Some observations at eight weeks.
I ordered Plymouth Rocks, White Rocks ( all Pullets ), Light Brahma, Orpingtons, Jersey Giants, Australorps and Dark Cornish this year from Cackle. Egg production was my main goal with a couple of fun breeds thrown in, with a few meat birds as culls. On the Rocks I ordered all pullets but I got one White Cockrel by accident. I purchased 5 Buff Orpington Cockrels as meat birds. No don't get me wrong they are growing and doing fine, but next year it won't be Orps. The white rock at 8 weeks is considerably larger, and even the hens are bigger than the rest of the hens, except the Brahma's. The accident has saved himself from the freezer camp by being so much larger and having a very large breast and I am going to us him for breeding ( dumb luck on my part). If I did it over again I would have gotten all white rocks, the buffs might catch up but they seem smaller and slower growing than the rocks.
I know this sounds wierd but my Light Brahma cockrels are my biggest birds right now, and I am really suprised how much bigger and heavier they are than all the rest of my birds.
The dark cornish are coming along fine but they are slow growers, I will say I have some males with massive legs and breasts but at 16-18 weeks these guys are no way going to be ready to process.
Lessons learned, I would have never figured that the Brahmas would be putting on weight like no tommorrow, I only have two cockrels and I am keeping them for breeding.
Looking back I would say Brahmas and White Rocks are the best meat birds right now. My brooder is full of Delawares and Delaware crosses but they are 6 weeks behind the rest and its too early to tell how that will work out.
I ordered Plymouth Rocks, White Rocks ( all Pullets ), Light Brahma, Orpingtons, Jersey Giants, Australorps and Dark Cornish this year from Cackle. Egg production was my main goal with a couple of fun breeds thrown in, with a few meat birds as culls. On the Rocks I ordered all pullets but I got one White Cockrel by accident. I purchased 5 Buff Orpington Cockrels as meat birds. No don't get me wrong they are growing and doing fine, but next year it won't be Orps. The white rock at 8 weeks is considerably larger, and even the hens are bigger than the rest of the hens, except the Brahma's. The accident has saved himself from the freezer camp by being so much larger and having a very large breast and I am going to us him for breeding ( dumb luck on my part). If I did it over again I would have gotten all white rocks, the buffs might catch up but they seem smaller and slower growing than the rocks.
I know this sounds wierd but my Light Brahma cockrels are my biggest birds right now, and I am really suprised how much bigger and heavier they are than all the rest of my birds.
The dark cornish are coming along fine but they are slow growers, I will say I have some males with massive legs and breasts but at 16-18 weeks these guys are no way going to be ready to process.
Lessons learned, I would have never figured that the Brahmas would be putting on weight like no tommorrow, I only have two cockrels and I am keeping them for breeding.
Looking back I would say Brahmas and White Rocks are the best meat birds right now. My brooder is full of Delawares and Delaware crosses but they are 6 weeks behind the rest and its too early to tell how that will work out.