Egg production

[Duncan Cook]

Quote:
Sounds as though we have similar plans (though I am not planning to sell eggs at this stage) but you are much further along than me. The confusion probably arose because I can't see how it would work to have different breeds for layers and meat as you would still have to cull out the boys from laying hatch.

Our neighbours keep sheep and pigs plus layers but not meat birds so should be able to swap chicken for lamb and pork (another small step on the long road towards self sufficiency).

 

[aart]

Quote:

Sounds as though we have similar plans (though I am not planning to sell eggs at this stage) but you are much further along than me. The confusion probably arose because I can't see how it would work to have different breeds for layers and meat as you would still have to cull out the boys from laying hatch.

Our neighbours keep sheep and pigs plus layers but not meat birds so should be able to swap chicken for lamb and pork (another small step on the long road towards self sufficiency).

You can definitely get meat from the cockerels and old hens.....but it's nothing like the meat you get from a Cornish Cross in just 8 weeks of growth, and you can't restock your CX by hatching, you have to buy them from hatchery, unless you get your own parent stock to cross yourself(actually not sure you can so that).

There are other options for 'sustainable' meat birds but they take longer to grow out.
I haven't researched it enough yet.

Have you perused the meat bird forum here yet?
Do you plan on doing your own butchering?

 

[Duncan Cook]

I have had a quick look but haven't managed to find any suppliers of Cornish cross eggs here in New Zealand yet, I will keep looking as they sound ideal for what I want. Bit ironic really as we originally come from Cornwall.

Yes I do plan to kill and process myself, it used to be one of my jobs as a kid to pluck, draw & truss the weekly chicken (before there were supermarkets) though I didn't have to kill 'em then.

Off to have a look at the meat bird forum, thanks for the help and advice so far, it is much appreciated.

 

[aart]

I have had a quick look but haven't managed to find any suppliers of Cornish cross eggs here in New Zealand yet, I will keep looking as they sound ideal for what I want. Bit ironic really as we originally come from Cornwall.

Yes I do plan to kill and process myself, it used to be one of my jobs as a kid to pluck, draw & truss the weekly chicken (before there were supermarkets) though I didn't have to kill 'em then.

Off to have a look at the meat bird forum, thanks for the help and advice so far, it is much appreciated.

Things might be very different in NZ than the US........you should put your location in your profile.
Cornish Cross are a meat chicken sold for rapid growth here in the states, and like the hybrid sexlinked crosses of laying chickens, I don't think hatching eggs are available.