Never Again!!!!

[Ravens Haven]

I am so MAD right now. We decided to go with the black broilers from Ideal this time instead of Cornish X chicks. They are 11 weeks old tomorrow and only weigh an average of 4lbs each! Are you kidding me???!~!!?? I got them in September and feed a broiler ration free choice and fresh water 24/7, I know they are more active but dang~! At this rate, I won't get to kill birds for another 3-4 weeks if that. I will never again purchase this breed of chicken EVER~!!!

 

[madamwlf]

I do believe black broilers take longer to grow out then cornish x.

 

[kfacres]

slow growing birds, is what you get when you want slow growing birds...

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
I just processed my FR's at 12 weeks 3 days and the smallest was 4 1/2 lbs to 6 1/2 lbs. I thought that was pretty good and I'm happy with it. I will find out more on the taste tomorrow when I fry some up.
Yum Yum

Michele

 

[WillieBoy]

I know how CX grow.Tell me, are Black Broilers and FR's the same bird...? If not please clarify..

 

[Ravens Haven]

I was just a little shocked cause all I read on them said they would grow out as well by 8 weeks but I will live with it. As long as they are good to eat, it will be worth it in the end.

I am not sure if FR and black broilers are the same, maybe, not sure.

 

[kfacres]

no I would guess they are not, although I would guess them to be similar in genetic makeup..

all of these 'wana bee'. broilers are a bird, that's basically a beefed up dual purpose bird, with something else in it, possibly CX. I'm guessing the blacks most likely have Jersey Giant in them, crossed under a CX, the reds- RIR, the whites- white rock, etc...

Basically, I'm saying, that these 'newer' slower growing meat birds, are a specialty item that somebody has created with hopes that it will be slower than a CX, but faster and meatier than a DP.

I call them 3/4 DP, 1/4 meat bird..

read my byc.

 

[themagicash]

I raised red broilers from Ideal and at 11 weeks the hens only dressed out between 2-3 lbs. The rooster was 4.1 lbs. I kept 2 of the scrawniest hens until 16 weeks and they dressed around 4lbs. They lived their last month among my layers and ate 16% feed (so maybe they could have been bigger). Keeping them until 16 weeks didn't seem to affect meat quality in terms of taste or toughness. I agree with kfacres that they seem to be a beefed up dp bird. They are bigger than a regular DP bird at 16 weeks but in terms of size they don't compare to cornish cx, its apples and oranges to me.

 

[Oregon Blues]

You just can't bet the CX for fast production of tasty meat and great feed conversion. All the others are a lot slower growing and have poorer feed conversion.

If that's what you want, that's fine. Just don't expect them to grow like the CX.

 

[sydney13]

I ordered some cornish rocks, red broilers and a black broiler from ideal. They are 2 1/2 weeks old and the cornish rocks are huge or coarse, the red broilers are somewhat smaller and the black broiler is by far the smallest. the black broiler is basically the size of my leghorn chicks (the same age). I think it's meyers hatchery who also sell red and black slower growing meat birds and claims that the black ones are the slowest growers.