Meat Animals (long)

[Carolina Chicken Man]

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Is that quantifiably true about the rabbits?

 

[GwenFarms]

Yes, it is. Its late here and I'm on my way to bed, but I'll find my book in the morning and post the numbers and sources for you tommorow.

 

[Eggseronious]

Duroc or Berkshire hogs. Any good Angus crossbred cattle. Now for rabbits I like any good rabbit better than chicken ( dont tell anyone I said this here on BYC)

 

[greyfields]

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Meat broilers are hybrids. You cannot rebreed them and get the same bird over and over. As much as it smacks in the face of self sufficiency, it is far easier to grow meat chickens and "crops". With vacuum sealing and frost free freezers, your chickens can all be processed at once then used as needed.

It's very difficult to have a standing flock of meat broilers for breeding, since many will die of health complications before reaching breeding age.

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You're crossing ideas here. Boer goats are not good enough milkers to supply your family with milk and cheese. You need to look into Dairy Goats instead, such as Nubians. You could then elect to cross breed a Boer onto your Nubians for awesome meat hybrids (but you wouldn't keep them for milking).

Finally, the carcass yield on goat for meat per live pound is very poor compared to sheep. I'd seriously get some Nubians for milking, then raise sheep/lambs instead. It's far more economical. You can then use your excess milk to feed your pigs, which makes them grow like whoa.


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I do goose, so I can't help you there.

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Raising heritage breeds simply to slaughter them has always struck me as wrong. I only raise crossbreeds for meat. Most people who farrow have a standing flock of purebreeds (or at least the sire) then you get crossbred weaners from them. They will grow immensely faster than any heritage breed (google Heterosis). But, if you are serious about having a purebreed and plan to pasture them (i.e. not raise them in a dark shed on concrete) then I like Hampshires (saddlebacks).


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No best kind. You will find most steers or heifers to be crossbreeds, probably with either a lot of Angus or Hereford in them. Again raising purebreeds simply to slaughter isn't sustainable in the long run.


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Breeds are the things that 'newcomers' worry most about... but it probably matters the least. How you manage and feed your animals has far more effect on the meat than any breed characteristic will.

Also, I would have the pigs closer to the goats, so you can feed the pigs your extra milk, cheese and eggs.

 

[greyfields]

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Dexters are a great choice for smallholders. I would just say that you will be far better off milking goats than a Dexter, though. The beef from Dexters is very highly regarded.

 

[greyfields]

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This will work. Disregard above as I thought you had ordered Cornish Crosses. I put my Dark Cornish roo on different flavors of hens and get pretty decent meat birds. They just aren't identical to grocery store birds, so I don't sell them throug the farm market but only eat them myself.



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Your choice in pig is going to be inconsequntial. Pick something you can stand looking at, as you'll be feeding it twice a day for 6 months.

 

[greyfields]

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Wow, I haven't seen a feeder for under $50 in years.

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

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The reason a lot of people, like myself, want to raise meat birds as a "standing flock" is in case of long spells of no electricity and therefore no freezer.

I was looking at crossing a white laced and Dark Cornish males on Delaware hens when I get set back up to do so, that way I can hatch out as they are needed.
My reading indicates this would be a pretty good cross to try.

 

[greyfields]

Which I do as well. I just upon first reading was under the impression he/she wanted to retain cornish crosses in order to re-breed them whenever they feel like eating a chicken.

If you want to have meat birds available on a whim, run a Cornish in your laying flock. Then any egg hatched will be a hybrid suitable for eating.... although, nothing as enormous as a custom bred broiler (of course). But tastey nonetheless.

 

[Carolina Chicken Man]

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Wow, I haven't seen a feeder for under $50 in years.

NC is the 2nd highest pork producing state. We got more pigs than peoples. Price of feed everybody is unloading. My father in law took some feeders to the auction awhile back and got $13 each.