I'm thinking of putting some in the freezer

[IDIOT HUSBAND]

I've had some RIR chickens for about 6 months and I love the fresh eggs and their personality. Now I'm thinking of getting some meat birds in the spring. What breed would you recomend? I would also like to hear of some proccesses that you all prefer in putting them in the freezer. Thanks for all your input.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

First of all I have to say it... I love the name

Ok now, we raised cornish x's last summer and also years ago[4-H project for kids]. They grow really fast and are usually ready to go to freezer camp at 8 to 10 weeks average. We butchered them ourselves also but DH is thinking about having the Amish do them for us if we raise them again next summer. It was really rather easy to do though. I don't have any input as far as any other breed of meat birds but I have heard that colored rangers are nice.

 

[dancingbear]

There are tons of posts already about this, scroll down through the meat bird section and read, read, read. After you read about 30 threads or so, you might have some specific questions. But there's really no reason for everybody to describe, start to finish, the whole process, yet again.

There are lots of thread about Color Rangers vs. Cornish X, dual purp, etc., too. Just read for a couple of days, you'll see what I mean.

Oh yeah, read all the stickies, up at the top of the section, too. They help a lot.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I agree with Dancingbear, there has already been plenty of great discussion on different breeds & techniques here, you should be able to get a good understanding by reading past posts. We all are here & ready to answer more specific questions, and readily agree that there is no such thing as a dumb question. What I think you'll find is a variety of opinions as to preference of breeds and techniques for raising & processing them. Each has its own advantages & disadvantages. And many of us have reached those conclusions by personal experience, lots of trials & some errors. You will undoubtedly need to go through some for yourself before you can decide what works best for you & your family.

So go ahead & read through the past posts, ask any other questions, and make a decision for your first try. The one thing I'd recommend is to start rather small, maybe 25 birds or less, just so it doesn't get too overwhelming to begin with. You may find the things that work great for you right from the start, or decide to do it differently the next time.

No matter what, you'll probably end up with some delicious home-grown chicken on your table and a marvelous sense of satisfaction from mastering this basic life skill. The first time I felt like Tom Hanks' character in the movie Cast Away, after he make his first fire by rubbing sticks together. Remember how he danced around & sang, saying "I!! Made!! FIRE!!! ME!!"? I felt like that, to know "I!! Made!! MEAT!!! ME!!!"

 

[IDIOT HUSBAND]

Thank you all so very much for your guidance and wisdom. I'll start doing more research now. Happy New Year.

 

[the4heathernsmom]

Get you a dual purpose keep hens you want eat the rest so you have layers and eaters