Raising meat in the city

[PandaGirl]

Just one more question. Can the big red broiler reproduce by itself? I know that the freedom rangers can`t. If it is not a heritage breed can it not lay its own eggs? Why can the new breeds not breed themselfs? Thanks!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Just one more question. Can the big red broiler reproduce by itself? I know that the freedom rangers can`t. If it is not a heritage breed can it not lay its own eggs? Why can the new breeds not breed themselfs? Thanks!

They can lay eggs. However, they are hybrids. So there is no guarantee that their offspring will carry the same combination of genetics that produce the color ranger or the color broiler. You might have a bird that looks like them but is much much smaller. Or you might have a big bird with weird coloration. Or any number of other possibilities.

 

[CNJ]

Just one more question. Can the big red broiler reproduce by itself? I know that the freedom rangers can`t. If it is not a heritage breed can it not lay its own eggs? Why can the new breeds not breed themselfs? Thanks!

Big Red Broilers can reproduce, but you will need to selective breed their offspring to bring them back. They were hybrid from from different blood lines, so they say they don't breed true. A Mcmurray customer bred them and shared it on their review:

Amazing birds
Best meat birds ever. Males grew way faster than expected and the girls were right behind them. We kept a couple girls from last years batch and they have been laying for us since early winter. Out of the eight girls we kept we get a steady 5 eggs a day! Even put a few in the incubator and got some nice babies from them. Their chicks were not as fast as parents in growth but they did not Dissappoint either. Over all very healthy breed of meat bird, delicious flavor, quick growth and a respectable egg layer as well

 

[PandaGirl]

Thank you everybody for your help!

 

[PandaGirl]

One more question about doing this in my backyard. So, I do not really want to kill any grass, so I was thinking about doing a tractor, but then I realized it would just spread there poop. There are kids who run around this yard so it really would not do. I then had tree ideas.
1. Half of the tractor has a floor, and that is where they would be confined at night ( Idk if it is only layer who do this, but my thought is that is when they poop the most.
2. a stationary coop and run, it would kill the grass but there would not be any poop all over.
While I would like # 1, please just let me know what you think! Thanks!

 

[cassie]

Hi!
I am a back yard chicken owner who started her flock about this time last year. I would now like to try meat birds. I plan on building a really simple a-frame chicken tractor. But, I am stuck on what breed to go with. I was thinking about the cronish cross, but really I would like to go with something a little less over breed. I also heard they eat a LOT! We would like to keep our spending about the same as what it would be at the store ( although making a profit would be great too) This being said, we also do not want to have to raise them for a very long amount of time. Any suggestions would be great. I am still open to the cornish cross if somebody could give me a upside to them! Also, any tips for doing it in the city would also be great. Thanks!

Cornish X do eat a lot. They also poop a lot. That is because they grow fast. You will get more pounds of chicken per pound of feed with the Cornish X than with any other breed. However, to do that they need a high quality feed. I fed mine broiler feed when I could get it and turkey feed when I couldn't. I kept mine in a well ventilated 12 x 12 box stall in the barn and bedded them on shavings. You are not going to be able to produce chicken for the table for what it costs to buy it at the store. There are a number of reasons you might want to raise your own meat birds, but saving money is not one of them.

 

[CNJ]

One more question about doing this in my backyard. So, I do not really want to kill any grass, so I was thinking about doing a tractor, but then I realized it would just spread there poop. There are kids who run around this yard so it really would not do. I then had tree ideas.
1. Half of the tractor has a floor, and that is where they would be confined at night ( Idk if it is only layer who do this, but my thought is that is when they poop the most.
2. a stationary coop and run, it would kill the grass but there would not be any poop all over.
While I would like # 1, please just let me know what you think! Thanks!

If you grow Cornish X out in a chicken tractor with out moving the tractor, they will be sleeping on their poop. A coop with a 1 x 1/2 inch screen floor would be better, but you will have to process them at the end of 8 weeks because the back of their leg shanks will start to show abrasion from their excess weight.

I spread pine shavings under the coop to control the smell and it makes it easier to rake up. I like this method better because I can gather their poop for fertilize, so I get an added benefit..