For those raising heritage breeds for meat...

[shelleyb1969]

The article reminds me of my grandmother...and what chickens back in the old days were really made for. Back then, ALL of them were a source of food, either eggs or meat or even both. Sure the breeds mattered, and some were considered better for certain purposes, as the article states. My grandmother raised leghorn chicks every spring with the sole intent of using them for fryers. She also raised other breeds to use for other purposes, such as broilers and roasters. But her primary purpose for having the chickens was to provide her family nourishment in one form or another.

 

[anthonyjames]

I am newer to chickens than most. This will be my 3rd year.

What is a heritage chicken? Would that be like the Plymouth Barred, Austrolaps, Star Reds? Could be considered dual breed?

I find this interesting as this year was to be my first year with meaties. 40 Cornish X and 40 Red Broilers.

I am also adding another 20+ egg birds.

6 Americauanas
6 Production Reds
6 Silver Laced Wyandottes
6 Plymouth Barred

I would be game for getting straight runs and parsing out the Roos. Just I am on an acre and have to please my neighbors with no crowing. Advice greatly appreciated

 

[petrelline]

I just finished up 16 barred rock roosters I raised specifically for meat. I raised them on 24% gamebird feed and processed them between 12 and 16 weeks. All of them were between 3 1/4 and 4 lbs. Narrow breasts but big leg quarters. They are the perfect size and shape for me, I like dark meat.

FCR was low 5 something after processing, I forget the exact number, but I think I could do a lot better with feed if I get them out on pasture and I buy the feed in bulk. But heritage dual-purpose chickens are NOT meaties and they are not going to be nearly as feed efficient. They're just not. This is not something you do to save money. I actually made back at least some of my feed costs by selling the pullets in my original box of 25 chicks to local backyard chicken folk.

I have pictures and a spreadsheet I was planning to post about the whole experiment when I have a little more time.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Yes, Plymouth Rocks, any color, Australorps, Wyandottes, and Americaunas, would all be heritage breeds, except maybe the production reds. Plymouth Barred, do you mean Barred Rocks?

As for parsing out the roos, I think the word you're looking for would "cull", (to select unwanted/undesirable or unfit items or animals from a group, to remove them. Many of us cull by slaughtering the unwanted birds for food) rather than "parse". Parsing is minutely analyzing something piece by piece, such as a computer program or a sentence structure. (I'm not trying to be critical. Your sentence structure makes me wonder if English may not be your native language, and you might sometimes get the wrong word?)

But yes, that's what many do, raise a flock of dual purpose birds and eat the roos, keep the hens for eggs, until the stop laying (or slow way down). So you'd be in good company, lots of folks do exactly that. It works for me!

Some let old hens stay on a retirement plan, other slaughter the spent layers and use them as stewing hens. They're very tasty, too.

One acre is plenty to raise a fair number of chickens, you should do fine with that. Those are some nice breeds. You might also want to take a look at this: http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

It's a nice handy reference to help decide what breeds are best suited to your needs. I refer to it a lot. Good luck to you!

 

[anthonyjames]

Dancingbear,

Thanks and I guess my programmer in me came out. I know that it is culling. Just when I am at work I have a hard time disconnecting until I get home with my kids, wife, dog, 2 cats and the 15 hens I have now.

I already have those birds on order for delivery in mid March as well as 40 Cornish X and 40 Red Broilers. But after the meat birds are done I have access to a 20 acre farm that they are willing to let me use their land in trade for some of the chickens, eggs and turkeys. So my plan was to order 100 more hens but maybe I will go with a straight run and see if I end up heavier on the hens.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:

Well, it could happen, I guess.....

I know that straight run is supposed to be random, just coming out however they hatch, but in my experience, the only time you come out hen-heavy when ordering straight run, is if you would want mostly roos, like when you order meat birds. Other breeds, you'll nearly always end up with a lot more roos. Unless you are ordering a breed that is only sold straight run, or from a place that only sells straight run. I think Sand Hill does that, but the prices are a little high. I've read mixed opinions about Sand Hill, some say great, others say not.