Heritage Meat Birds

[Parront]

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)

Looks normal to me for a heritage breed.

 

[Parront]

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

That is what they were bred for. Larger meatier white egg laying farm birds. I am hoping to find someone who wants a rare rooster & a couple of the hens for more availability here in AZ. These were shipped from Tennessee. I am hoping to get a 4H exemption so I can keep one.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh, okay. I just automatically assumedthat all 25 were destined for freezer camp, my bad

 

[Parront]

Oh, okay. I just automatically assumedthat all 25 were destined for freezer camp, my bad

Just the extra cockerels!

 

[Kabootar]

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

View attachment 2224039




View attachment 2224041
View attachment 2224042

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

Well using aseel blood provides wider and more meaty breasts. Many people think that aseels don't have much meat, but actually they are a heavy breed. They look skinny because of their tight feathering. They were used in the development of Cornish and Wyandottes.

Ruthster55 the shamo rooster was used instead of hens because the I think the breeders were trying to improve the shape of the carcass by introducing the wide breast.

Doubting Thomases should take a closer look. These are not light birds.

 

[Ruthster55]

Well using aseel blood provides wider and more meaty breasts. Many people think that aseels don't have much meat, but actually they are a heavy breed. They look skinny because of their tight feathering. They were used in the development of Cornish and Wyandottes.

Ruthster55 the shamo rooster was used instead of hens because the I think the breeders were trying to improve the shape of the carcass by introducing the wide breast.

Doubting Thomases should take a closer look. These are not light birds.
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You’re the one who told me to look at a Cornish Cross to see the Game bird heritage!

At first I didn’t get it.

With Cornish X, I just saw a big lazy white blob of a “spherical chicken” that’s always at the feeder even if “free ranging.”

Only after you hinted to look at the head and neck did I “get it” about those distant Aseel ancestors lost in the mists of time who became the great grandfathers...of the modern Cornish X parents!

 

[Kabootar]

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...

You are correct about the Cornish Cross. They have a lot of meat, but they are just flavorless and unappealing. They look sorry both dead and alive.

I agree with most of your remark, but I strongly disagree with your statement about aseels being mean. They are an extremely people friendly breed. Many roosters prefer people more than other chickens. You should worry more about the aggression in broody hens.

 

[Ruthster55]

You are correct about the Cornish Cross. They have a lot of meat, but they are just flavorless and unappealing. They look sorry both dead and alive.

I agree with most of your remark, but I strongly disagree with your statement about aseels being mean. They are an extremely people friendly breed. Many roosters prefer people more than other chickens. You should worry more about the aggression in broody hens.

With Game birds, it matters how they were raised and trained.

They need to be accustomed to human handling as well as conversations, music, and other human-related noise.

When crossbreeding a Game rooster to a larger hen with a goal of meat birds you want a softening of temperament.

Some young posters here have Cornish X as “pets” maintained on limited feed and talk about how friendly they are. The temperament is totally mellow in respect to their distant ancestors.

 

[Ruthster55]

Well using aseel blood provides wider and more meaty breasts. Many people think that aseels don't have much meat, but actually they are a heavy breed. They look skinny because of their tight feathering. They were used in the development of Cornish and Wyandottes.

Ruthster55 the shamo rooster was used instead of hens because the I think the breeders were trying to improve the shape of the carcass by introducing the wide breast.

Doubting Thomases should take a closer look. These are not light birds.
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They are beautiful and are related to the distant past of the chickens at KFC!

I could not believe that at first, either!

 

[Kabootar]

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

View attachment 2224039




View attachment 2224041
View attachment 2224042

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

The carcass doesn't look bad to me. You see the bird was not caponized, it had to be harvested young otherwise it would be chewy and stringy, just next to inedible. An intact cockerel is what my father calls "a sad dinner".