heritage meat chickens?

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
We got ours from Welp hatchery years ago we were very pleased with them.

Steve in NC

 

[greyfields]

It's possible that they come from the same place! If you were ever to visit Murray McMurray, you will not find a single chicken on their premises. All these online hatcheries (generally speaking) just buy the eggs, hatch the eggs, sell you the chicks, buy the eggs from 3rd parties.

 

[JayBird+16]

Thanks everyone for all the great info. We’ve decided to raise meat birds next spring and were already pretty sold on the Dark Cornish, (my husband likes them because he thinks they look like dinosaur birds!) This thread made me feel pretty good about my choice. I love is site! Thanks you!

 

[Happyfarmwife]

Quote:
I emailed JM Hatchery yesterday and asked them if their Colored Range chickens would reproduce on their own and this is what he said:

"They will breed and reproduce just fine but they are a cross, so the offspring will be different colors, I'm not sure exactly what you will get, but they should be fine for what your doing."

I really don't care what color they turn out to be. So I got to thinking that using the Dark Cornish rooster with these hens might make for the best of both worlds. They would be great meat birds, and maybe they would have the free ranging attributes of the Dark Cornish in them.

Then I read you have already done this! Must be a good idea then. LOL!

I am thinking this is just what we will do next Spring, order some Colored Range chicks and some Dark Cornish.

Wonderful! I love places like this where you can glean information and experiences from others. Great forum!

 

[greyfields]

The F2 cross of a hybrid never shows the same heterosis as the intial F1 cross. The genetics start degenerating towards chaos.

But, as I said above, even with teh varied results, crossing a Dark Cornish on my Freedom Rangers are the largest broilers I've ben able to produce on my own.

 

[PassthePeace1]

Quote:

I just assumed that they raised their own breeds of chickens. Thanks for the info.

 

[Bassleg]

My pick for heritage birds is the Delaware they were meat birds
before the Cornish x and they lots of big eggs.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

articles on genetically altered animals to provide a more disease resident animal & in Europe they are taking about cloning animals for more meat!

I feel very rushed to find the better tasting breed!

Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds I read

The Ark of Taste is a program designed to preserve and celebrate endangered tastes. It does this by promoting economic, social. and cultural heritage foods ranging from animals raised for meat to fruits, vegetables, cheeses, cereals, pastas and confectionaries.

The following breeds were accepted by
Sow Food USA into the Ark of Taste as of September 2006.

Chickens: Delaware, Dominique, Black Jersey Giant, White Jersey Giant, New Hampshire, (Old Type) Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock & Wyandotte

Geese: American Buff & Pilgrim

Turkeys: Bourbon Red, American Bronze(standard), Buff, Midget White & Narragansett

I will get more Dominique’s they have the best feed to egg ratio then every breed I ever had!!!

I just did 3 turkeys & 3 roosters last week!
The meet on the turkeys was gratifying at 4 ½ maybe 5 months so I will definitely get turkeys this spring!

Roosters’ were 12 weeks & it took the 3 for dinner to feed family!

 

[Lee]

I just got a SL Wyandotte cockerel & pullet and 5 chicks. Does anyone have a good testimonial to say about them?

 

[Cason]

I have a Delware rooster- he is twice as large as any of my hens and he's only 3+ months old. (Hens = Barred Rock, Wyandottes, and some EE)