Prefered Meat Chicken

[EweSheep]

Orpingtons and Cornish (the real kind) are the preferred choices. But for FAST growing, its the Cornish Crosses.

 

[mama24]

we just ate our 5 month old blue andalusian cockerel for dinner tonight. he was even scrawnier than i was expecting. he was our tallest and earliest maturing boy. But only 2.5 lbs dressed! Im glad my 12 year old wasnt home or we wouldnt have had enough! But i have to say, that was the tastiest chicken ive had in a long time! definitely not even in the running for best dual purpose breed, but he sure was tasty! Better even than the bg Faverolles/Dominique mix we had a few months ago.

 

[galanie]

Processed a huge but young 6 month old Orpington cockerel last week. He was all legs but I prefer dark meat and WOW was he tasty! Plus his bones made the best chicken stock I ever made. I think my next birds I'm getting for pure meat will be hatchery Dark Cornish. They won't be as meaty as the quality ones but judging from the dark cornish hen I have, should be plenty meaty enough.

 

[draye]

I processed 8 White Rock cockerals and 2 Easter Egger cockerals this past Saturday. Didn't get any weights on them after they were dressed, but I did cut off the breasts and thighs and used my new meat grinder, made some ground chicken. Then I cooked chicken burgers for everyone for supper (dinner for those who don't know what supper is), everyone loved them.

 

[Poupoulles]

I have raised the CX and they are no fun, but the best feed converters.
I have raised the Freedom Rangers and will again, but they are kind of mean and not that much better than the CX. But they are YUMMY! So that was my answer.

I would really like to get some good genetics of Delaware or Buckeye and raise a real dual purpose flock. But I am still researching that... Someday!!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

We raise cornish X every year.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I've done the Cornish X's. Messy, lazy and not good forgers. Taste good with great feed conversions with short growing periods.

Red broilers were great forgers, nice on the eye and healthy. Not so good on the feed conversions and a longer growing period.

I would do the Cornish X's again.

 

[Beekissed]

I like the CX and find that they are only as good as what you put in them and how you raise them. I free ranged and they foraged well clear up to 11 wks, had healthy lives and carcasses, 100% survival and good finishing weights. They were nice birds.

I'll be repeating my CX project this spring with more(first batch was 20, this batch will be 40) and hope to modify feeds and other areas to increase nutrient absorption, lessen feed costs, and decrease fluid loss from liquid feces. I'll be keeping track of all expenses this time to evaluate the total cost of the meat and hope to have a processing work shop and charge for admission to defray some of the total costs.

 

[Chris09]

Kind of a toss up for me,
We raise and like Rhode Island Reds (real ones, not the hatcheries stuff) and we also like a cross I'v been working on, that is a 4 way cross between a Light Sussex, Rhode Island Red, Indian Game and a Red Dorking.

Chris