Non Genetically altered??

[robot rooster]

I am looking to grow some chickens for consumption. I looked at the cornish hens but they are all "hybrids"

We want to go with something more "organic" and natural.

Does the fact that they are hybrids mean anything I should be concerned about? Or are they just mutts? Understand, I WILL NO LONGER be purchasing any type of meat product at the store EVER again after wating FOOD INC. so I don't want to purchase the same type of bird that is being raised in a PERDUE house.

Thanks for any information.


The Robot

 

[CityChicker]

Cornish X are *not* genetically modified. That is a common misconception. They are simply the product of years of selective breeding of the parent stock and then the F1 generation, the birds that are actually then raised for meat, are a cross breed. Of course, people criticize them for other reasons that have little (or nothing) to do with them being a cross as well. If you don't want to go with Cornish X, there are several other birds that make fine meat birds. I am on limited time right now, but I'm sure others will pipe in with more information or just read through this section to get some ideas on breeds. There are several to chose from.

 

[robot rooster]

Thanks for the feedback! I would love to know of more breeds!

 

[eKo_birdies]

as you put it, yes, they are "mutts." but, they are not transgenic by any means.

however, they will be the same "type" of birds raised by all the commercial houses and may lack the rich flavor you are looking for from a more "real" chicken.
take a look through this section, there are TONS of people raising birds other than Cornish X for meat.

best of luck to you!!

 

[booker81]

If you don't want Cornish X, there are other breeds, like Freedom Rangers (there are more, they just come to mine). They grow a bit slower, but are a bit more "natural" I suppose.

A lot depends on how long you want to raise them and what type of carcass you are looking for. If you want something that looks like a grocery story chicken (BIG breasts, heavy meat ratio, lots of white meat, very "tender"/soft), you get that with a Cornish X in 8 weeks.

If you want something with smaller breasts, more leg meat, firmer texture and increased flavor, you can go all the way to the opposite end, and get some of the standard dual purpose breeds - which you can breed your own and have eggs. They will take a good 20 weeks or so, and what you trade in time and size, you receive in texture and flavor.

Some breeds (Freedom Rangers, and others that I'm blanking out on, Buckeye? Rosambro?) fall in the middle.

 

[Bossroo]

All of the so called breeds are just as "NATURAL" and/or " ORGANIC" as the Cornish X. All chickens that appear similar ( family) and have similar genes and breed true to type are called a breed, while breeding of 2 ( or more) different breeds together are called a crossbred.The Freedom Ranger, Rosembro, Cornish X , etc. are all crossbred birds using selected 2 or more breeds of parent/grandparent birds to produce this market named bird. They do not breed true to type. The use of the selected parent/grandparent stock is a closely guraded secret of the producers.The term hybrid vigor was used to identify the observed increase in performance of the offspring when 2 different genetic types of the same group of animals were crossed together. The term hybrid was then used only as a marketing tool to identify a type of chicken as superior to the originals.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

do some reading of back posts on this thread, you will find a lot of your questions answered and even answers to questions you haven't thought to ask yet! Most of us are on here because we too for one reason or another have decided to raise our own meat. It's a great resource to be able to learn from what we consider our beginner mistakes without having to make them yourself! It's very easy to be idealistic and make plans play out on paper . . . it's even more fun to start putting the thoughts into action . . . but I would suggest A LOT of reading first. Good luck!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

These videos could clear up a lot of misconceptions about the "Cornish Cross". I sure learned a lot watching them.

Broiler Chicken Videos

All breeds were developed from crossing other breeds or by selective breeding. The "Cornish Cross" is not a hybrid but is as much a breed as any other breed. I was mistaken about that for a long time. I'm pretty sure the original breeds used to develop the current "Cornish Cross" breed included a Cornish, hence the name. The Australorp was developed from primarily the Orpington, but it is not an Orpington. It is a breed by itself, same as the Cornish Cross.

The meat birds you get from the hatcheries are as natural as any other chicken. Hybrid has nothing to do with organic. Organic has to do with gene splicing, how the feeds they eat are produced, and what chemicals are in things around them. Someone with better knowledge about the requirements may correct me, and I welcome that if they truly know instead of just guessing, but I believe a chick can be certified organic if it is fed nothing but certified organic food and kept in certified organic conditions from a day after it is hatched. This allows chicks from hatcheries to be certified organic. For some things to be certified organic, like vegetables, I believe the seeds have to come from certified organic plants, but I don't think whether the parent chickens are organic or not matters with chicks. By organic surroundings, I mean things like they cannot be housed in a building made with treated wood. Certain vaccinations are allowed, but some are not.

The Cornish Cross will grow big enough to butcher in a couple of months, while a dual purpose bird will take a lot longer. The meat from those young Cornish Cross birds is a lot more tender than the meat from the others because it is so young, a lot like veal is a different color, toughness, and flavor than meat from an older beef. Which you think is better purely depends on your personal preferences. So get young chicks, either hatch them yourself or get them from a hatchery or another source, raise them the way you want, and enjoy.

 

[OSUman]

Quote:
If you want broilers you could get some from JM hatchery www.jmhatchery.com, theres some from S &G poultry http://www.sandgpoultry.com/ , theres MT-DI hatchery that has two different types of broilers http://mtdifarm.com/ , Myers poultry farm has some too http://www.myerspoultry.com/ , or you can get the differnt type of broilers from Ideal or other hatcheries. OR you could raise some dual purpose breeds and raise the males until 16 weeks and then butcher them then and be less dependible on anybody else and just depend on yourself for food.

 

[jessif]

I know this is a very old tread but I wanted to add that there is a hatchery online you can order Freedom Rangers from that are suppose to be from parents fed without GMO feed. http://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/