Roosters versus meat birds

[jerseygirl1]

I know, this topic has been discussed but I can't find it
I had gotten broilers from Ideal a few months ago, so when it was time to process, I brought along all the big roos that I couldn't rehome

Turns out the roos were bigger than the broilers.

So, are they, in your opinion, just as good as meat birds?

 

[Illia]

I've always preferred normal breeds vs Cornish X meaties. Not only is it more humane, but to me, the meat is far better. The bird is FAR prettier and smarter, and you don't have to worry about health issues, limiting feed, etc.

I always find that eating a handsome bird like this, who tastes just the same and gives enough meat in good time, is much nicer!

Honestly I think Cornish X's are only for big time industries who need FAST meat simply because the food industry needs it NOW. I'm not a fast food restaurant, so I can wait a couple more months.

 

[Tropical Chook]

I f I want to eat broilers I can get them at the supermarket. They don't really cost anymore that it does when you raise your own, and if home raised broilers are fed the proper feed, then they're pretty much the same as store bought ones anyway.

I like meat with flavor, so for me, roosters are far better than broilers.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Quote:
OK, my DH is going to be mad at you guys, because now I have a great reason to use the bator........................................................

 

[Ridgerunner]

It depends in what you consider a good meat bird. The broiler chickens are bred to produce a lot of meat in a short time on a much less amount of feed per pound gained. The meat is tender and can be cooked many different ways because they are so young. They ae more likely to have health problems and your fatality rate is often higher. The have a limited shelf life and have to be harvested or you risk real medical problems and fatalities. They tend to stand around the feeder eating a lot to support that weight gain and don't like to free range and find their own food. You'll have more poop to handle on a short term basis with meaties and it is easier for the poop to get stinky because there is so much of it in one place. It does not have time to dry out before there is more.

Dual purpose roosters gain weight slower and less efficiently on a cost per pound basis if you are buying the feed. They can forage and find a lot of their own food if you are set up for that. You'll still probably spend more on feed for each pound they put on, but if they are good foragers, it may not be a lot more. My broody raised chickens are much better foragers than my brooder raised chickens. The chicken is a lot older when it is processed so there are more limited ways you can cook the meat. If it is cooked properly it can be quite tender, but it has a different flavor and can be stringy. Juvenile roosters are very highly sexually motivated and can cause problems with your hens. I free range mine, raise multiple roosters with the flock, and don't have any real problems with that, but if your set-up does not give them a lot of room, if you have roosters that are especially aggressive, if you think a rooster mating a hen is mean and cruel, or if you think a chicken pecking another is a sure sign of animal cruelty and a total disaster, multiple roosters with your flock may not be for you. There can be real flock social problems or there can be perceived flock social problems with multiple roosters, depending on what you consider a problem. You do not have to process these roosters at a certain age to avoid them dying. Instead of processing a huge batch at one time and tying up a lot of freezer or canning space, you can keep them fresh and alive on the hoof and process them as you want to eat one. If you live where long power outages occur, you might not want a lot of meat in the freezer.

What makes a good meat bird depends on what you consider good. I have different goals and a different set-up, so my answer could easily be different than yours.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I strongly disagree with every part of this statement. There are many differences between homeraised and store bought chicken. If they are so similar, why do I have people beating down my door to buy my broilers, when they can easily go to the store and purchase one cheaper.

 

[Tropical Chook]

Very well put Ridgerunner. Here in Thailand they only slaughter as and when required. When I've suggested doing a batch at a time, they look at me as though I'm daft

Anyway, I've come to agree with their way, which means the roosters live until you need one for the pot. I generally slaughter mine before the actually start mounting my hens, but of course my head roosters is also very effective at stopping them from getting fresh with his girls. I free range our birds so there is rarely any serious fighting, but today there were three that were at it the entire day. Being Thai fighting cocks, I suppose it's in their nature, but for the most part, they seem to get along fine. So, after today's continuous battle for supremacy, I now have three with bloody combs and big bald patches. On is also limping a bit, but that's because having beaten up two others, the silly fool though he could take on my head roo who has plenty of previous fighting experience. He was used for fighting, but I managed to buy him from his previous owner. Strange how the Asian fighting cocks can be so aggressive to each other, and yet they are superb with the hens, and they NEVER shown aggression towards humans.

That reminds me, his first offspring are due to hatch out on the 28th

As I've said before on here, I find the hens do more arguing and fighting than the roosters do. My head rooster for example has never attacked any of the other roosters as he knows he's in charge, and so do they. Well at least I thought they all knew, but obviously the one youngster forgot about that today, and he has paid the price.

 

[eKo_birdies]

Quote:
I strongly disagree with every part of this statement. There are many differences between homeraised and store bought chicken. If they are so similar, why do I have people beating down my door to buy my broilers, when they can easily go to the store and purchase one cheaper.

i don't. if you are raising a commercial strain with commercial feed then how is it much different? (other than the ensured humanity throughout the duration of the animal's life and knowing where your food comes from, obviously.)

ETA not trying to start an argument or anything, just honestly asking, as I am more under the same impression of tropicalchook, and would love to hear other sides to the reasoning.

 

[Mervin]

Quote:
I strongly disagree with every part of this statement. There are many differences between homeraised and store bought chicken. If they are so similar, why do I have people beating down my door to buy my broilers, when they can easily go to the store and purchase one cheaper.

i don't. if you are raising a commercial strain with commercial feed then how is it much different? (other than the ensured humanity throughout the duration of the animal's life and knowing where your food comes from, obviously.)

ETA not trying to start an argument or anything, just honestly asking, as I am more under the same impression of tropicalchook, and would love to hear other sides to the reasoning.

IMO...You can raise a commercial strain with commercial feed and still get a much different bird. The biggest reason being that you wouldn't pump your homegrown meaties full of antibiotics and other pharmacological wonders that promote rapid growth within a confined, high-density set up. Personally, I can absolutely taste a difference b/t products produced with "traditional" methods vs modern methods. Heck, I even know people that complain about difference between deer (and bears) that eat mostly acorns versus those that consume a lot of corn. It's similar to the difference b/t farm-raised and wild-caught seafood, or grass-fed and feedlot beef. There are trade-offs and commercial producers are more interested in price-per-pound and profit.

 

[eKo_birdies]

yep, good call! i do agree about those points completely. lol, being that it was early (or something

) i failed to really think about all the other aspects that go into commercial production.