Self-Sustaining Meat Chickens?

[RCAKB]

Are there meat chicken breeds that can be self-sustaining? I know Cornish X Rocks cannot if you want it true to breed. I don't want to rely on someone else all the time for my meat chickens, kinda defeats the self-sustaining thing. lol Thanks in advance!

 

[Sara Ranch]

From talking to others, lots of research, and personal experience, I category chickens into three groups - layers, meat birds/dual purpose birds, and broilers.

Layers would be the chickens that don't get big and heavy and are prolific egg layers - like Leghorns.

Meat birds/dual purpose birds are the chickens that do get big and heavy - like Buff Orpingtons. You can harvest them about 14 weeks on, depending on your circumstances. They lay eggs too - well the pullets/hens do.

Broilers are the birds that get heavy really fast - like Cornish Rocks. They can be harvested starting at eight weeks on.

I have all three. I threw away the rule book for the broilers when I became disgusted with how quickly they gained weight and their lack of mobility. I put them with a regular flock (once they could walk again) . The cornies walk, run, jump, climb, fly, and free range. They are no longer short stubby chickens who just eat and poop. They even have feathers covering their whole body now! The cornies are hefty (weight wise) but so much healthier than before. I will be harvesting them when I want to, not when someone else tells me I am suppose to.

I hope this helps you find the answers you are looking for.

 

[RCAKB]

Thanks! That does help. I guess I am looking into the broilers more but the dual purpose seems to be what would fit my needs? Do your Cornies lay eggs too? I have a husband and a teenage boy to feed and need a chicken that can keep up! Ha ha ha!

 

[Northern Appalachian]

I've heard buff orpingtons also make some pretty great moms, so maybe steer toward some dual-purpose breeds that can become broody? Unless you wanna shell out money for an incubator.

 

[Fairview01]

Are there meat chicken breeds that can be self-sustaining? I know Cornish X Rocks cannot if you want it true to breed. I don't want to rely on someone else all the time for my meat chickens, kinda defeats the self-sustaining thing. lol Thanks in advance!

Check out this link. Just about everything you would like to know about large fowl white Cornish. Half of the parental cross used to originally create the Cornish Rock X and before you ask, Yes you can create the Cornish Rock X by using a white Plymouth Rock with a large fowl white Cornish however No, it will not grow out anywhere near as fast as those available from the hatcheries. Those fast growing crosses available from hatcheries are the results of decades of selective breeding and culling to produce parents that can create these fast growing broilers.

Where are you locatd in the Lone Star State. I may be able to give you some help locating LFW Cornish if you want to go that way.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Are there meat chicken breeds that can be self-sustaining? I know Cornish X Rocks cannot if you want it true to breed. I don't want to rely on someone else all the time for my meat chickens, kinda defeats the self-sustaining thing. lol Thanks in advance!

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I wanted the same thing... so I went with French Black Copper Marans because flavor was also important. We love the dark eggs and boys grow for 16-20 weeks. Even though they take longer to grow out, they are hardy beyond belief and don't eat as heavily as broilers who only take 8 weeks. So more time yes but not necessarily twice as much feed. I have had 2 hens hatch and raise broods. So they are also capable and plenty broody enough in my experience. That being said I like to have a few others just for fun. So I've got a Rock, EE, and a production red.. in addition to my Silkie flocks!

I've tried a lot of breeds including Orpington. They are fine but none have made pet status so far... and they grow much slower, so aren't my breed of choice. That being said, we do eat our extra Silkie cockerels at the same age others are being processed. Which is usually more about my convenience than the age of the bird.

Ultimately, you could even have a barn yard mix flock with different DP breed hens and any cock bird of your choice. I grow mine out, sell the pullets, and process most boys. I also keep my boys in a stag pen so I can control my mating/hatching. The grow out boys will start trying to mate their female counterparts before processing age if not separated out.

It's always nice if you could really fall in love with a breed! It kinda changes when you become passionate about it. It really helps when challenges arise, and... they WILL.

Anyways, hope you have fun!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

The buckeye? Developed by a woman in Ohio who wanted a true breeding DP breed. They are widely admired and touted by those that own them. I’m not sure about broody tendencies. But they are good layers until 2 years and then ready for their next purpose.

 

[Folly's place]

Consider some of the heritage breeds, especially the less common types. Hatchery barred Plymouth Rocks will be smaller than standard, bred mostly for egg production, not meat qualities. The buff Plymouth Rocks I got from a hatchery were much nicer! Not so popular, bigger and better though. I do like Chanteclers, Wyandottes, and the slower growing Cornish, although the Cornish are poor egg layers. French Marans are good too.
Consider getting a mixed group of straight run heavy breed chicks, and see what you like! Mary

 

[Sara Ranch]

My cornies aren't mature enough to lay eggs. I do have one cornie, that from the beginning, separated herself from her siblings, and wouldn't gorge. She hangs out with the leghorns.

Having the mixture of all three types of birds, I can harvest when I want from all three groups. A normal, full chicken from the grocery store is 6 meals for me. I figure I could easily eat 2 whole chickens in a month. So I should have 24+ chickens for harvesting in my planning. When I have company, I am all for serving up a home raised chicken! And I have noticed that company eats a lot more than I would in a serving.

With a hungry husband and a growing boy, would one whole chicken equal one meal?

Would you eat chicken once a week?

Did you want to sell any of the chickens?

I know, things that make you go hhhmmm...and yummmm...

 

[Hawgfan]

White Plymouth Rocks have a good reputation as being faster growth than other hatchery varieties. Delawares are said to be another good choice. My BRs did ok. As was mentioned, they aren't as large as heritage bred ones.