Cross-bred meat chickens

[Karman1970]

Hi all. We are looking to add some meat chickens to our backyard flock. We currently have 11 hens - Dominiques, Australorps, Ameraucanas, and RIR. We also have two roosters, a brown leghorn and an Ameraucana. I'd like to add Delawares and maybe a few Jersey Giants, but I'd like to avoid adding another rooster. Would I still expect to get decent sized meat birds crossing Delawares and Jerseys with Ameraucana and Leghorn? Or will my smallish roosters result in just average offspring? Or is there no way to know without trying?

Thanks for any feedback and ideas.

 

[sourland]

The Leghorn is not a good option. The Ameraucana/Easter Egger might be a slightly better option, but a dual purpose rooster would be the best option.

 

[Floof]

My largest rooster is actually a cross between a lavender ameraucana and a Delaware. He is enormous and makes big, faster growing, babies when bred to my other dual purpose birds. You may not get what you're looking for the first year but if it's a goal of yours then you'll get there eventually. Expect to grow out your cockerals to about 18 weeks before processing for about 4 to 5 pounds of finished carcass. Many don't find the extra time and feed to be worth it.

 

[Karman1970]

Ok. Not the responses I was hoping for, but about what I expected. Guess I just have to separate the flocks. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[FunClucks]

Check out Murray McMurray's Delaware Broiler. They're larger than regular Delawares but still lay a decent amount of eggs, also breed true because still a breed, not a hybrid. Also Freedom Ranger Hatchery's New Hampshires are selected for meat as well as eggs. These heritage breeds are selected for meat, and would, IMO give you a better start than standard eggers, which is what you now (probably) have.

Since you want a meat bird, why not start out with a meat bird? If you're not set on heritage or dual purpose breeds, there are also a number of slower growing broilers you could try, if CX isn't your thing. The difference in feed costs and time to get to your goal can be drastically different depending on which birds you start with.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If you get away from hatchery stock "breeds" and try a standard bred dual purpose breed you'll get better weights.

Leghorn and Amerucana are not going to lend anything to meat quality. Layer type birds lend to laying. People think a large bird makes a good meat bird so Jersey Giants are often looked at. Jersey Giants are slow growing and the original purpose/goal was to have a huge chicken that could corner some of the turkey market. It didn't pan out for them. A large dual purpose that butchers well at 14 weeks is Brahma. They are also good winter layers. All sorts of good dual purpose birds out there. But they are not worth salt if you get hatchery stock.

 

[Mosey2003]

Using those breeds, especially from a hatchery, is a waste of your time, money, effort, and feed. You won't get anything worth butchering without intensive breeding over years.