Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[hcammack]

I processed a faverolles cockerel at 6 months a few weeks ago. I was surprised to find the meat was really tender and flavorful as faverolles have been bred mainly for show for a while. I hope to start selecting males that would yield good meat qualities. More meat was needed in the breast area. But overall the bird did have a lot of meat on it and the dark meat was especially tasty. Hope to start working on some meatier birds this spring. Already some of my pullets are between 8-8.5lbs I think (don't have a scale) anyway much heavier then any other birds I have had.

Here is a picture of the processed bird and cooked bird:

 

[Yellow House Farm]

BOb, are your RIR single comb or rose comb?

Yellow House got me to thinking about why the family farm has single combed birds and his farm has non-singles. THe moisture levels.

I live on the north dise of a hill and seem to get a lot of run off water. Most is diverested around the house lot, but it makes me think. THe air flows uphill from the river as the day warms up and then flows down hill as the air cools down.

If I replace woods with grass, is that more moisture or less?

In most places the chickens are eaten up all the grass and only bare dirt remains.

ANyone have suggestions on farm management, book? or web site? To have and raise chickens I think I need to go back to the beginning and see the land as the corner stone to success.

Arielle, were I in your stead, I'd go with the RC Reds. Luckily for you, you live not far from some of the best RC Reds I know of, those of Warren Carlow. If you were to want to make them your breed of focus, he'd be a fantastic mentor. There's also his mentoree and my mentor, Don Nelson. Although for you, I'd recommend Warren' RC's, both Don and Warren are terrific resources.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I processed a faverolles cockerel at 6 months a few weeks ago. I was surprised to find the meat was really tender and flavorful as faverolles have been bred mainly for show for a while. I hope to start selecting males that would yield good meat qualities. More meat was needed in the breast area. But overall the bird did have a lot of meat on it and the dark meat was especially tasty. Hope to start working on some meatier birds this spring. Already some of my pullets are between 8-8.5lbs I think (don't have a scale) anyway much heavier then any other birds I have had.

Here is a picture of the processed bird and cooked bird:

It would be so excellently fantastic if you kept working with these and really developed a good meaty carcass. Then, you could bring the to thee NE shows and wow us all! The NH show is just twenty minutes off of rte. 89 in Concord. hint, hint.....

 

[ashandvine]

I processed a faverolles cockerel at 6 months a few weeks ago. I was surprised to find the meat was really tender and flavorful as faverolles have been bred mainly for show for a while. I hope to start selecting males that would yield good meat qualities. More meat was needed in the breast area. But overall the bird did have a lot of meat on it and the dark meat was especially tasty. Hope to start working on some meatier birds this spring. Already some of my pullets are between 8-8.5lbs I think (don't have a scale) anyway much heavier then any other birds I have had.

If they weigh as much as a gallon of milk you can make a fair guess they are about 8 pounds. Nice. I wonder what makes meat taste different, other than the feed. How are they laying? I need to find a thread about beginning the marketing of meat birds.

Arielle, were I in your stead, I'd go with the RC Reds. Luckily for you, you live not far from some of the best RC Reds I know of, those of Warren Carlow. If you were to want to make them your breed of focus, he'd be a fantastic mentor. There's also his mentoree and my mentor, Don Nelson. Although for you, I'd recommend Warren' RC's, both Don and Warren are terrific resources.

I love the RC period, for looks and for winter efficiency. Arielle, you might be able to breed in a rc into your current flock as that's a dominant trait. I have an sc dorking rooster here who is hideous. I can't wait to get an rc boy to breed out rcs.
Mentoring. How does a person earn that carrot?
As for the land being a key, well, yes, of course. If you were going to look at your parcel with the eyes of someone who had to do it all by hand you would look for things like nearby water, cold sinks, drainage, wind breaks and soil types-- sometimes indicated by the trees available, and what trees you had to build with or harvest from. If you are looking, like me, to use your land for animals and you want them to forage a significant amount and successfully, then you are asking them to do what was expected of them a long time ago. To look through that lens changes how we plan and use property. It I owned this parcel I am on now I would put in a windbreak very quickly. This farm is 200 years old. The pond and old mill sites are fun... but not that useful without a working mill on them anymore. The fields are great for hay or grazers, neither of which I have. The chickens do have plenty of room and the orchard has merit. Even 200 years ago they were trying to do with what they could buy over what they had on hand. Beechnuts. Butternuts. Trees with nuts that used to be very valuable and more prevalent. Nearly gone. If there is a revival of chicken heirlooms it makes a lot of sense to have other heirlooms come along with them because of the 'circle of life' thing.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: I always had Single Combs. In my climate that is a good breed in the cold climate the Rose Comb takes the cold better. Warren would be my first start you should be able to drive to his place one day in the spring and pick up some eggs and bring them home or some started chicks. Crossing them onto SIngle Combs can be done. You got to breed out the hollow combs on the Rose Combs for a few years. The best bet is to get the right stuff and get a mentor to help you. He is one of the best. Many go the off beat route and then in three years give up the breed. Its very common in people who get Reds. Thats why ther are so few people to go to who have had them for ten or 20 years.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Has anyone checked out Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds?



Quote:

 

[cukooformarans]

I have and liked them

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Has anyone checked out Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds?

My husband and I have visited their demo village, looked at their poultry and livestock (reasonably clean and well-maintained,) and bought some tomato seeds. I also subscribe to their magazine on heirloom vegetables and have thoroughly enjoyed all of it. They have a mind-boggling variety of tomatoes, though, so be forewarned! I have not done any kind of investigation of their business practices. Other than that, I highly recommend them as a seed source.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Is anyone on this thread aware of a comparison of different feeding regimes/husbandry methods and how it affected meat TASTE?

I like the fine-grained meat we have in our hatchery Dorkings, much better than any other chicken meat we have raised, and certainly more than "grocery-store" chicken. Those chickens were raised on all the Purina Flock Raiser they wanted to eat, plus occasional table scraps and true free ranging from 6 weeks of age until the day before slaughter. I understand that small holders used different feeds and practices in raising their chickens, and wondered if anyone has done a comparison taste test on those?

I understand that resting the meat 2-3 days will make it more tender, and some people recommend resting the meat in a brine or other seasoned solution. I am looking for feeds or husbandry methods that improve the taste/texture of the meat, independent of the breed/ age of the chicken.

Just looking for ways to tweak the system, and improve the quality of what I feed myself and my family.
Thanks,
Angela

 

[saladin]

The first thing I'd recommend is limiting their feed after they are off chick starter. 4 oz of quality feed per day is all that is needed. More than that is just a waste.


As to the taste/texture of the meat:

I think alot depends not on the feed but on the choice of free-range vs. pen raised birds. Let's face it, most folks think 'good' chicken taste like what they get at a fast food joint; it is juice (translate that to water) and very very tender because of the rapid growth involved (from the shell to your table is 41 to 47 days).

If that is what you call 'good' then you need a cornish cross bird bred to grow rapidly. In other words, a commercial chicken in your backyard.

If instead you are looking for a bird that actually has a flavor to the meat, then you are talking about a slow growing bird. Tenderness will depend on how it is raised and the cooking process.

Oh by the way, if you are going to cook these free-rangers the way would a supermarket chicken then you better have an electric saw at the table to cut it up with.