Did my first Dual Purpose chickens...

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Processed 1 20 week old and 2 16 week olds. Sad to say I'm a little disappointed. I mean I wasn't expecting a cornish or anything but there was like NO breast on these guys! Plus the frame was so small I could barely get my hand inside to clean them out.

Ok so not impressed with DP, cornish were to stinky frankeny for me, and now I have some red broilers growing out... but when will I find a breed I'm happy with!!!

 

[lemongrass]

Oh no

What DP breed did you use? I'm looking into Naked Necks, I hear they get pretty big.

Good luck on your search <3

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

They were Production Reds and Silver Laced Wyandottes.

 

[Jared77]

Hatchery birds?

 

[lemongrass]

I have heard that Production Reds have smaller weight because they are bred to be good egg layers. They may say DP some places but apparently are very much just geared to egg laying.

From eFowl.com: "The Production Red Chicken Breed is a cross between the popular Rhode Island Red Chicken and the New Hampshire Red Chicken. They are bred to be a very capable and efficient egg production bird, yielding vast quantities of large brown eggs. They were developed later than the Rhode Island Red Chicken to be less of a meaty bird."

I don't know anything about the Wyandottes. Only reason I know about the Prod. Reds is cause I got some Red Stars for laying and after some research realized I would be disappointed when I processed the boys (I ordered straight run).

I've heard RIR would be a better choice for DP, or White Rocks.

 

[nwfl]

Over the years all I did with my reds was skin to remove breast, thigh and upper leg meat. Three would give me about 2 cups of soup meat. The same with a young wyandotte. Not much to them. But if you can fatten them up with a good grain game bird blend in addition to layer pellets and some time you can get a litttle more off them. My buff orpingtons are much better but still no roaster.

 

[FarmerRob]

I know that opinions vary but to me a DP is a heavy breed that has been used to lay eggs and has come to the end of is truly productive phase. It has served it's main pupose and now will be culled and serve one more by gracing the inside of my stew pot. I have never considered them to be a regular supply of meat. For that I prefer to look at Freedom Rangers.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Why not try some of those free-range roasters, the "Freedom Rangers" or ones like that. I've never tried them, but have heard they combine many of the best qualities of both -- they get big like the CXs, but act more natural like DPs.

By default, most of the birds I have for meat are mixed-breeds from home-hatchings or standards that other folks give to me. I process them at around 20 weeks, when they feel "ripe" to me. They average around 3.5 lbs dressed, and that's almost exactly equal parts dark & light meat. Often I'll joint them and simmer them in separate pots, then pick off the meat to freeze in packets for later use. I use the backs & wings too. There is usually an equal amount of dark & light meat to freeze.

At our county fair someone was showing Coronation Sussex and those guys were HUGE! Do all Sussex get that big? I think that Plymouth Rocks are a good & sizeable breed, I have a Buff Rock that looks like a Percheron.

 

[court1100f]

Hmm my Chickens have always been pets but I can tell you right now for meat production Cornish/Rock mixes are king R.E. my first pet Rooster 16 years ago weighed in at 13-13.5Lbs and Idiot the brainless wonder I had in 04-05 was 14.5Lbs cornish/rocks get HUGE

 

[bucket04]

What is a "Freedom Ranger"? I too have been disapointed in my DP birds... I have Easter Eggers.... they are okay size-wise, (would like them a pound or two larger) but to get them to that size, they are too old and very very stringy ... if I was to butcher at 20 weeks, I'd get very little meat. My husband hates em because they are so stringy.
I live at 6800 feet, so they say I can't raise cornish cross here. I was thinking about regular dark cornish, or jersey giants, just to get some meat early on (not letting them get too old).... anyone have any experience with them?