PLEASING TO THE EYES

[tommijo]

I want some dual purpose chicken to raise to free range or tractor to eat as well as lay. I would like to know which type and maybe pics. if possible of your favorites. I would like colorful birds that will do both. Thanks if anyone can suggest a breed.

 

[greyfields]

'Dual Purpose' breeds are not really that great to eat. They take roughly 15+ weeks to get to a decent size and still will have protruding keels and look 'skinny'. Also, when you look at the amount of food you need to pump into them to get to that weight, you're better off buying organic, free ranged chicken.

You would be better served doing crops of broilers then freezing them. There are options for broilers which are colored and pleasing to the eyes. They don't have to be white and featherless.

 

[Nupine]

Kudos to greyfields

 

[tommijo]

Thanks, what are some colorful broiler breeds. I have bantams, but wanting more eggs and meat. What are some breeds you can cross to have some of each or are you referring to buying the cornish x"s for meat only. I am new with chicken and there are a lot of post out there to try to read to try to find answers.

Thanks again

 

[miss_thenorth]

I hear what Greyfields is saying, and I do currently have meat birds, but I also plan on raising dual purpose birds.

I have a RIR rooster, and 10 barred rock pullet chicks. I plan on trying to produce black sexlinks with these. The cockerels we will eat, and the pullets we will try to sell. The cockerels and pullets are pleasant to look at.

My BRs are only a week old, so I can't try this out for quite some time yet, but that is the plan. If this doesn't work out well, (and cost to feed the birds is not an issue for me), I can always do meat birds again. It is not that hard. I only find that the meat birds are a freak of nature, and they look like mutants from planet X. They grow freakishly fast, which I guess is a good thing, but...

We are a hunting family, and the size and shape of the bird is not really an issue for me. I guess it will all boil down to the taste of the sexlinks.

 

[tommijo]

Thanks, I use to hunt all the time, mainly ducks and deer. I even got started in my business from doing taxidermy, I guess thats why I like colorful birds.

I have also searched on this site about pressure canning chickens and don't know if many menbers do it. Thats the way I put up a lot of my game. Canning take all the game taste out of ducks and deer taste like beef and very tender. I know a stringy free ranging chicken canned will be great. Thanks for you response.

 

[greyfields]

You can get red and black cornish crosses from Ideal (as one example).

I raise the Redbro's from JM Hatchery which are bronze colored. They will have golden, gray and red also soon.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have not tried canning meat (yet), but if we can make a meal out of two grouse, one 'not freakishly large' chicken should make an ok meal. Not to mention, when my bantam rooster got killed by the neighbours dog, he made a wonderful pot of soup. We eat alot of soup here, and chicken noodle is a favourite. For not being a big bird, there was pleanty of meat in the soup.

 

[greyfields]

With Foodsavr's available cheaply and frost free freezers, you can freeze your crops of meat birds and they will lose very little quality.

 

[redneck]

Quote:
I have some Barred Rock pullets and a Dark Cornish roo. I also have some Black Giants mixed in with them. Everyone is 3 weeks old. Could you post some pictures of your Barred Rocks? What I think are my Barred Rocks have a little bit of white coming through. Almost like a checker board.