Choosing that Dual Purpose meat bird......................

[jarodw45]

Quote:
Love it!

 

[Lesa]

It was time for my hatchery birds to start going to freezer camp. I had RIR's. I was expecting to be disappointed- but you know what- I wasn't. Now, I am not trying to say these birds make a beautiful roasted chicken. But, they weren't scrawny little things either. If you are interested in making broth, soups, pot pies, etc. your hatchery birds will be fine. I have been feeding organic layer pellets and free ranging and these birds were really quite beautiful- looked just like chicken!

 

[Keara]

The only reason to have a dual purpose bird is because you are breeding, and want a self contained flock. Other wise if you are not breeding than just keep buying meat chicks for meet and egg chicks eggs.

PS waste not want not.... I eat any bird I am not keeping for eggs..... including banties, they make great soup.

 

[Cargo]

That exactly is disappointing?

The original post was:

I want some dual purpose type from a HATCHERY. Needs to be fast maturing and LARGE.

You really cannot get large fast maturing meaty DP birds from a hatchery. So anyone who expects that would need to prepare for disappointment.

You could eat a humming bird but it probably wouldn't be very satisfying.​

 

[jarodw45]

Quote:
Me too even leghorns just less meat...

 

[Jared77]

That exactly is disappointing? You order chicks, feed them up and butcher when they get big enough. Your family enjoys home raised meat. Maybe you have to order an extra bird or 2 to make up for smaller carcasses, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Then why go with a heritage breed? You can do that with any number of the meat birds available. And get a better bird for your money. Money being cost of chick, shipping, food consumption all against the size of the carcass at processing.

You all are talking about humping all over the state for an extra POUND or two per bird. Really? And 'tweaking the breeding program'? I can't even HAVE roosters, how the flying heck am I supposed to develop a breeding program? Come on, people, can we get a little SUPPORT here?

The problem is your meat to feed conversion is not going to be very good with hatchery DP birds. Thats been stated and posted multiple times because its true. A lbs or 2 is a big difference when you can only raise so many birds due to space, or cost etc. Why have to raise extra birds just because you can't get the meat out of 1 when those options are available? Not only do you have slow growth you have to have extra birds to compensate as well? That means its going to be that much more expensive to eat. Many folks here are working on getting the most they can out of each bird so you don't have to keep that many more birds or raise more to get the same end result.

If I couldn't have roos to develop my own program then Id look at the CX, FR, KK, or colored broilers to get my meat birds. You'll process them before they ever crow and have a lot more meat on them than any hatchery dual purpose bird. Id look at adding some layer hens to that order to get eggs and call it good. Ordering dual purpose birds with the intent of eating the roosters and holding the hens back for eggs sounds good but as said many times your going to be disappointed.​

 

[Illia]

Just an extra bit to add in -

If you can't have roosters, I would say don't look for "dual purpose" then. The whole point of DP birds is a self sustaining flock that you can continue to breed. Otherwise, having some layer hens, then processing them when they're done laying. . . Well that's just what a lot of people do anyway. It's not really dual purpose, because even the Barred Rocks from a hatchery will give the same amount of meat as the Polish from a hatchery. And speaking in the origin of the breed, Polish don't lay much, and aren't dual purpose. Barred Rocks lay decent, and are dual purpose. But from a hatchery, you get the same - little to moderate meat, good laying abilities.

I'm certainly not meaning to pound on anyone for wanting hatchery birds, I'm just making a point. . . . You can't have a truly dual purpose flock from hatchery quality stock. Hatcheries don't and never really did breed for that. . . . They breed for "pet" chickens; hens that lay a bunch and then are done within 2-3 years so you keep going back to the hatchery.

 

[Tiffrz-N-Kidz]

I see what y'all are saying, that the OP isn't going to get a bird that is 'fast maturing' and 'large' by most meat production standards, from a hatchery DP type bird.

And most responders said as much, but also politely suggested breeds (or alternative acquisition strategies) to try to get the most out of the experience.

I just believe that slamming the OP and saying that s/he's just going to be dissapointed if s/he doesn't do it their way is not constructive.

 

[al6517]

We are really just offering the OP the true oppinions of what she is to expext from all the varying possibilities, what is percieved or commonly told about the falsehoods of Hatchery stock and the whole DP trend is not as it would seem to the unknowing. We just want to give the truth about what to really expect and the OP can then make a good sound judgement of what he/she works for them regardless. Posting in the meat bird section you tend to get the more honest evaluation from the experience of the collective group as a whole, not just what any old hatchery publication that can spin the DP thing into something it is not.

AL

 

[jarodw45]

Well I have some buff orps from ideal and they are huge! But take a long time to put on size... they will be nice stew or slow cooked when laying is done but I wouldn't buy roos just for eating... my buffs from ideal are a good bit heavier than my br from ideal.