How are these for meat birds? Any other suggestions?

[ging3rhoffman]

Okay, I thought about using a Light Brahma Male with 2 light brahma pullets, 2 black jersey giants pullets and 2 white rock pullets as my meat birds. I will have an all black and white pen. Are the brahmas and giants good eating?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Don't know about the Brahma's or Jersey Giants as far as quality, but the Jersey Giants have a reputation of being very slow to grow, thus costing you a lot more feed for the amount of meat. If you want a black bird for your black and white pen, I'd consider the Australorp. However, you might consider an all-white pen and get Delaware to go with your others. The white birds make a prettier carcass as they don't have the dark pen-feathers. The Dominique, Barred Rock, or Silver Laced Wyandotte are the only others I can think about that would fit your black and white theme.

I don't know the genetics to know what a Columbian pattern Light Brahma rooster and one of these barred or laced birds would produce color-wise.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

I was going to order the australorp but they were sold out. I want to place an order of under 15 chicks so I can only go with mt healthy or meyers an meyers is sold out of almost everything. So this is what they did have at mt healthy. It is frustrating to not be able to order what you want. I still have time to change my order, i will do a little more research. I know I can get all the RIR that I want but dont know how good of a meat bird they would be.
Quote:

 

[Ridgerunner]

Purely Poultry does 15 minimum orders. I understand they do drop orders from other hatcheries, but you might try them. Not sure what they can get.

http://www.purelypoultry.com/chickens.html

 

[ging3rhoffman]

Thank you

The hatcheries are running out of everything, its hard to get what you want.

 

[LoupGarou]

Ideal Poultry seems to have Black Austrolorp pullets available. They have no minimum number of chicks that you must order, as long as your order totals $25 before shipping. They give you the option of getting packing peanut chicks or taking out insurance. My few contacts with their customer service department have been wonderful, but I can't tell you how well they ship, since my first order won't be shipped until later on this month.

Brown Egg Layers
https://secuservices.com/ideal/newideal/Products.aspx?Category=Brown Egg Layers

Shipping Policy
http://www.ideal-poultry.com/policy.asp

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

My Brahma / Delaware cross chicks hatch out BIG and they grow and feather out really fast.

The Giants, I hear are slow to grow, but, Mt. Healthy has Columbian Rocks (even though it isn't advertised on their site, ask them on the phone, they may still have some). They sent a bunch of them to my local feedstore (I know because I have 20 of them around here among the chicks, somewhere

).

Barred Rocks would be good, too - but those are pretty popular, and they might be out of them.

meri

 

[jjparke]

I would go with RIR cocks. Nobody wants them so the hatcheries practically give them away. I "bought" 2 recently and they gave me 24 for $2.00. And I think that pretty well holds up for just about any breed just as long as you get cocks. They won't grow like a cornish x but they sure are good eating.

 

[purelypoultry]

WE do still have birds available for May Shipment.