Meat bird I can hatch

[crazzzymike13]

I've been wanting to get some Red rangers to raise and put in my freezer. But I've learned that since they are a hybrid I can't breed them and get the same type of chicken. I'm wondering what other breed can I hatch out on my own and get the same quality bird? That way I don't have to spend my money at the hatchery and I can keep a few for hatching eggs. Ty

 

[theoldchick]

The Cornish cross is one of the most favored meat breeds. They grow fast, too fast if you are not careful. Though these can be hard to breed, so you can try a dual purpose bird who may take longer to raise but will be able to procreate. Buff Orpington is a good breed to start with. Jersey Giants are a larger bird but take a while to get to a good weight.

 

[rebrascora]

If you do a search on "toads" you may find a thread of interest.... they are a homebred hybrid meat bird that someone is experimenting with and documenting their progress on that thread here at BYC

 

[speedy2020]

I've been wanting to get some Red rangers to raise and put in my freezer. But I've learned that since they are a hybrid I can't breed them and get the same type of chicken. I'm wondering what other breed can I hatch out on my own and get the same quality bird? That way I don't have to spend my money at the hatchery and I can keep a few for hatching eggs. Ty

Yes, you can if limit feeding and careful select not over weigh one. I purchased 2 few years ago. The hen live for few years with no problem, but the rooster over weigh and died at about 4 months. The hen do lay small egg for about 2 years. My suggestion is raise White Bresse for both meat and egg. They are decent bird and you can butch unwanted one about 16-18 weeks.

 

[junebuggena]

Red Rangers breed true enough that you can get several generations out of breeding them. Another meaty and good laying breed to consider is the Pioneer/Dixie Rainbow.

 

[lazy gardener]

Red Rangers breed true enough that you can get several generations out of breeding them. Another meaty and good laying breed to consider is the Pioneer/Dixie Rainbow.

I have not raised the Red Ranger but have had favorable experience with the Pioneer. One year, I held a Pioneer pullet back from processing. She became the earliest layer for me that season, and was my best layer of that season's pullets. She laid a huge egg. Her sons, although they were the result of a cross with my EE avatar roo, were huge. They looked exactly like the Pioneer cockerels I processed the season before. Interestingly enough, they could be sexed at hatch by their leg color. The Pioneer pullets had willow colored legs while the Pioneer cockerels had yellow legs. This trait carried through in the following generation. I'm convinced that if you kept a breeding trio of your largest Pioneers, you could successfuly breed at least a few generations of nice blocky meat birds.

 

[Welshies]

These are a few great breeds for meat

Brahma: A large breed that can get up to 15 pounds, Brahmas are hardy and great meat birds.
Orpington: Orpingtons are good meat birds as they are hardy and will brood and hatch eggs on their own. They can get up to 13 pounds and mature at a good rate.
Rhode Island Red: A hardy but "plain" breed, these chickens aren't as large but still good meat chickens. They also lay fairly well. They can get up to 10-12 pounds and are easy to find.
Jersey Giant: Jersey Giants are huge birds, getting up to 20 pounds. They mature slowly and are more for backyard meat flocks.
Cornish: Cornish crosses are easy to find but they are a hybrid. They mature quickly but personally I find their meat, although it has quantity, lacks quality. Their faster growth seems to produce a less tastier meat and they aren't as lean, nor as flavorful.

You may also consider these birds for meat:
Muscovy Ducks: These are a type of non-mallard derived ducks. They are like chickens but can grow up to 17 pounds and are hardy. Their meat is like a mix of pheasant, duck, and red meat, and considered a delicacy. They also consistently hatch their own chicks, up to 80 chicks per year.
Turkeys: Turkeys can be very fun to raise and give good meat, but require bigger space and more growing time.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I'm working on a Cornish cross outcross project right now. They're hard to raise up long enough to breed but they can be successful. Here are a few babies I recently hatched that or CX x Crele Orp. 2 are 1 week old, the other 2 hatched yesterday

I'm hoping they will be strong, healthy and able to breed easily.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are correct that hybrids do not breed true. But they do get traits from their parents. If you breed Pioneers, Rangers, or even the Cornish X you will get offspring that will give you excellent meat birds. There will be some variety in the offspring, some will be better than others, but in general they should all be pretty darn good. If you select the breeders with some care you can keep that going for several generations.

You may have to limit feed to keep them from getting so big they die or can’t breed, especially the males, but just keeping pullets and crossing them with a dual purpose rooster should give you better meat birds than from any dual purpose breed. Don’t let the fact that they are hybrids throw you off of them, using them as part or all of your breeding stock will introduce some really great genetics for hatching and raising meat birds.

 

[crazzzymike13]

Thanks ridge runner. Now you got me excited about trying this out. Thank you for the advice.