layers & meaties

[Rlmp817]

Hey!
We are new to chickens, and have 4 laying birds (BR, RIR, SF & SF/Marans mix) we are thinking of adding some meat birds later this year or next. Would you keep the flocks seperate (2 coops/2runs)? Or can they mingle?

Also, what is a good breed (besides CornishX) for a meatie bird? I read the Cornish X review, and while I can see their purpose, I don't think they are the right bird for us.
TIA

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hey!
We are new to chickens, and have 4 laying birds (BR, RIR, SF & SF/Marans mix) we are thinking of adding some meat birds later this year or next. Would you keep the flocks seperate (2 coops/2runs)? Or can they mingle?

Also, what is a good breed (besides CornishX) for a meatie bird? I read the Cornish X review, and while I can see their purpose, I don't think they are the right bird for us.
TIA

I like heritage breeds... and Marans (at least mine) grow out well and are tasty. I keep my own self reproducing flock. Keep a couple new layers and sell off older ones each year, while eating the boys and selling any extra gals that grew out and aren't my top choice for keeping. Wyandottes are also plenty tasty and beautiful. Orpington and Faverolles grow WAY to slow.

You could even cross your BR with a Black Copper Marans roo and get all sex linked chicks, sell off most the females. They will be decent layers of Marans colored eggs (3-4/week), with decent carcass size (20 weeks) and good hardiness... and friendly, confident birds... in my experience. The females would be all black.

If you do go with slower growing birds... they usually need to be separated by 8-12 ish weeks. Sometimes sooner or later depending on the individual but they WILL try mating your ladies once their hormones start kicking in.

So personally, I would keep a coop/run for the ladies and A rooster... and a stag pen/coop for the grow outs. My grow outs all stay with the standard flock until they are identified as male. Then they go to the stag side before I see mating behavior. This is with my own hatching/brooding plan and not buying birds every time I wanna eat.

It has been a challenge and a learning process. One I wasn't sure I would survive at times... before I had my set up correct for my goals. It was well worth it and now I feel joy at how smoothly things run MOST the time.

Please note... I haven't ever tried broilers. But the ones I traded to someone for one of stags... was super tasty and tender. He did tell me that even though the Cornish grow out MUCH faster then my Marans... that they also ate A LOT more during that time... so other than time the saving wasn't much if any... And I have to say at $2 a pop for broiler chicks.... that's not cheap to me.

Anyways... so many adventures, I hope your's is great!

 

[Rlmp817]

I like heritage breeds... and Marans (at least mine) grow out well and are tasty. I keep my own self reproducing flock. Keep a couple new layers and sell off older ones each year, while eating the boys and selling any extra gals that grew out and aren't my top choice for keeping. Wyandottes are also plenty tasty and beautiful. Orpington and Faverolles grow WAY to slow.

You could even cross your BR with a Black Copper Marans roo and get all sex linked chicks, sell off most the females. They will be decent layers of Marans colored eggs (3-4/week), with decent carcass size (20 weeks) and good hardiness... and friendly, confident birds... in my experience. The females would be all black.


Anyways... so many adventures, I hope your's is great!

Thank you so much! I was thinking of somthing like that, I just need to talk my hubby into building a second coop!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you so much! I was thinking of somthing like that, I just need to talk my hubby into building a second coop!

Well... they DO like to keep us happy!

Here is a couple of breed comparison charts...
https://livestockconservancy.org/images/uploads/docs/pickachicken.pdf

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

Best wishes... and TRY to stay cool down there!

 

[Mrs. K]

I currently have a pen of cornish x birds and I am quite happy with them. They act just like chickens, but do move a little slower, my granddaughters love this, cause they can catch them. We are nearly on the 3rd week.

I did get 10 pullets at the same time, but within a few days, needed to separate them due to the size difference. Now the third week, it is mind boggling how much different.

I am trying the meat birds, as while the dual purpose was good for stewing or canning, I sometimes just want to roast a bird or fry one...

My point is, if you are raising for eating, I think you really do better with two set ups. Even when I keep the rooster chicks from the laying flock, I like them penned up away from the flock. Multiple rooster can cause a lot of havoc in a flock.

Mrs K

 

[Rlmp817]

I currently have a pen of cornish x birds and I am quite happy with them. They act just like chickens, but do move a little slower, my granddaughters love this, cause they can catch them. We are nearly on the 3rd week.

I did get 10 pullets at the same time, but within a few days, needed to separate them due to the size difference. Now the third week, it is mind boggling how much different.

I am trying the meat birds, as while the dual purpose was good for stewing or canning, I sometimes just want to roast a bird or fry one...

My point is, if you are raising for eating, I think you really do better with two set ups. Even when I keep the rooster chicks from the laying flock, I like them penned up away from the flock. Multiple rooster can cause a lot of havoc in a flock.

Mrs K

Thanks for the input! Is this your first time having Cornish x’s? If so, please let me know how it goes for you!

 

[Mrs. K]

yes, this is my first time with the Cornish X birds. I spent a lot of time on the meat board, trying to figure this out. I understand that there are differences in strains, but the ones I got my my local feed store, special ordered for me, have been strong sturdy birds. I ordered 12, got 15 and (knock on wood) have not lost a single one. They are in my original smaller coop/run. Little nervous on getting 15 to the freezer, but will make a party of it, and have some gal's in to help me.

 

[Mrs. K]

Note: I was thinking of your original post while tending my own tonight... thought of something that you really didn't ask, but one does not have to take any of the advice given here....

You have years to enjoy this hobby and there are many aspects to it. My advice to you is just do egg layers the first year, then butcher some dual purpose birds, then hatch out and try something new, then maybe meat birds....

I have had birds for 10 years... and this year, I am trying another aspect... my point it work into it, don't have to do it all this year.

MRs K

 

[Rlmp817]

Note: I was thinking of your original post while tending my own tonight... thought of something that you really didn't ask, but one does not have to take any of the advice given here....

You have years to enjoy this hobby and there are many aspects to it. My advice to you is just do egg layers the first year, then butcher some dual purpose birds, then hatch out and try something new, then maybe meat birds....

I have had birds for 10 years... and this year, I am trying another aspect... my point it work into it, don't have to do it all this year.

MRs K

That is what I am asking the questions now knowing how much we are getting into is always helpful! We probably will wind up putting it off at least one more year.

 

[Life is Good!]

We grow 'heritage' birds for this reason - for eggs AND meat. The Black javas are slow growing...typically we send cockerals to 'Camp Frigidaire' about 20wks old and get a nice 5# bird out of it. But that's nearly 14wks of crowing to listen to...and our neighbors also!

We grow meat birds periodically - because the heritage meat is not as suited to the grill or for roasting as we're used to. But the heritage meat is very good in soups, casserole dishes and such. So I find I use a lot more in the cold seasons than in the summertime.

We have grown Freedom Rangers quite happily several times now, just about every year - they act like a heritage breed, they just grow a LOT faster - about 13wks was processing time for the bigger boys; 15 wks for some of the slower smaller girls.

We have grown out a batch of Cornish X once - and I will not do that again. The birds were not attractive (not many feathers), they were not active and they really just laid around in the run most of the time. Toward the end of their life, they were not physically comfortable (panting when it was only 55 degrees?!), and they could no longer make it up the 14" run into the coop...so I built them a different house for the last 2wks of their lives. The quantity of waste was more than our compost system and our chicken run could handle. Remember, what goes in, must come out! But I do say the meat was the BEST roast bird I've ever eaten. But it was hard to swallow because I kept remembering what mucking out their coop was like while they were alive.

Each breed bird does have different growing ratios and texture too. We've realized our Swedish Flower cockerels have a different texture than our Black Java cockerels - both raised on same feed, same yard, same everything...just a different breed.

As for costs - I compared the costs between raising 25 Cornish X and 25 Freedom Rangers - and the difference was negligible. Because the cornish ate just the same amount as the Rangers - just a few weeks less between the two. But the Rangers were beautiful birds that loved life - ran around eating bugs, sunbathed, dustbathed, acted in every way like a 'regular' chicken...just a really fast growing version.

If you're going to process yourself that is another consideration to figure out. Youtube taught us the hows and whys - but it does take practice to become proficient in the techniques. Not hard - kind of like trying to get a toddler out of a tight-fitting coat - but it's not something we do lightly or without dignity.