Poll: What kind of Meat Birds do you raise?

[Timmy59]

19 meat eggs went to the bator today, March 5th hatch date if their fertile will check in a week or so..

 

[The4Walls]

I raise about 70 CX and Ranger birds for meat each year for the fam. I also hatch a barnyard mix of eggs to keep the layers going and give a few layers to neighbours. I eat all the males that hatch out and become annoying or aggressive roos. I keep a quail condo warm in the garage (its really cold here in Northern Ontario) with about 40 mixed quail. It moves out to the garden in the spring and numbers are brought down to about 20. We do eat the hens when they hit about 1.5 years and eat the males too. I normally use the males for gun dog training with my springer spaniel. So they get released in a field or old quarry and I come back a couple hours later with the gun and the dog. So we get the added bonus of live gun training and I can eat the birds to that I shoot. I really don't want to keep quail. Only got them because of my daughters eczema. She is 16 now and for 14 years we tried everything to cure it. Lotions and potions and creams and steroids and such. Even eastern medicine like acupuncture. The eczema is exacerbated by the cold and dry conditions in the winter and she is a highly competitive swimmer that is now subject to drug testing. So wanted to stay away from banned substances. So as a last ditch effort we tried quail eggs. I was shocked that it worked. She(well we all) eat them every day in smoothies, boiled for school lunches, and mixed into home made egg noodles.
Also eat a few Muscovy ducks and lots of wild duck and geese that I shoot. Just did muscovy confit poached in rendered duck fat and chicken fat. Amazing.

 

[Timmy59]

I raise about 70 CX and Ranger birds for meat each year for the fam. I also hatch a barnyard mix of eggs to keep the layers going and give a few layers to neighbours. I eat all the males that hatch out and become annoying or aggressive roos. I keep a quail condo warm in the garage (its really cold here in Northern Ontario) with about 40 mixed quail. It moves out to the garden in the spring and numbers are brought down to about 20. We do eat the hens when they hit about 1.5 years and eat the males too. I normally use the males for gun dog training with my springer spaniel. So they get released in a field or old quarry and I come back a couple hours later with the gun and the dog. So we get the added bonus of live gun training and I can eat the birds to that I shoot. I really don't want to keep quail. Only got them because of my daughters eczema. She is 16 now and for 14 years we tried everything to cure it. Lotions and potions and creams and steroids and such. Even eastern medicine like acupuncture. The eczema is exacerbated by the cold and dry conditions in the winter and she is a highly competitive swimmer that is now subject to drug testing. So wanted to stay away from banned substances. So as a last ditch effort we tried quail eggs. I was shocked that it worked. She(well we all) eat them every day in smoothies, boiled for school lunches, and mixed into home made egg noodles.
Also eat a few Muscovy ducks and lots of wild duck and geese that I shoot. Just did muscovy confit poached in rendered duck fat and chicken fat. Amazing.

Awesome lifestyle and story there.. Because the world was just turned upside down by a "said" killer virus I decided to get a sustainable bird for meat.. The last shipment and process of our common cx was the last weekend in june 2020 we put up 64 out of 79 birds.. The loss was late in the game when temps got too much or bad genes kicked in.. We purchased a slow grow white broiler , hatched 9-2-2020 .. These suckers are HEAVY, and it's frigid right now and they're doing great, less the blood from the cock fights.. 4 roosters 10 hens in a small coop and now we're getting 7-8 eggs a day from them.. They are out laying the white rock laying flock..

 

[iwltfum]

not very many responses, but this is really interesting so far! CX is much less popular than you would think based on reading the threads here. I'm surprised we don't get more turkey-specific threads as well.

There is a turkey specific forum that fields alot of turkey specific questions.

 

[Ace864]

I mostly raise chickens, but now my family also loves turkeys meat because it is rich in proteins

 

[Ace864]

We have 2 flocks of birds, 1 for laying and 1 for meat.. The meat birds are double or near double the size of the layers.. Some here know what we're keeping as I have said elsewhere.. But I will be bringing these to market locally and calling them BYBs backyardbroilers or maybe Prepper birds.. Our meatbirds are of a Cornish cross but NOT the typical cx that we have kept and processed at 50 days.. These birds are a sustainable bird and other than curled toes appear to have no issues living a productive life.. Matter of fact the meaties are outlaying the layers at present.. The meat birds were 5 months on the 2nd and 4 hens are laying the layers are 3 weeks older and only 2 are laying at present... They are new to us, I bought them for a sustainable flock and at present I do not know what the chicks will become.. If they follow the footsteps of these young adults I forsee no problem stocking our freezer with good eats from a productive bird..

Your chickens looks gorgeous

 

[Timmy59]

Your chickens looks gorgeous

Thank you, sunshine orange yolks indicate they're happy.. Hens weighing in at 8 plus pounds.. 9 eggs from the 10 hens today.. But their not yet fertile..

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sunshine orange yolks indicate they are eating food with pigments that dye the egg yolks. It means nothing about nutrition or the mood of the chickens. Some brands of Layer feed list marigold petals as an ingredient. They are not there because of nutrition, they contain pigments that dye the yolks darker. Many plants contain those pigments, which explains why hens that forage often lay eggs that have darker yolks.

 

[Timmy59]

Sunshine orange yolks indicate they are eating food with pigments that dye the egg yolks. It means nothing about nutrition or the mood of the chickens. Some brands of Layer feed list marigold petals as an ingredient. They are not there because of nutrition, they contain pigments that dye the yolks darker. Many plants contain those pigments, which explains why hens that forage often lay eggs that have darker yolks.

The quanity of corn has been upped and that makes them Happy.. But yes,

Orange to dark yellow

Green feed; yellow corn

 

[UluLaté]

We have a pretty standard chicken yard with barred, reds, easter eggers and Faverolles. We also have a few turkey left.