Poll: What kind of Meat Birds do you raise?

[Parront]

Thank you! Is there a reason you wait that long/don't do it later?

This is a good question. Depending on when they begin to crow and your neighborhood, and how large you want the bird to be. I have a heritage breed, Barred Holland, and they started crowing as young as 10 weeks. I processed some @ 12 weeks, they were a little under 2 pounds dressed. They were good on the BBQ. I had done all of the boys except the 2 largest at 14 weeks. I had 7 in that batch, the next batch I did not want to keep any males, they were all processed by 12 weeks. Not as tender as a store Cornish-X, but very tasty little fryers. I like to fry them in my pressure cooker, it is faster that way. 2 pounds plucked and dressed is fine for the 2 of us. If I waited until these boys were 18 weeks, that would be 8 weeks of 7 roosters crowing instead of 2 to 4 weeks. So a lot depends on the breed you are raising.

 

[PioneerChicks]

This is a good question. Depending on when they begin to crow and your neighborhood, and how large you want the bird to be. I have a heritage breed, Barred Holland, and they started crowing as young as 10 weeks. I processed some @ 12 weeks, they were a little under 2 pounds dressed. They were good on the BBQ. I had done all of the boys except the 2 largest at 14 weeks. I had 7 in that batch, the next batch I did not want to keep any males, they were all processed by 12 weeks. Not as tender as a store Cornish-X, but very tasty little fryers. I like to fry them in my pressure cooker, it is faster that way. 2 pounds plucked and dressed is fine for the 2 of us. If I waited until these boys were 18 weeks, that would be 8 weeks of 7 roosters crowing instead of 2 to 4 weeks. So a lot depends on the breed you are raising.

Thank you, this is very helpful!

I'm actually getting some Barred Holland hatching eggs sometime in May from a breeder. I plan on breeding them next spring! What is your experience with them and any tips?

 

[Parront]

Thank you, this is very helpful!

I'm actually getting some Barred Holland hatching eggs sometime in May from a breeder. I plan on breeding them next spring! What is your experience with them and any tips?

I have not hatched any, I got my flock as chicks from a breeder on here @rjohns39 .
I like them. They are nice and calm, like a rock. The eggs from the birds I got from @rjohns39 are just as white as a Leghorn egg. I also got some birds from Sandhill Preservation to compare. Those chicks were very hardy and fast growing, but are laying eggs of varying tinted shades, not all white, but a lot and early maturity. I like the breed and prefer it to a Leghorn in the flock. They mature pretty early, the boys were crowing as young as 10 weeks, like a Leghorn cockerel would. The hens are smaller than rocks, and the eggs are smaller, too. Unless you like hatching eggs, ordering chicks is very easy. I got a box of 26, all lived. I split the flock with a friend who can keep roosters legally, and I kept one cockerel here to just try. Here is a photo of mine. They are a very easy breed, and more people should keep them, I think!

 

[PioneerChicks]

I have not hatched any, I got my flock as chicks from a breeder on here @rjohns39 .
I like them. They are nice and calm, like a rock. The eggs from the birds I got from @rjohns39 are just as white as a Leghorn egg. I also got some birds from Sandhill Preservation to compare. Those chicks were very hardy and fast growing, but are laying eggs of varying tinted shades, not all white, but a lot and early maturity. I like the breed and prefer it to a Leghorn in the flock. They mature pretty early, the boys were crowing as young as 10 weeks, like a Leghorn cockerel would. The hens are smaller than rocks, and the eggs are smaller, too. Unless you like hatching eggs, ordering chicks is very easy. I got a box of 26, all lived. I split the flock with a friend who can keep roosters legally, and I kept one cockerel here to just try. Here is a photo of mine. They are a very easy breed, and more people should keep them, I think!

They're so pretty! Thank you for the feedback! It is often the small details that make the difference. The breeder I am buying from is currently working on weight and a bit of plumage and hasn't started on perfecting the egg color yet. I believe she sourced from Sandhill.

 

[Parront]

They're so pretty! Thank you for the feedback! It is often the small details that make the difference. The breeder I am buying from is currently working on weight and a bit of plumage and hasn't started on perfecting the egg color yet. I believe she sourced from Sandhill.

The Sandhill birds are very hardy. 21 shipped, 21 lived and it was hot when they were shipped in Sept. They have a floppy comb on the cockerels, reminds me of Leghorn comb. I did not want to keep any of those cockerels. The birds I got from the breeder in TN have better looks and whiter eggs, and seem to be larger but they are older, we will see in a year. The cockerels from both were about the same weights when I had to process them due to the amount of crowing going on. I never heard of these before I started to get back into chickens and came on here. They were just what I wanted, nice girls that lay white eggs. For high production of white eggs, Leghorns are better. But Leghorns do not always fit in a nice flock. These should be more common, in my opinion. I can not recommend the breeder I got them from highly enough.

 

[Timmy59]

What breed are these? How much do they weigh? Have any of the eggs hatched?

Hens are 8.5 plus lbs, roosters 12 plus.. Just hatched 49 chicks.. They are a hybrid of some sort, and are so far darn good layers too, lot of monster double yolkers.. I'll know in 8-10 weeks how they perform for a 2nd gen.. If they kick tail, we'll be devoted to these guys..

 

[UluLaté]

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

How did they do?

 

[UluLaté]

This is a good question. Depending on when they begin to crow and your neighborhood, and how large you want the bird to be. I have a heritage breed, Barred Holland, and they started crowing as young as 10 weeks. I processed some @ 12 weeks, they were a little under 2 pounds dressed. They were good on the BBQ. I had done all of the boys except the 2 largest at 14 weeks. I had 7 in that batch, the next batch I did not want to keep any males, they were all processed by 12 weeks. Not as tender as a store Cornish-X, but very tasty little fryers. I like to fry them in my pressure cooker, it is faster that way. 2 pounds plucked and dressed is fine for the 2 of us. If I waited until these boys were 18 weeks, that would be 8 weeks of 7 roosters crowing instead of 2 to 4 weeks. So a lot depends on the breed you are raising.

Do the barred holland stay true to type in successive generations?

 

[Parront]

Do the barred holland stay true to type in successive generations?

Barred Holland is a breed, recognized by APA. So, to answer your question, yes. But they are not large like a Cornish - cross.

 

[UluLaté]

Oh....lol...opps.

Thank you.