Meat birds

[Heatherschicks1]

I was reading about birds specifically for broiler birds. I noticed on hatchery sites they have poor laying habits, so I was wondering what is the best broiler bird and how many eggs does it lay a year.

 

[Michael OShay]

Easily the best broiler bird are Cornish cross which are hybrids bred for the amazing growth rates. They are ready for butchering in 7-8 weeks. In fact if you wait much past that time, they begin developing health problems due to their abnormal growth rate. Even if they somehow manage to reach laying age, their productivity will be poor. I doubt you will find any information on how many eggs they will lay for a year as few Cornish cross ever live long enough to lay eggs for a year. Also, Cornish cross are worthless for breeding as they are hybrids. Even if they manage to breed, their offspring will not breed true. If you want a single breed of chicken for both eggs and meat, you should go with one of the dual purpose breeds.

 

[Heatherschicks1]

That is clse to everything I read but how in the world would you get the egg if the chickens have a hard time to lay... That's what I don't get... Would I have to cross breed myself to produce? Do I have to have a certain rooster and hens just for laying the hybrid meat bird. And if so what breeds

 

[keesmom]

Cornish X are a result of a 4 way cross, and the breeding stock is not something the average person is likely to acquire. People have tried experimenting on their own to see if they can get a bird that grows more rapidly than the average flock. There are a ton of threads in the meat birds forum on this subject. Here is one of the more recent

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/952292/diy-cornish-x-breeding

Another alternative is working with Freedom Rangers or Pioneers. They reach market weight around 12-14 weeks and they do not have the same health issues as the Cornish X. They are also a result of a cross but people have kept some of them for subsequent generations. There are some topics in Meat Birds about that too.

 

[Michael OShay]

Cornish X are a result of a 4 way cross, and the breeding stock is not something the average person is likely to acquire. People have tried experimenting on their own to see if they can get a bird that grows more rapidly than the average flock. There are a ton of threads in the meat birds forum on this subject. Here is one of the more recent

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/952292/diy-cornish-x-breeding

Another alternative is working with Freedom Rangers or Pioneers. They reach market weight around 12-14 weeks and they do not have the same health issues as the Cornish X. They are also a result of a cross but people have kept some of them for subsequent generations. There are some topics in Meat Birds about that too.

X2 on keesmom. Pioneers are also marketed by some hatcheries under the label Dixie Rainbows. Just be aware if you go with these alternative meat birds that they still won't be as good a layers as the best laying dual purpose breeds.