The vision of this thread is for a collection of attempts and works in progress in making a sustainable meat bird. The birds can be of standard breed or hybrids being bred toward a sustainable standard line. The goal of this thread is to find or be the collection of data in working toward a sustainable bird that can achieve market butcher weight of 4 lbs in 12 weeks. This is achievable in future and butcher weights of 4 lbs in 14 weeks are certainly around today. Reason for 14 weeks and under is that age is generally considered the outside edge for tender broiler bird. If you can't grill the bird at butcher age then market demand and aim of this thread is not met.
Lets add hybrids too. It will be a slow moving thread so those making pure cornish crosses or any other hybrid like White Rock over New Hampshire for example please join in.
There is an ongoing thread Breeding for Production...Eggs and Meat! It has a conversational air with pages to poor over to find actual data. This thread is meant to be slow moving and a chronicle of progression...patience in posting and attempting to say more focused for condensed form. It would be appreciated if people could use both threads as to keep this one to focus.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...roduction-eggs-and-or-meat/7870#post_16493055
Guidelines
To begin or mark thread say what project your working on or are starting.
Anecdotal weights are discouraged. To post in this thread it's asked that actual measurements be taken and reported. Photos are encouraged, live weights at 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks and older suggested and butcher weight with age a requisite.
I ask that there be no discussion as to if hybrid or standard or CornishX birds are better. It is no contest that the feed to meat conversion of the modern CornishX is the advent of mans genetic manipulation.
There will be no debunking of a persons farming practices. Opinions of humane conditions are just that- Opinions. Actual evidence of abuse are another matter but not a focus of this thread.
This statement of general guidelines of thread is to have in print a basic focus so topic does not run off course.
Weights and measure of time and feed are what matters. Opinions not so much.
Edited by Staff
Lol!
All opinions here, all good though!
I don't keep ages and dates, if I did I'd quit! Lol!
Eating quality, meat, I care about that more than egg production, I do not want to sell eggs and am up to my arms in them usually....so who cares about eggs?....
You all know the best breeds, RIR, delaware, NH, sussex, etc....
I'm really loving the naked necks right now, quick to grow and meaty and yummy, hope they lay good new to them but like everything about them so far, did I say they are yummy?
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Giant's, ain't a darned bird out there meatier than them. HUGE!, and meaty...I've heard they are 'hogs', nope, I've found they eat less, they are less active than other breeds so they eat less even though they are huge. It takes longer to grow them out to their full potential, but I've processed young birds and plenty of tender meat. They have a big frame and plenty of room to grow, but every bit of meat on their big bones as any other heritage breed. Give them a little more time and they have a lot more meat, many heritage breeds don't have that potential, get so big 6-8lbs- and pfftt...
You'll never see a bigger bird than a giant, unless you consider the bad laying breeds, my giants are egg laying machines in the winter.
