Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[TaraBellaBirds]

I am new to chicken rearing but come from a family that used to make it a living. We have tried the genetic monsters the Cornish X and were not impressed. They tasted just like what you would buy in the store and their quality of life was much lower than we expected. The whole point of raising chickens for us was to know that our birds had a healthy and great life before they became our sustenance. So we have decided that heritage birds would be the route we would take.
For our first batch we decided to order a heavy assorted straight-run mix. We ended up with several RIR roos, a Delaware, and two speckled Sussex roos and our favorite 4 Jersey Giants. The birds are 14 weeks old and coming along great. So I was just curious as to what the experts considered the best as far as flavor and size? Please keep in mind that we have small children so disposition is very important.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Question for Yellow House or anyone keeping WHITE fowl.

Have you ever experienced cannibalism since blood against white feathers are attractive to poultry?

I hate to tell you this but blood against any color feather is an invitation to a feast!

 

[Extra Java]

Yes, I know but I am finding it more in my whites...just the slightest injury and they are feasting and downright killing. I have never seen this before. I like processing white chickens but not if I have to deal with this behavior. These whites were raised with blacks and not ONE of the black chickens do this. Not many people with white chickens to ask...Just thought it's a color contrast thing since this is the same breed... just a different color.

 

[Arielle]

Oh the garden has a few beds I had to weed this evening...jalapeños and cabbage beds. Threw the weeds and grass into one of the juvenile pens and the birds went to town on them. Need to weed whack around the beds and mow the aisles tomorrow afternoon.

I like planting flowers in the beds to bring in the bees for pollinating and the beneficials for the nasty bugs. Those lavender flowers are old fashioned petunias...really fragrant.

Now that the plants are established well, I can begin letting a few trusted birds in to catch the grasshoppers....a few of my girls are real earth movers and aren't allowed anywhere near the garden! Lol

I am new to chicken rearing but come from a family that used to make it a living. We have tried the genetic monsters the Cornish X and were not impressed. They tasted just like what you would buy in the store and their quality of life was much lower than we expected. The whole point of raising chickens for us was to know that our birds had a healthy and great life before they became our sustenance. So we have decided that heritage birds would be the route we would take.
For our first batch we decided to order a heavy assorted straight-run mix. We ended up with several RIR roos, a Delaware, and two speckled Sussex roos and our favorite 4 Jersey Giants. The birds are 14 weeks old and coming along great. So I was just curious as to what the experts considered the best as far as flavor and size? Please keep in mind that we have small children so disposition is very important.

THis is an indepth subject and hard to find information on.

I love to eat so if it is a chicken, I enjoy it. OThers have mentioned marans for flavor. I'm sure YHF has tasty birds (blanking on breed, argg). Size is also subjective; and it depends on the breed/line. In my limited experience very few birds have a lot of meat on their bones. Gotta find the breeders breeding for meat, IMO.

When you have time, read from the beginning and you will start finding some answers.

 

[NanaKat]

TaraBellaBirds, Arielle is so right about finding a wealth of information and answers for you search.
Personally, I have found my Australorps, Marans and Wyandotte satisfactory meat bird with good taste when roasted or fried. The older birds make great boilers for stock or chicken and dumplings.
Disposition is great on the Aussies and Wyandottes. The Maran hens are okay with disposition. Hens reserved, the roosters are less aggressive.

 

[NanaKat]

Duplicate post

 

[AletaG]

I am new to chicken rearing but come from a family that used to make it a living. We have tried the genetic monsters the Cornish X and were not impressed. They tasted just like what you would buy in the store and their quality of life was much lower than we expected. The whole point of raising chickens for us was to know that our birds had a healthy and great life before they became our sustenance. So we have decided that heritage birds would be the route we would take.
For our first batch we decided to order a heavy assorted straight-run mix. We ended up with several RIR roos, a Delaware, and two speckled Sussex roos and our favorite 4 Jersey Giants. The birds are 14 weeks old and coming along great. So I was just curious as to what the experts considered the best as far as flavor and size? Please keep in mind that we have small children so disposition is very important.

Hi there! If your "heritage" birds are hatchery stock rather than old-line, you may have problems with the RIR's... My understanding is that the cockerel hatchery birds are very cantankerous and mean. I know the hatchery RIR hens are not as nice as the HRIR's are reputed to be. Mine certainly have more attitude than I can stand, and will be replacing my flock with a heritage line this fall. I hear good things about JG temperment no matter what sex, but that they take forever to put meat on. Have a contact in Sequim who does capons with Cornish over hatchery Delaware, and is happy with them dressing out at almost 5lb at 20 wks or so, but he's looking to upgrade to H. Delawares because they are quite a bit bigger than his hatchery Dels.
If you look up the Heritage Large Fowl thread on byc. They are all raving about the Heritage New Hampshires. H Buckeyes get lots of love and praise, too.
-Aleta G.
Newbie and Sponge.

 

[Extra Java]

Aleta,

Please let us know how the HRIR temperament differs. For those with small children, this is #1

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

My RIR are very skittish but the males are 15 weeks and starting to put more meat on. I definitely will be sticking with my Black Jersey Giants they are fat and sassy and still have a good 6 months to maturity. My one Delaware roo is getting quite big too. I am willing to take my time and spend a bit more money for quality meat and happy birds.
I really didn't realize there was that much of a difference in temperament in hatchery birds. From my understanding heritage just means that they are naturally mated, slow growing, and long living. I can see where a breeder who specializes in a specific breed will focus on temperament more-so than a hatchery would. Starting my flock with hatchery birds was the best choice for us, and I do plan to add to my existing flock by purchasing birds from local breeders once I know more about what breeds work for us.
Thanks for the input and I will definitely look into the New Hampshire and Buckeye is one of the meat birds I have been considering.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hatchery stock absolutely shows more temperament problems. When you flock breed 200 roosters in a pen with 2000 hens, who the heck is judging temperament? Or faults? Or lack of conformity to the SOP? Who is selecting? With a scene like that, which cock gets the most females? Why the hyper, dominate, aggressive one of course. Breed in this manner for a decade of two and guess which genes and temperament dominates that flock? No surprise. None at all.

When a Heritage, true to type, true to breed, true to standard breeder has kept a line going for 30 or 40 years, breeding maybe less than a hundred chicks per year, he/she knows every bird. Knows the temperament of the cock birds used intimately. Very often, has shown those birds to be judged, thus preventing barn blindness.

A difference? Oh my. Night and day. That's our experience.