Raising Meat Birds:- ( fail :-(

[Erica]

Sad way to learn;( Sorry...remember you cannot breed two meatbirds like that...they will not breed true...it takes two different breeds to create those birds...mating them back to eacther WILL produce chicks...but they will not be meatbirds;(

I beg to differ on this... Anything you hatch from meat birds will be a meat bird if that's how you use it. However it's growth etc won't be as predictable as the parent and it won't be uniform between hatchmates (as a purebred would be).

I've done a cross between standard cornish x hybrid and a leghorn, and the offspring of that are doing great as breeders. They do everything I want them to do and in particular grow fast and mature early, while laying well (without laying themselves to an early grave).

I don't believe going back to the hatchery is the only way to do things, particularly if you prefer your birds to have a bit of good living, health, green fodder and vigour before they end up on the table.

cheers
Erica

 

[sonew123]

I beg to differ on this... Anything you hatch from meat birds will be a meat bird if that's how you use it. However it's growth etc won't be as predictable as the parent and it won't be uniform between hatchmates (as a purebred would be).

I've done a cross between standard cornish x hybrid and a leghorn, and the offspring of that are doing great as breeders. They do everything I want them to do and in particular grow fast and mature early, while laying well (without laying themselves to an early grave).

I don't believe going back to the hatchery is the only way to do things, particularly if you prefer your birds to have a bit of good living, health, green fodder and vigour before they end up on the table.

cheers
Erica

Your right in ways...the offspring from those crosses will undoubtably carry traits from their parents...but their genetic make up has been changed...of course anyone can cross them and have "meat birds" but they are not like their parents and will not produce results like their parents...That can be very dissappointing to folks who think they will have a process ready bird in 7-8 weeks...It might take double time to do it in...either way..you can use it for meat...My point was, dont expect the exact same results is all...

 

[eggscetera]

if your interested in hatching your own meat birds,Dunlap hatchery out of southern Idaho sells both cornish cross eggs(.85 cents apiece)and red ranger eggs for a few cents more. i have a dozen of each in the bator now. all there air sacks were in tact but then again i only live 300 miles away. theres some good info on here for hatching shipped eggs,there a little more difficult to hatch than eggs from your own flock. good luck

Thanks for that info. My incubator is full with my layer eggs at the moment but i'll do at least one more hatch. I may thnk about getting meat bird eggs from Dunlap to hatch.