeding your family the cornish x rocks are the way to go. They will do everything that the color broilers will do as far as ranging goes.

Good luck.

 

[BirchHatchery]

Brunty said If your looking for a efficent chicken that will produce itself year after year.... has a unique taste... and brings top dollar if your market can withstand it.... is a good dual purpose heritage breed. However these take time and effort to market.

I want a bird that has unique taste and brings top dollar what should i look for????

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Buckeyes are my favorite breed, along with Delawares and a few others. I'm sure others will chime in on heritage breeds. I'm not big on them as I sell mainly the cornish x's.

I have a small flock of Buckeyes that are from meat lines that I will be working with greatly over the next few months (they just started laying)

But again marketing is tricky, you have to know what your talking about when you try to sell them. Do some research on heritage breeds and go from there.

But again if your wanting to make money you need to seriously think about venturing towards the cornish x rocks then stem out to heritage.

 

[BirchHatchery]

im not dumb when it comes to marketing chickens ive been raising leghorns my hole life Hy-line strain i can sell em like hot cakes and make good profit on them. i sell eggs but i want to get into selling meat ive never been a fan of cornish rocks not natural to me. Id like heritage breed that is good for meat does well on feed intake any suggestions?

 

[ChikeeMomma]

I have heard good things about the rangers from JM Hatchery, but haven't tried them. I did Dixie Rainbows from S & G Poultry. I would have liked them to be a bit more meatier. I even let them go a few weeks longer. Next year I am going to try the Cornish Xs.

 

[petrelline]

Hey brunty is that an off-the-shelf hoop house or did you make that?

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Hy-Line and all of the other commercial layers have had the same Selection Pressure as the Cornish Cross, just for small hens that lay great amounts of large eggs.

 

[BirchHatchery]

Id like heritage breed that is good for meat does well on feed intake any suggestions?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

If you can sell the Hy-Line Leghorn you shouldn't have a problem selling a heritage type breed then.

I would go with Buckeyes or Delawares. Look for meat lines though... that's the key. You want a bird that is ready no latter than 16 weeks. 12 weeks is best.

Good luck!


Those pics are from other farmers... mine is the second one from the top... in the tractors. But it looks to me that it's home made.... most people use a 16 ft. cattle panel and make a hoop out of it, throw a tarp on it and some runners and it's good to go.