Sustainable Meat / Standard Bred Dual Purpose Bird Thread.

[OrganicFarmWife]

I have three 8 week old Red Rangers

I grabbed one and weighed him he weighs 1911 grams

He is pictured with 7 week old layers.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

We are now at the 4 week mark with my chicks My Rainbow Dixies They weigh an average of 583 grams My Red Rangers They weigh an average of 586 grams My Jersey Giants They weigh an average of 308 grams. I do have one Jersey Giant that weighs 394 grams, my heaviest. I will try to pull him and mark him so i can consider him for my Rooster. For a comparison, my layer mix now weighs an average 312 grams

Thanks for posting the weights. Wow....what a difference from my NNs, which averaged 340 grams @ 4 wks.

Yes but definite negatives. Because I have only three I have kept my 8 week old birds penned with my 7week old layers. For the layers I have kept them with continuous feed. I now have one 8week old bird that is beginning to walk funny, too big too fast. I will see how my second batch turns out, they will be free ranged younger, and limited feed somewhat. Perhaps they will be healthier. We have also noticed my Jersey Giants and layers seem more intelligent, quicker.

 

[DesertChic]

Yes but definite negatives. Because I have only three I have kept my 8 week old birds penned with my 7week old layers. For the layers I have kept them with continuous feed. I now have one 8week old bird that is beginning to walk funny, too big too fast.
I will see how my second batch turns out, they will be free ranged younger, and limited feed somewhat. Perhaps they will be healthier.
We have also noticed my Jersey Giants and layers seem more intelligent, quicker.

I had once seriously considered raising either Cornish X or Red Rangers as meat birds, but I just really love the flavor and texture of a "slow-aged" bird. I know the growth rates are less impressive, but for me it's worth it. I still LOVE reading the results of others' experiences and find the information you provide to be invaluable.

 

[rottlady]

I just weighed my Delawares. They are 13 days old

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Yes but definite negatives. Because I have only three I have kept my 8 week old birds penned with my 7week old layers. For the layers I have kept them with continuous feed. I now have one 8week old bird that is beginning to walk funny, too big too fast.

I will see how my second batch turns out, they will be free ranged younger, and limited feed somewhat. Perhaps they will be healthier.

We have also noticed my Jersey Giants and layers seem more intelligent, quicker.

I had once seriously considered raising either Cornish X or Red Rangers as meat birds, but I just really love the flavor and texture of a "slow-aged" bird. I know the growth rates are less impressive, but for me it's worth it. I still LOVE reading the results of others' experiences and find the information you provide to be invaluable. 

I think they can be useful. I figured this would give me some variations. I plan on using my RR and DR for grilling and fryers. Figure I will find some good recipes to roast my slower growers. This hopefully will let me no longer buy chicken from the store.

 

[DesertChic]

I think they can be useful. I figured this would give me some variations. I plan on using my RR and DR for grilling and fryers. Figure I will find some good recipes to roast my slower growers. This hopefully will let me no longer buy chicken from the store.

In case you're interested, here a really good roasting recipe:

Simple Slow Roast Chicken

Ingredients
· 1 teaspoon paprika
· 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 1 teaspoon garlic salt
· 1 teaspoon dried parsley
· 1 teaspoon dried marjoram

· 1 cup red wine
· 4 stalks celery, cut in half
· 1 onion, quartered
· 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the paprika, black pepper, garlic salt, parsley, and marjoram in a small bowl. Pour the red wine into a roasting pan with lid; set aside.
2. Place the celery and quartered onions into the cavity of the chicken. Rub the chicken with the reserved spice mixture, and set into the roasting pan.
3. Cover, and bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before serving.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I think they can be useful. I figured this would give me some variations. I plan on using my RR and DR for grilling and fryers. Figure I will find some good recipes to roast my slower growers. This hopefully will let me no longer buy chicken from the store.

In case you're interested, here a really good roasting recipe:

[COLOR=2D2D2D]Simple Slow Roast Chicken[/COLOR]

[COLOR=2D2D2D]Ingredients[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 teaspoon paprika[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 teaspoon ground black pepper[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 teaspoon garlic salt[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 teaspoon dried parsley[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 teaspoon dried marjoram[/COLOR]

[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 cup red wine[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]4 stalks celery, cut in half[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 onion, quartered[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]·        [/COLOR] [COLOR=2D2D2D]1 (4 pound) whole chicken[/COLOR]
[COLOR=2D2D2D]Directions[/COLOR]

1. Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the paprika, black pepper, garlic salt, parsley, and marjoram in a small bowl. Pour the red wine into a roasting pan with lid; set aside.
2. Place the celery and quartered onions into the cavity of the chicken. Rub the chicken with the reserved spice mixture, and set into the roasting pan.
3. Cover, and bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before serving.

Thank you I will try it, DH is not excited by the idea of eating "old tough" birds :/
I need to get some really good recipes to prove him wrong or I will end up with a freezer full of chicken he will not eat.

 

[DesertChic]

Thank you I will try it, DH is not excited by the idea of eating "old tough" birds

I need to get some really good recipes to prove him wrong or I will end up with a freezer full of chicken he will not eat.

If you also brine the chicken for 3+ days before using this recipe I can almost guarantee there will be no toughness. I brined my oldest bird (10 mos old) for 6 days and then roasted it this way. It literally fell off the bone.

 

[Horseman1074]

If you also brine the chicken for 3+ days before using this recipe I can almost guarantee there will be no toughness. I brined my oldest bird (10 mos old) for 6 days and then roasted it this way. It literally fell off the bone.

What is your brine recipe?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Please don't post recipes here. The focus of this thread is for project meat birds and improvement of dual purpose breeds. We'd like to keep the thread clean of fluff, for lack of better word, and focused to the aim of making or improving sustainable meat birds.