HERE is where we are going to talk about a sustainable meat bird flock

[CARS]

Alrighty guys and gals. Let's talk about how to achieve (at least in theory) keeping your freezers full of chicken, quail, turkey, duck, whatever as long as it is covered in the BYC bi-laws.

Unless you are working on a project that involves Cornish X's that are over, lets say 12 weeks, with a plan to breed them and get fertile eggs from them LEAVE THEM OUT!

I'd like everyone to start with what they started with and what their goals are FROM THE FLOCK. I don't want to hear about saving third world countries or food miles. I just want to know and understand what you are doing to breed, hatch, raise, and cull (for food or for improving the flock).

I know this will morph. And that is fine as long as we stick to what YOU are doing, not what Joel, Bob, the gal down the road, etc are doing. I don't want to hear about what a book told you to do. I just want us to talk about OUR flocks and intentions.

Remember, even if you are supplementing your freezer with Cornish X's WE ARE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEM! Standard Cornish is fine of course.

Does this sound good to anyone???

 

[randomchick]

For the last 2 years I tried raising and eating a bunch of dual purpose breeds and their crosses. To be consistent all were butchered between 14 and 16 weeks. Some had better breasts, some had better legs, etc. From that, and from the comments from all who have eaten my birds, I have decided that the best breed for eggs, and good meat, for my family is:
Plymouth rocks crossed with jersey giants. I will be now using these 2 breeds for my eggs and their crossed offspring for meat. If you wait till about 18 weeks you get a juice bird averaging 6 lbs on the table. great breast and very good wings.
This is just what I am doing chicken wise. The ducks are this years experiment.

 

[Amyable]

It sounds very good. Unfortunately, I have nothing to contribute yet but will soak up any info that is posted.

 

[Wifezilla]

I picked a dual purpose breed that will go broody for sustainability. Will it work? Not sure. Those ducks are so darn cute I think I will have trouble butchering any of them. For now I am just enjoying the delicious duck eggs.

I also have quail, but the breed I have are NOT likely to go broody. I am going to try and change their environment and see if any of the girls gets the maternal urge, but I am not counting on it.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Then you don't really want to talk about a "sustainable meat bird flock". Without those issues, and discussion about relevant literature, it isn't about sustainability at all. It is about keeping your freezer full, a separate issue entirely.

You can't talk about sustainability without testing what is and is not sustainable, or why.

 

[Wifezilla]

I think there is a big difference between discussing things that have been tried in other nations and saving 3rd world nations. There is going to be some overlap, but I am not going to turn the back yard in to a rice paddy so I can do a sustainable duck/rice cycle as used in the far east, but reading about it does give me ideas.

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Then you don't really want to talk about a "sustainable meat bird flock". Without those issues, and discussion about relevant literature, it isn't about sustainability at all. It is about keeping your freezer full, a separate issue entirely.

You can't talk about sustainability without testing what is and is not sustainable, or why.

The others got the idea. If you don't want to talk about what you are doing then please sit on the sidelines and read about what others are doing.

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Would you elaborate? Is that a Ply. Rock roo and Jersey hen or vise versa? How many (m/f) did you start with and how are you working on improving on your success?

 

[CARS]

I am on a waiting list for day old Buckeye chicks to start a dual-purpose flock that I hope to keep a sustainable flock. Of course it's all just a plan now, I may end up with 25 roos

Once I get some experience with improving the flock, I will let it grow. But for now I am just seeing if I can cull for quality or make a million mistakes.

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Could you please add the breeds you have???