Sustainable Meat / Standard Bred Dual Purpose Bird Thread.

[tmarsh83]

Interesting stuff here. Appreciate everyone's info.

I'm toying with a project of my own revolving around New Hamshire and Delaware birds, maybe some Cornish as well, I'm not sure. Still in theoretical phase. But appreciate and enjoy everyone's work here.

 

[MorrisRdFarms]

I also have buff orpingtons and RSLs. The BO cockerels grow out nicely, albeit slowly. I have a couple of customers that prefer them over the rangers. I like the hens, but I haven't been very happy with the cockerels' demeanor so far. I've been trying to figure out what breed would be a good match for my BO hens that would also give me a little hybrid vigor and a better mannered rooster. It would help me to be able to hatch out more of my own birds rather than buying rangers every year.

 

[abbevilleoz]

Our son wants to raise a few Jersey Giants. Any advice? We would be using them for meat and eggs.

 

[DesertChic]

Our son wants to raise a few Jersey Giants. Any advice? We would be using them for meat and eggs.

@Beer can raises some really beautiful White Jersey Giants. I'm hoping to get some hatching eggs from him in the spring. I would highly recommend contacting him for info on the breed at the very least. He's very knowledgeable.

 

[angry rooster]

I would like to join this thread to any extra knowledge I can get I will greatly appreciate

 

[abbevilleoz]

Th

@Beer can
 raises some really beautiful White Jersey Giants. I'm hoping to get some hatching eggs from him in the spring. I would highly recommend contacting him for info on the breed at the very least. He's very knowledgeable. 

Thanks! I've sent him a PM.

 

[Beer can]

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?

.

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.

 

[DesertChic]

I've selected my first group of serious meat breeding birds. Now I just need to wait until they've all reached sexual maturity. My plans are still to cross my Naked Necks with a Cornish Cross Mix to create a fast maturing and well-muscled group of NNs.

Breeding Cockerel:

This boy weighed in at 7.8 lbs @ 14 weeks.


Favorite NN pullet: 3.54 lbs @ 14 weeks


Reba: 3.31 lbs @ 15 weeks


Rizzo: 3.28 lbs @ 15 weeks


Fezz: 3.29 lbs @ 15 weeks



My goal is to obtain birds that consistently reach 5-7 lbs by 18 weeks.

 

[Hiltonizer]

Update on my Corn-Rock experiment...

I didn't bother taking detailed measurements because the birds were disappointing really early on. They seemed to get the worst of each breed rather than the best of each, very slow growth and lackluster muscular growth.

I've kept a couple of the larger F1's and will try breeding those back to New Hampshires just for grins... if they ever lay. at 26 weeks, no signs of it, and now the weather and light has shifted.

 

[speedy2020]

My favorite right now is White American Bresse. They are growth at decent rate and ready approximately 16-20 weeks. I haven't taste Blue Bresse or Black Bresse yet so not sure.