Slow growing breeds for meat - What breeds to get?

[KikiDeAnime]

I'm looking into doing meat birds again this year and actually going through with it. I have a little area separate from our main flock where I'll be keeping them once they're close to butcher age.
I prefer slow growing breeds as they're more natural and healthier.
I'm looking to hear what breeds are good for meat that I should get in spring.
The area I have for them can hold around 15 adult birds but I'm getting more than I actually need because I like to stay cautious and prepared in case I lose a few. All of them will be either raised by a broody or in our brooder coop with heat until they're old enough.

What slow growing breeds do you recommend or suggest for meat?

 

[Amer]

Eh I dont really blame the store owner. If they are not meat breeds, why not let them live out their life?

Why would laying breeds be more deserving of life than meat birds?

 

[SourRoses]

I would go with New Hamsters

 

[Egghead_Jr]

This question gets asked all the time and those folks are always disappointed with the results after raising thin hatchery birds bred for egg production and asking how to fatten them up. It just doesn't happen.

That Knoll line from Freedom Ranger is actually what you want. Or a good quality dual purpose from breeder stock. Thinking any of the typical hatchery birds will represent the breed characteristics or suit their utility purpose from a century ago is folly. Standard bred birds from breeders or something like that non standard New Hampshire meat bird will perform well and breed true.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just say slow growing but I actually mean just regular breeds. Like Buff Orpingtons, Australorps, etc.

I assume you are going to order cockerels. They are usually less expensive than pullets or straight run and give larger carcasses. That's the way I do this.

What traits do you want in a meat bird? If you are going to pluck them you might want a white or buff colored bird. Some pin feathers get left behind when you pluck and a light colored bird gives you a prettier carcass than a darker bird. If you skin them feather color doesn't matter.

Some people prefer a white, yellow, or darker skin though for a lot of people it doesn't matter. Do you have a preference?

Do you have a preference for light or dark meat? Most dual purpose breeds give a larger percentage of dark meat than the Cornish Cross hybrid meat bird. The true Cornish breed that was used to develop the Cornish Cross hybrid has a large percentage of white meat compared to most other dual purpose breeds.

How important is early maturing and size to you? Brahma or Jersey Giants eventually get really big but you may need to wait an extra month or probably more to take advantage of the potential extra size. Many of us prefer early maturing so we don't have to feed them as much.

Before the development of the Cornish Cross about 70 years ago, the most common breeds raised for meat in the US were Delaware, New Hampshire, and some strains of White Rock developed for meat instead of egg laying. Hatcheries have not been breeding them for meat for about 70 years so they aren't significantly better than other hatchery dual purpose breeds but if I were buying from a hatchery I'd look at them really hard.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Since you have no preferences I suggest you try two or three different breeds and do a direct comparison when they are raised side by side under your conditions.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would never eat a Buff Orpington or an Australorp. Those are pet breeds.

Orpingtons, Australorps, Olive Eggers, Wyandottes, and Sex linked birds are not breeds/mixes that I will ever eat

We all have our own personal preferences, goals, motivations, and methods. Those are the type of birds I raise to eat. That just makes us unique, does not make either of us wrong.

 

[imacowgirl2]

I LOVED my batch of New Hampshires from Freedom Ranger Hatchery. So much so that my next batch of 20 chicks arrives Wednesday!

I only had to feed them for 13 weeks to have live weights between 5-9 lbs. My dressed weights were 3-5 lbs, but I had to use a different scale for the dressed weights, and I don’t think it was accurate because these birds have as much, if not more, meat on them as the 4-5 lb birds I buy at the store. They were just fed regular chick starter followed by all flock pellets, not meat bird feed, so I’m interested to see what kind of weights I get using meat bird feed this time. My ideal bird is about 6-7 pounds dressed. They have a good amount of breast, but aren’t all breast.

They ate more than my layer flock chicks of the same age, but not an unreasonably large amount of feed. This time around I’m housing them separate from the layer flock so I can track feed usage.

They free range just fine, and also do well in coop/run — never once did I have any of them just laying around the feeders. They are VERY docile too…we held some back for breeding, and unlike the other roosters we have, never once have either of these roosters tried to assert their dominance to us, even during their hormonal teenage phase.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I would recommend brahmas, they are extremely slow growing but grow very large.

I believe @3KillerBs has some exact weights of cleaned birds she's processed.

I just say slow growing but I actually mean just regular breeds. Like Buff Orpingtons, Australorps, etc.

In that case any dual-purpose breed would fit. Plymouth rocks, orpingtons, rhode island reds, new hampshires, delawares, etc...

 

[K0k0shka]

Actually some breeder's English Orpingtons are quite meaty. @Faraday40 has some nice ones

I can confirm that good English Orps are thick and meaty