meat birds besides chicken

[cppeace]

My guy has a huge dislike of chickens. He is fine with my ducks or any other fowl I want to get but says no to chickens. What are the best meat birds besides chicken? Ducks are a pain to clean. I plan on getting some heritage turkeys but they take a good while to get big enough to eat. What other poultry are good to replace chickens? Need a decent amount of meat, wanting 2-4 months to get to killing age and about the same cleaning process as chicken if possible.
Thanks,
Kimmie

 

[slingshotandLAR]

The only option you really have is commercial breed turkeys...

Broad breasted whites or bronze will be 20ish lbs in about 15 weeks that the best your gonna do.

Nothing beats CX honestly, if you have space to tractor them they are easy and delicious. It's only 7 weeks total and you'll have 4-5lb finished birds

It's humorous that ducks are ok but not chickens, lol

 

[cppeace]

lol Yeah He grew up having to be the one to clean the chicken coops all the time and just grew to absolutely hate chickens. I told him from the getgo that I am a homesteady/country kinda girl so I would be having livestock he had no issue, but just draws the line at chickens lol

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Check these out

No cleaning needed, just move the tractor each morning. Within a few days the grass is growing again.

 

[eviemethugh]

Yupp! We have a few different style of coops and I've never cleaned one. I've only ever cleaned our brooder and nesting boxes, everything else is about management.
Deep litter methods are great in traditional coops, you just add more bedding on top and the chickens keep it stirred.
We have electric netting that we move every few months for one group.
And yes, tractors! Moved twice a day, this is one of my favorites.
Free ranging...okay okay sometimes I have to hose poop off of the driveway when a group of curious chickens try to get to the grainary (for an early dinner!)

 

[Rock Ranch]

Have you looked at coturnix quail they grow fast and reach sexual maturity young. Lay an egg a day but you have to process several birds to be one chicken. Also you would need a incubator running.

 

[cppeace]

Yeah I've looked into quail. Just seems lot alot of work for so little meat. I'm working on him. Almost have him ok with the idea lol.

 

[Tracydr]

My guy has a huge dislike of chickens. He is fine with my ducks or any other fowl I want to get but says no to chickens. What are the best meat birds besides chicken? Ducks are a pain to clean. I plan on getting some heritage turkeys but they take a good while to get big enough to eat. What other poultry are good to replace chickens? Need a decent amount of meat, wanting 2-4 months to get to killing age and about the same cleaning process as chicken if possible.
Thanks,
Kimmie

Guineas a grow really fast, especially French jumbos. I've not tasted one yet but have heard it's really good.

 

[MichaelZ13]

How long would it take to raise a commercial turkey to about 10 or 12 pounds? And could I use my chicken tractor for these turkeys?

 

[slingshotandLAR]

How long would it take to raise a commercial turkey to about 10 or 12 pounds? And could I use my chicken tractor for these turkeys?

You be looking at 10-12 weeks on the turkeys if they were hens, maybe a week or two shorter if they were toms....

What kind of chicken tractor do you have, I raise turkeys in mine but they are 7 feet tall.

You could do it in a standard salitain style coop but at 24 inches you would have some seriously subservient turkeys.

I think it would be a nightmare trying to raise turkeys in a standard tractor if noting else for the fact when you opened the door/roof they could fly out. I know people have done it but there's a better way