Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[BGMatt]

Ya know, just thinking out loud (well in type anyway). When one says dual purpose, eggs and meat, doesn't that really depend on how much you need? I mean, yeah a Langshan, Plymouth Rock, Dorking, etc has lots of great meat on it. But what if you don't eat much meat? In a one or two adult household with no children, how long does a whole chicken of that size last? Couldn't you get enough meat off a 4 lb (dressed weight, not live weight) Leghorn to last for a couple days maybe even?

What do you guys think?

 

[Wisher1000]

Quality of meat is a consideration as well as skin color preference. Campines are considered a dual purpose breed in their native country. Their eggs are large and they are consistent layers. The meat was, at one time, renowned for it's white skin, delicate texture, and full flavor. In spite of it's size, it was a prized table bird in Europe and still is in Australia. While the weight should be only 6lbs for the cock and 4lbs for the hen, looking at the bird gives the impression that they are even lighter than their actual weight, due to them being close feathered. They also have great feed conversion ratios due to their skill, preference, and tenacity for free ranging. Or, so I read......

 

[Fred's Hens]

My wife and I "need" two dozen eggs per week for our household use. I'll just use that instead of what we might produce for sale or barter. Just the two dozen eggs we need each week.

I can produce those two dozen eggs a few ways. I could have 4 hatchery Red Sex Links produce them. Not a problem. They're not bad birds, but they just are what they are. But we experienced far too much EYP and ascites issues for my taste, during the last 3 or 4 years we kept such birds. So, four RSLs.

Or, (and here we get to the applicable part for this Heritage Large Fowl thread) I can produce that same two dozen eggs needed per week with 6 super high quality, beautiful, meaty Rocks or Reds. The Rocks and Reds give me the option to breed for enjoyment, commitment to the breed and for fertile egg or chick sales.

Bottom line, (and yes, precise financial records are kept as this is a legal farm) so, bottom line? The standard bred dual purpose poultry provides much more enjoyment for me personally and doesn't hurt the bottom line at all. It's a free choice. It's a decision, that's all it is.

 

[TeaChick]

Ya know, just thinking out loud (well in type anyway). When one says dual purpose, eggs and meat, doesn't that really depend on how much you need? I mean, yeah a Langshan, Plymouth Rock, Dorking, etc has lots of great meat on it. But what if you don't eat much meat? In a one or two adult household with no children, how long does a whole chicken of that size last? Couldn't you get enough meat off a 4 lb (dressed weight, not live weight) Leghorn to last for a couple days maybe even?

What do you guys think?

When I got pregnant for the first time, I was told not to handle raw meat. So, I'd buy a whole chicken, use a sandwich bag as a "glove" and sprinkle Essence of Emeril all over the inside and outside.
A five pound chicken would make dinner one night and lunch for two days for the two of us.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't know that I've ever seen a Leghorn that would dress out to a 4 lb dress weight.

 

[TeaChick]

Dual-purpose is easy in my house. There are six of us. We use.....computing...... 4 eggs for DH&me for b-fast * 4 days a week = 16 + 2 eggs for 2 batches of scones for the week + 4 when we make 2 batches of pancakes or waffles for Sunday morning b-fast = 22 eggs minimum and that same 16 + 2 + 10 for eggs for Sunday morning b-fast plus whatever we use to bake = 28 + eggs, up to 3 dozen)

So we can absorb a lot of "extra" eggs by either feeding them to the kids during the week for b-fast or by baking (my favorite way to use a few extra eggs lol); or we could use as little as 2 dozen easily and not break our routine.

Then on the meat side, we haven't been raising chickens long enough to eat our own, but when we buy a chicken from the store, there are no leftovers from a five pound (I guess that's dressed, but with the giblets, which most of the time the dogs get). If we have a six pound chicken, there's a little left over. So, if I have birds as small as three pounds, I can cook two and not have leftovers or I can make six one pound birds and have individual roast chickens.

With so many ppl it's much easier to absorb extra or use a little less.
But yes, with a husband and wife, there's more left over, so they might make better use of a three pound bird that lasts a dinner and then lunch, rather than a six pound bird where I have leftovers from six diners.

IDK if that helps, but there it is. =)

 

[har]

For a small dual purpose bird I would be tempted to contact Yellow House Farm and talk to them about the Ancona.

Scott

 

[armorfirelady]

My wife and I "need" two dozen eggs per week for our household use.  I'll just use that instead of what we might produce for sale or barter.  Just the two dozen eggs we need each week.

I can produce those two dozen eggs a few ways.  I could have 4 hatchery Red Sex Links produce them.  Not a problem.  They're not bad birds, but they just are what they are.  But we experienced far too much EYP and ascites issues for my taste, during the last 3 or 4 years we kept such birds.   So, four RSLs.

Or, (and here we get to the applicable part for this Heritage Large Fowl thread) I can produce that same two dozen eggs needed per week with 6 super high quality, beautiful, meaty Rocks or Reds.  The Rocks and Reds give me the option to breed for enjoyment, commitment to the breed and for fertile egg or chick sales.  

Bottom line, (and yes, precise financial records are kept as this is a legal farm) so, bottom line?   The standard bred dual purpose poultry provides much more enjoyment for me personally and doesn't hurt the bottom line at all.  It's a free choice.  It's a decision, that's all it is.  

What is EYP and ascites ?

 

[Fred's Hens]

What is EYP and ascites ?

Ovarian/reproductive issues. This is wide topic and covers more than one reproductive issue. I remember Bob always talking about how hatchery birds were great egg layers, that is, until "they had a blow out" as he called it.

Speckledhen, who loves Barred Rocks so much, finally gave up on all hatchery BRs, not out of some prejudice or arrogance, but simply because, as she testifies so often, that she simply got sick and tired of the younger hens dying all the time. She changed to bred to Standard, heritage birds. We've all got our own theories, I guess. Bob had his, Speckled Hen (Cyn) has her's, and I have mine.

They're simply over cooked genetically. Pushed to mature too fast, lay too soon, and lay too much. The body reacts and it isn't a pleasant experience. I'll just leave it at that.

 

[armorfirelady]

What is EYP and ascites ?

Ovarian/reproductive issues.  This is wide topic and covers more than one reproductive issue.  I remember Bob always talking about how hatchery birds were great egg layers, that is, until "they had a blow out" as he called it.

Speckledhen, who loves Barred Rocks so much, finally gave up on all hatchery BRs, not out of some prejudice or arrogance, but simply because, as she testifies so often, that she simply got sick and tired of the younger hens dying all the time.  She changed to bred to Standard, heritage birds. We've all got our own theories, I guess.  Bob had his, Speckled Hen (Cyn) has her's, and I have mine.

They're simply over cooked genetically.  Pushed to mature too fast, lay too soon, and lay too much.  The body reacts and it isn't a pleasant experience.   I'll just leave it at that. 

Than you for he explanation. All my hens are from others but probably just hatchery but I've really had no issues with them and I let them slow down laying like nature wants and feed fermented food, I'm guessing I just got lucky so far since my oldest are about 1 1/2 years old. But they have all laid later than others with hatchery have said they should except the EE.