Meat bird experiment.

[mariacp]

So I have decided that I want to raise some birds for meat throughout the year. In the past I have purchased meat bird chicks from McMurray Hatchery. I have never had a bad experience with McMurray, and ordering from them has served us well, but I want to be able to hatch my own chicks for meat production.

So in my last order I made to McMurray I tossed in 5 Black Jersey Giant pullets and 5 Dark Cornish pullets.

I live in an area that doesn't allow roosters, and my neighbors are so wonderful that they tend to file a complaint if they even hear one. That being said, I already have a Wyandotte Rooster. So getting another one is out of the question.

I have read that Wyandottes mature rather quickly, similar to Plymouth Rocks, and so I though I would cross a Jersey Giant hen and a Dark Cornish hen with my rooster and use those eggs to incubate and hatch for meat chicks.

Does anyone have experience with this type of cross, and if so what outcomes did you have?

Would those two types of hens produce enough eggs throughout the year for a single family to raise meat birds on? I am talking hatching only 10-12 at a time.

Do they mature fast enough to be economical?

Is their enough breast meat to be satisfying?

Is the thigh meat overly tough on the Dark Cornish x Wyandotte mix?

These are all some of the questions that I have.

Please feel free to add your two cents!

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

part of how good the breast meat is depends greatly on the quality of the birds you have. Many wyandottes have a high breat bone, which is undesirable for meat birds. Both lay fairly well, but i'm not totally sure if it would be enough...how long in between hatching the 12 chicks? Thigh meat on the bird will be tougher or more tender depending on how much exercise they get...i raise mine free range, so the meat is tougher, but the feed is free
being free range, mine grow fairly slow, so i'm not a good judge o how fast they grow. Feeding them meat bird grower would most likely quicken their growth. The wyandotte definitely make the dark cornish grow faster...