New and need advice please!

[MOsborne05]

My dad built us an awesome incubator for Easter, and with two young kids who would love the experience, I'd like to hatch our own eggs. We just purchased 6 Buff Orpingtons for eggs. I chose them because they are good free rangers, good egg layers, and friendly. I know that they can be used for meat, but I'd rather have a breed that is faster growing for meat.

Since we have the incubator, I'd like to get a few nice meat-type hens and then just hatch the eggs ourselves, then we would have a nice supply of meat birds ready to process. Does this sound like a decent plan?

The BO's that we bought are supposed to be all pullets, but there is a slight chance of getting a cockerel. I only want one rooster. Would it be better to have a BO rooster fertilizing the meat bird eggs, or a meat bird fertilizing the BO eggs?

And for the meat birds, I've read that the Cornish X aren't good choices to raise because they are already genetically modified. I'm debating between Dark Cornish hens or Red Ranger boiler hens.

Thanks!

 

[pipermark]

If the body type of your rooster is good then use the BO, you might lose a little chest muscle but should make up for it the leg quarters.

 

[donrae]

Cornish cross are NOT genetically modified. They are intensively selectively bred to gain weight quickly all on their own. They make weight around 8 weeks.

A slow broiler like a red or freedom ranger, Dixie or Rainbow are selectively bred to reach weight around 12 weeks.

Pretty much any of your dual purpose breeds are going to be harvested around 20 weeks. Takes a lot of feed to get a dp Cockerel that far, and it's usually not too impressive a carcass.

I'd advise buying some meaties of whatever breed you choose, raise and butcher them. Eat several before you commit to a breeding program that may not be what you want to peruse.

 

[katbriar]

I can't copy the link here, but look for a post by aoxa called "Raising Cornish X For Meat The Truth". It will give you great information that should allay your concerns about raising Cornish X for meat

They're fantastic birds!