Learning how to select birds for meat

[moparenvy]

Hi, I'm new to backyard chickens, but I've been on here a few times to read about chicken breeds. I'm kinda new to chickens, just mostly for eggs. I currently have a Lorp hen ( I got her when she was week old) that is 15months old. A black Amerucana that is roughly 8-10 months old ( I got her from an auction). I believe I may have a cornish cross hen that I got around may this year about a year old, she is very sweet and lays large (huge) tan/cream eggs. The lady that sold me the hen told me she was a chick used for production, she wasnt sure on the breed. I named her "Bertha". She loves to eat, she looks like a White Plymouth Rock, but at times like a cornish cross. I also have Black Jersey Giant pullet"Snookie" aboout 3-4 months old. Also a Barred rock pullet about 3-4 months.

3 weeks ago I bought 2 Barred Rock roos. I was going to buy one, but the feed store give me a free one. and I bought a Pearl Guinea, which I neamed "Turbo", I think she may be a girl.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, two dogs attacked and killed 4 of my chickens. My first Bared Rock hen ( she was so sweet and friendly), a Black Jersey Gaint pullet, a Light Braham hen. and a Game Ro that I bought a flea market.

So, I went online and ordered some chicks from ideal a trio for; ideal 236, Amerucanas and Delawares. On tues/wend they'll be 2 weeks old.

for all the chicks from ideal, 2 barred rock roos and Turbo get weighed every few days. I try to write down new things from them.

I want to learn about some selective breeding techquines. I've read 2 books from a libary, but they didnt help. My two barred rock roos are about 3-4 weeks old. There is a heavy one "Cash" and a lighter weight one, but has a bigger comb "Tango". I want to breed for bigger bird for 10-14 week bird. I know I have a small amount to choose. What are you guys using to get meat birds? On July 6 Cash weighed 308 kg / 10.85 oz... Tango weighed 274 kg / 9.65 oz....Guinea "Turbo" weighed 254 kg / 8.95 oz .....
I feed all my birds ( chickens and ducks) 21% feed from southern states. So, Do, I breed the heaviest bird? or the one that matures quicker. Tango was the first to have a very noticeable comb.

Please give examples of what you've done before. Like I said, this is my first time. My ideal 236 and Amerucana are my wife egg layers and I understand they are not meat birds. Down the road I would like to use other breeds, but now I want to learn. Thank you in advance.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

First off, welcome to BYC.

Mainly Cornish X's are used for meat birds because they grow unnaturally fast. Butcher time for Cornish X's is anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. If you don't butcher them, they die a slow and painful death (by 12 weeks?).

However, "normal" chickens grow at a much slower rate. I know this because I wanted to try growing heritage birds about a year ago for the first time. So I bought 12 Buff Orpington roos, and 12 Australorp roos, it took them 5 months to grow up to size, powering through the grain (2 bags a week).

Anyways, from what I understand, you want to selectively breed to get chickens that mature faster into meat birds. You could do that. Unless all you wanted is meat birds, then just getting a batch of cornish X's would be easier.

As for breeds to breed selectively, if I were to do that I would get the meatiest birds I could find, and breed only the meatiest and fastest growing til I have what I need. A word of warning, in my area of the state, there is a story that about 30 years ago a man did what you are suggesting. He ended up with a 3 ft tall, 20-40 lb chicken. Obviously they aren't around much, but I'm just saying, you can only go too far lol!

Good luck

 

[speedy2020]

Is this the breed that you refer to ?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_White_sully_chickens

 

[knittychickadee]

The ALBC has a wonderful pdf called "Selecting for Meat Qualities and Rate of Growth". http://www.albc-usa.org/EducationalResources/chickens.html

I use a dual purpose breed, Buckeyes, for my 'meat ' birds and I don't think you can find a better overall homestead type of bird. Great on pasture, will raise their own chicks etc.

 

[Bossroo]

Welcome to this group... By purchasing any bird willy nilly is the surest way to loose an entire flock due to lack of biosecurity. As for the hope of developing one's own line of meatbirds... My father was a Veterinarian who raised chickens ( RIR, Barred Rock, etc) for about 40 years. He selectively crossed and recrossed them etc. I inherited his birds and continued his breeding program as well as added other lines for the last half century. Then I came accross the Cornish X several years ago, and as they say the rest is history as they all whent to freezer camp. Mine and my father's efforts for almost a century haven't panned out to nowhere near that of a CornishX in terms of production as well as $$$ needed to come close to the produced meat. You see the CornishX is the most efficient converter of feed to meat in all of chickendom. Do a search on this forum to find the huge weights attained by some Cornish X. You will be amazed ! I wish you well.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

Yep, that sounds about right.

Three cats dead? Wow...that is why chickens shouldn't get that big.

Is this the breed that you refer to ?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_White_sully_chickens

 

[moparenvy]

Thank you all for a quick respond. I'm sorry it took a while for me to get back on but work has bad taking alot of my time the past few days.

I did get 3 cornish cross chicks from the flea market around april/may of this year. I just wanted to learn by having more hands on them. plus $4 per bird is cheapier than going on-line and getting 15 birds and having a high mortality rate from my lack of experince. 1 did died for unknown reasons. The other two was a roo, and pullet, the pullet was already walking with a limp, and I felt bad everytime I went outside and she ran to me. They were the sweetest things. They were cheap birds, and I learned alot from them.

knittychickadee thank you for the ALBC link, I I'll have to print it out and make some notes on it. This is the stuff I wanted to know. Thanks a million..