In your opinion…best sustainable meat breed

[FeatherQueen3]

I can tell you it is NOT Pekin ducks.

I'm starting to think its Rabbits, honestly.

I have toyed with the idea of rabbits also. But we like to go camping often in the summer, which it seems is when rabbits need the most care (we live in the south and have hot, humid summers). Well that, and I’ve never actually tasted rabbit.

 

[FeatherQueen3]

For me, my goal is a sustainable flock that can produce birds that dress out around 8 lbs at 14ish weeks. I need my hens to go broody often enough and lay enough eggs that they can raise most of the chicks for me. My goal is a multi-generational flock that always has multiple ages, so I can process a few birds here and there vs having to butcher a whole group of them at once…I already spend 10-15 full days/year helping butcher cattle and hogs, I don’t want to add multiple full long days for chickens too. I pressure cook 100% of my birds, because of our busy schedule, so I skin them out instead of plucking, which eliminates the consideration of having to set up a pluckers and a lot of boiling water every time I butcher.

I need big bird early because I am feeding a family of 7…when I used to buy grocery store birds, a 5.5-6 lb bird couldn’t quite feed the family, so I would have to do two. A 7-8 lb bird will give me enough for a meal plus maybe a few leftovers. I want them to proceed early for feed costs, labor time, but also for flavor. Im particular about my meat taste and texture, and haven’t learned yet to love the deep flavor that comes from older birds.

The birds I chose to start with were Freedom Ranger hatchery New Hampshires, because they come from the Henry Noll line which has been specifically bred for meat for 50+ years. Last year with my first group I had live weights at 6-9 lbs at 13 weeks and dressed weights between 4.5-6 lbs. This year I’m getting more serious and keeping breeding records and weights and breeding from multiple pairs to try to find the best birds to produce those big birds early. My second batch I bought from them early this year (because my breeders weren’t going to raise enough chicks to fill the freezer in time) are 14 weeks right now with live weights ranging from 7-10.5 lbs, with most of the roosters at 9.5 pound or more. Overall I’m very pleased with these birds…I hope with just a little work I can get just a bit more weight on them a bit earlier and meet my goal. I’m also going to try to retain their ability to auto-sex at hatch — the females have broader, darker dorsal stripes with a large dark spot on their head while the boys supposedly have a white patch on their wing between their elbow joint in their chick down (I’ve never seen this yet) and smaller/no spot on their head.

Very informative! Thank you for sharing!!!

 

[GCrumb]

Domesitic rabbit is pretty flavourless.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

What does “sustainable” mean to you? Are you thinking more about environmental impact, or minimal cost and upkeep?

Free-range gamefowl on traditional farms (meaning a few acres of green earth and/or woodlands, not a back yard) can mostly feed and reproduce themselves. The idea is you let them multiply to a level of saturation and then harvest excess chickens at will. That was how the last few generations of my family got their chicken meat.

 

[Shadrach]

It is in my view as Florida Bullfrog mentions above what one considers sustainable that is the issue here.
In my view the usual meat breeds do not fall into that catagory.
Ideally one needs a breeding group and this might include some of the dual purpose birds that will brood and hatch.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have toyed with the idea of rabbits also. But we like to go camping often in the summer, which it seems is when rabbits need the most care (we live in the south and have hot, humid summers). Well that, and I’ve never actually tasted rabbit.

I'm in North FL - we are generally as hot, and as humid, if not more so (66 right now, at 7am, 93% humidity - we'll be mid 80s by noon) - though I've spent summers camping, hiking, backpacking in your neck of the woods (and into TN), so I can appreciate your very legitimate concerns.

Its good to take these things into account when selecting one's animals.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Domesitic rabbit is pretty flavourless.

Feed has a lot to do with that. Pellet raised rabbit tastes much the same, no matter who is feeding the pellets.

Tiny cages are a factor too. I tried raising mine on the ground, couldn't keep them from digging out, and the clay soils ate my metal I used to deter digging. So now they are each in a 36x30, 48x30 or 60x30 cage - honestly, its not much room - but I don't know that its practical or feasible to build individual 5'x5' pens to support a stable colony.

Re: Feed, I suppliment from my pasture. Tifton hays, clovers, panic grasses and bluestems, some of the leafies from my garden, oregano, the occasional misshapen carrot or bruised apple bit, some other odds and ends rom the pasture whose names escape me.

I think it tastes better than store rabbit, but my sense of taste is not what it once was.

 

[Silexian]

If you have the space. Why not experiment with your own hybrids? Even before all the geneticists were involved. The hatcheries just crossed Cornish x Rocks. There is a reason that hybrids are used for better production.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If you have the space. Why not experiment with your own hybrids? Even before all the geneticists were involved. The hatcheries just crossed Cornish x Rocks. There is a reason that hybrids are used for better production.

I'm doing this, and enjoying it - but it requires patience. Also, I should have started with MUCH better stock.

 

[Silexian]

I'm doing this, and enjoying it - but it requires patience. Also, I should have started with MUCH better stock.

You are completely right on both statements. Any breeding project will test your patience. Especially if having to overcome inferior genetics. I have too many other irons in the fire to give it any serious attention. I am curious of what kind of table fowl. A Cornish x American Bresse cross would produce.