I'm sure everyone will say..."you can eat any bird"...but seriously. Can I raise bantam orps for meat? Other than the obvious (their size), are there any problems? I really don't have the room for the standard size .
Why not raise less standard size or butcher a cornish X early(3-5 weeks)? Certainly it would be much less expensive that way, take less time, have more actual meat.
do you raise bantam orps? the bantam cornish are pretty meaty for a bantam. the following link shows mostly the standards but there's a couple of bantam pics in there. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Cornish/BRKCornish.html
Yes you can! They are the same size as the Cornish hens and just as delicious. You will have to grow them a little longer than the Cornish X's. Have fun with them!
I'm sorry, I should have presented my question a little differently...I am getting bantam orp eggs for me and my son to hatch, raise from chicks, play with, but mainly for eggs. Can these orps be eaten when I've finished using them for eggs? I've bought a coop which is already set up for bantams...that's why I'm getting them instead of the standard.
After fooling around all spring and summer trying to establish a flock of small freindly laying hens out of every one elses cast offs I have decided to bite the bullet and place my own hatchery order. Bantam orpingtons were my birds of choice. Because of the hatchery minimum order I had to get my bantam orpingtons streight run and in a larger quantity than I want, however the extras will make a fine little cornish sized meal dressed out. (even the bantam is dual purpose) I plan to travel to a processor to have the deed done for me. By the time the 8-12 weeks has gone by I know I will not be able to do it myself. This does not "pencil out" as a poultry savings but should get me the few healthy, tame, hens I have been wanting so badly. Had I been on the forum a little longer I might have done as you are and hatched eggs. I just had never tried that before. The wait time from the hatchery has been about the same. (mine are due in another week). So I guess my long winded answer is yes, sure.
Thanks for your post orc. I know I won't be able to slaughter any of these chicks that I hatch. Actually, I don't know if I could ever slaughter any that I've raised/handled. Maybe next spring I should just get some standard orp chicks, not handle them, and slaughter them. That's probably what I'll do...those bantams are just too darn cute to eat!
Quote:That's what I'm thinking. If it's worth the trouble to raise & it quail, then I don't see why not bantams. If you plan to eat the used up hens, try making stock or "stew" out of them. They will be tough any other way, and this way, you don't have to pluck them. You can simply kill, gut and skin.
