Heritage Meat Birds

[nicalandia]

Here are a few pictures of the processing and finished carcass. It is in the fridge now, resting for the fryer on the fourth

Finished with a 2.7 lb carcass, and about a pound of neck, head, feet, liver, gizzard, and heart for the stockpot! Whole process took 30 minutes by myself
(4th bird in my life, 1st of the year) which is faster than going to the grocery store, and I'll only get quicker!

So exciting. Why don't more people do this???

Wow, what a sorry looking carcass, just like in the 1920s-1930s before the broiler industry took over. How about introducing Asil blood in your lines? they produce wider breast cuts, there was an article on crossing them with RIR and Barred Rocks way back before the Cornish cross became popular.

Here is the study, but they used a Shamo instead of Asil(about the same type) and the crossed produced pretty good looking birds even when crossed with skiny Leghorns

https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/53841/CtahrpsAgExp81.pdf

some pics of the work done way back in the 1930s

Shamo/Barred Rock vs Pure Barred Rock(the first two pictures from the left)

 

[Parront]

Here are a few pictures of the processing and finished carcass. It is in the fridge now, resting for the fryer on the fourth

Finished with a 2.7 lb carcass, and about a pound of neck, head, feet, liver, gizzard, and heart for the stockpot! Whole process took 30 minutes by myself
(4th bird in my life, 1st of the year) which is faster than going to the grocery store, and I'll only get quicker!

So exciting. Why don't more people do this???

Got a turkey that wants to be next?

 

[TheRealCliffordWilliams]

Wow, what a sorry looking carcass, just like in the 1920s-1930s before the broiler industry took over. How about introducing Asil blood in your lines? they produce wider breast cuts, there was an article on crossing them with RIR and Barred Rocks way back before the Cornish cross became popular.

Here is the study, but they used a Shamo instead of Asil(about the same type) and the crossed produced pretty good looking birds even when crossed with skiny Leghorns

https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/53841/CtahrpsAgExp81.pdf

some pics of the work done way back in the 1930s

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Shamo/Barred Rock vs Pure Barred Rock(the first two pictures from the left)

Call me CrAzY, but as a Chef my 12 wk old Delaware carcass looks great to me.

When I see the short-legged, crazy young yet overgrown, plump watery breasted cornish x carcasses in the grocery store, with the pale white skin and the flavorless fat...then I think "Wow what a sorry looking carcass". I think my 2.7 lb grass fed free range heritage breed yellow skinned long legged carcass looks waaaaaaayyy better than...any other chicken carcass I've seen.

The reason it looks like a carcass from the early 20th century before the broiler industry took over is because it is a Delaware carcass. Delawares were the broiler of choice in the Delmarva Peninsula from the early 1940's through the mid 1950's (when cornish crosses took over), and as the Delmarva Peninsula grew chicken for the east coast the Delaware was the choice for chicken on American dinner tables during that time period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_chicken#History

This is a lot of the reason I am growing out these birds, is to taste a part of American history that is not otherwise available and has nearly been forgotten. I think that the sensory experiences of raising and eating traditional foods provide a vital connection with what it means to be human, and the carcass of a heritage breed chicken processes, looks, and tastes much different from 21st century commodity chicken.

Also, unlike most chicken consumers, I don't see chicken and think "breast meat", I much prefer the darker meat of the legs and thighs. The Orpingtons are supposed to be heavy legged (though with this hatchery batch I am having my doubts!) so I am hoping to wind up with a chicken that doesn't necessarily have such a large breast but compensates in larger legs and thighs.

When I introduce new genetics next season I am leaning towards Cornish (because...of course) and Brahma (the most popular meat bird in America during the turn of the 20th century) and maybe even some silkies because I love black chicken. Asil look...crazy...fun looking chicken, but not the meatiest looking birds, not the best egg layers, and with the reputation for aggression probably not best around the kids...

 

[Ruthster55]

Call me CrAzY, but as a Chef my 12 wk old Delaware carcass looks great to me.

When I see the short-legged, crazy young yet overgrown, plump watery breasted cornish x carcasses in the grocery store, with the pale white skin and the flavorless fat...then I think "Wow what a sorry looking carcass". I think my 2.7 lb grass fed free range heritage breed yellow skinned long legged carcass looks waaaaaaayyy better than...any other chicken carcass I've seen.

The reason it looks like a carcass from the early 20th century before the broiler industry took over is because it is a Delaware carcass. Delawares were the broiler of choice in the Delmarva Peninsula from the early 1940's through the mid 1950's (when cornish crosses took over), and as the Delmarva Peninsula grew chicken for the east coast the Delaware was the choice for chicken on American dinner tables during that time period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_chicken#History

This is a lot of the reason I am growing out these birds, is to taste a part of American history that is not otherwise available and has nearly been forgotten. I think that the sensory experiences of raising and eating traditional foods provide a vital connection with what it means to be human, and the carcass of a heritage breed chicken processes, looks, and tastes much different from 21st century commodity chicken.

Also, unlike most chicken consumers, I don't see chicken and think "breast meat", I much prefer the darker meat of the legs and thighs. The Orpingtons are supposed to be heavy legged (though with this hatchery batch I am having my doubts!) so I am hoping to wind up with a chicken that doesn't necessarily have such a large breast but compensates in larger legs and thighs.

When I introduce new genetics next season I am leaning towards Cornish (because...of course) and Brahma (the most popular meat bird in America during the turn of the 20th century) and maybe even some silkies because I love black chicken. Asil look...crazy...fun looking chicken, but not the meatiest looking birds, not the best egg layers, and with the reputation for aggression probably not best around the kids...

Brahma Rooster over Aseel hen? You don’t even need an Aseel rooster for that.

 

[TheRealCliffordWilliams]

Got a turkey that wants to be next?

Haha, looks like doesn't it! It's always funny how they seem to line up to be next.

I was thinking about what a luxury food young turkey would be...To get this bird who only lays several dozen eggs in only one season of the year...raise out the poults and not even get them to the age where they're converting efficiently, or foraging all that much...and then slaughter. Seems like there must be some king in history who has commissioned such a thing!

I am going to wait until the turkeys get about 20 - 25 weeks old, should be around August or September. I plan on keeping one tom until November to let him get huuuuuge and feed him like a kobe wagyu steer; as much fermented corn, clover, and sunflower seed as he wants !!!

 

[TheRealCliffordWilliams]

Brahma Rooster over Aseel hen? You don’t even need an Aseel rooster for that.

True, I wouldn't need an Aseel rooster.

I'm confused, what would that get me? Why would Brahma Rooster over Aseel hen be desirable? It seems like there are plenty of other genetics that are much better suited as a dual purpose chicken in Western Washington than Aseel - wyandotte, cornish, australorp, jersey giant, etc....

Am I missing something?

 

[Torinik]

Call me CrAzY, but as a Chef my 12 wk old Delaware carcass looks great to me.

You're not crazy. That is, indeed, a great looking carcass. Nothing like those bowling-balls in the supermarket.

Also, unlike most chicken consumers, I don't see chicken and think "breast meat", I much prefer the darker meat of the legs and thighs.

Same here.

 

[Molpet]

Haha, looks like doesn't it! It's always funny how they seem to line up to be next.

I was thinking about what a luxury food young turkey would be...To get this bird who only lays several dozen eggs in only one season of the year...raise out the poults and not even get them to the age where they're converting efficiently, or foraging all that much...and then slaughter. Seems like there must be some king in history who has commissioned such a thing!

I am going to wait until the turkeys get about 20 - 25 weeks old, should be around August or September. I plan on keeping one tom until November to let him get huuuuuge and feed him like a kobe wagyu steer; as much fermented corn, clover, and sunflower seed as he wants !!!

I harvest the heritage jakes starting at 6 months and dress out 10 to 12 lbs at 6 months

 

[Ruthster55]

True, I wouldn't need an Aseel rooster.

I'm confused, what would that get me? Why would Brahma Rooster over Aseel hen be desirable? It seems like there are plenty of other genetics that are much better suited as a dual purpose chicken in Western Washington than Aseel - wyandotte, cornish, australorp, jersey giant, etc....

Am I missing something?

Unfortunately, that study only reported the results of crossing the Shamo roosters over the BR, RIR, and Leghorn hens. They didn't write about crossing BR, RIR, and Leghorn roosters over Shamo hens.

A lot of the genes of the progeny come from the female, and, in theory, the Aseel hen would be bringing in a wider breast. I don't know what the actual result would be.

Jersey Giant would be a good cross with Brahma, but JGs are heavy on the leg meat and not so much on breast meat. The choice of cross would depend on what you're looking for.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Well, I now have some heritage meat birds of my own. I got a box of 25 st. run Barred Hollands from @rjohns39 this week -- hatched Wed June 24. They are an uncommon breed, barred like a rock but lay a white egg. They were developed by Rutger's University in the 30's to be a dual-purpose bird for small farms to compete in the white egg market, which was the preferred color at the time. Although it seems to be a shame to eat such rare boys, that is what they were bred for. A larger, calmer (than a Leghorn) white egg laying bird that will fit in with today's backyard flock better would seem to me to be a good thing, but I guess the fad is for colored eggs right now.I like white eggs, and they make all the other colors look better when mixed together.
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Very nice chicks, all 25 survived the P.O. and are stuffing themselves. They are very friendly and come right up to your hand for the clump of grass & dirt. Those are my version of "pro-biotics"!

If you find it possible, you could always keep the females and a male and just eat the extra males. Just a thought.