The Old Folks Home

[chickadoodles]

I just hatched some JG. I understand they take 2 years to get to fill out properly.

I got them because I want mega chickens free ranging. Our local roos would be lucky to get to 7 pounds.

For true dual purpose I am planning Dorkings Delawares and sussex.

Thanks Ox! I have 12 Black Australorps and they seem to be pretty good sized so far they are 18 weeks. 6 have to go to freezer camp soon! I am wondering if raising the JG is going to be worth the wait or if I should pick another bird for meat? I did want some large good size birds for that! lol I will check out the Dorkings and Delewares and sussex.
Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[ozexpat]

What about EO Marraduana Basque and Black Bresse. Both have large roosters and are nice Dual Purpose breeds.

Funny you should say that...

I attempted shipped Bresse this last trip to the Phils. I got 1 out of 12 to hatch. I will try again though. I think they are an awesome bird. There are a couple of sellers in California

I have hatched and sold many Basques in LA. They were wonderful big eggs. The timing was not right to bring them last time.

My initial thoughts were mainstream type birds but there are several less common birds that are great dual purpose.

 

[ozexpat]

Thanks Ox! I have 12 Black Australorps and they seem to be pretty good sized so far they are 18 weeks. 6 have to go to freezer camp soon! I am wondering if raising the JG is going to be worth the wait or if I should pick another bird for meat? I did want some large good size birds for that! lol I will check out the Dorkings and Delewares and sussex.
Thanks for the suggestion!

Although the JG were very high on my list of must haves, as a meat utility bird that you have to pay to feed, there are lots of better value chickens out there.

 

[ronott1]

Thanks Ox! I have 12 Black Australorps and they seem to be pretty good sized so far they are 18 weeks. 6 have to go to freezer camp soon! I am wondering if raising the JG is going to be worth the wait or if I should pick another bird for meat? I did want some large good size birds for that! lol I will check out the Dorkings and Delewares and sussex.
Thanks for the suggestion!

Yes, JGs are not good to raise for Meat. They grow too slowly. Australorps are good but Americans do not like the white skin. Pen feathers are black and that bothers some too. The older they are before processing the more pen feathers there will be.

I have Blue and black Australorps from Chester Hupp and they are getting big very quickly.

 

[ronott1]

Funny you should say that...

I attempted shipped Bresse this last trip to the Phils. I got 1 out of 12 to hatch. I will try again though. I think they are an awesome bird. There are a couple of sellers in California

I have hatched and sold many Basques in LA. They were wonderful big eggs. The timing was not right to bring them last time.

My initial thoughts were mainstream type birds but there are several less common birds that are great dual purpose.

The Basque Cockerels dress out at 3.5 pounds or so at 16 weeks old.

I bought a dozen White Bresse eggs from a seller in Lodi Ca. 11 of the 14 shipped eggs hatched. She has good fertility and hatchability.

Good luck with the Philippine Project!

 

[ozexpat]

The Basque Cockerels dress out at 3.5 pounds or so at 16 weeks old.

I bought a dozen White Bresse eggs from a seller in Lodi Ca. 11 of the 14 shipped eggs hatched. She has good fertility and hatchability.

Good luck with the Philippine Project!

I sent a friend 18 white and 6 black Bresse from the Lodi supplier. They are developing nicely as well.

 

[chickadoodles]

Yes, JGs are not good to raise for Meat. They grow too slowly. Australorps are good but Americans do not like the white skin. Pen feathers are black and that bothers some too. The older they are before processing the more pen feathers there will be.

I have Blue and black Australorps from Chester Hupp and they are getting big very quickly.

Thanks Ron! Is there a difference in the blue aussies skin color? We have never processed any chickens before so what ever it turns out to be, it will be.... lol
As long as they taste good enough to make it all worth while is all I care about! lol

 

[ronott1]

Thanks Ron! Is there a difference in the blue aussies skin color? We have never processed any chickens before so what ever it turns out to be, it will be.... lol
As long as they taste good enough to make it all worth while is all I care about! lol

The skin is white on the Blue Australorps too.

I processed a BA crossed with a Silver Grey Dorking and processed a cockerel last January.

It was very tasty! The one crossed with a Blue Marans was tasty but smaller. I am fattening up a couple of Bresse Cockerels and will be processing them in a week and a half.

 

[Arielle]

Once I started processing my own, skin color and pin feathers were suddenly not so important to me any more; mind you I'm not selling, just for home use. A roasted bird is brown when it's done. Whether is was white or yellow, I can't tell any more. ANd whether white or black, pin feathers are annoying, color immaterial. I"m all for taste.

as an aside--My son the 9 yr old chef and I were watching NOVA last night. WHEn the heavy discussion about brining showed the difference in "bite" aka tenderness, my son mentioned the birds already tasted too salty. ANd I personally don't want a mushy tender bird any more. Well, yes, sometimes, I do. But I also like a bird that requires some chewing.

I don't brine. I do rast at a lower temp 250 until done then turn up the heat to put on a golden brown roasted skin. I don't have time to let a bird rest in the refridgerator and a turkey takes up too much room.

 

[chickadoodles]

Once I started processing my own, skin color and pin feathers were suddenly not so important to me any more; mind you I'm not selling, just for home use. A roasted bird is brown when it's done. Whether is was white or yellow, I can't tell any more. ANd whether white or black, pin feathers are annoying, color immaterial. I"m all for taste.

as an aside--My son the 9 yr old chef and I were watching NOVA last night. WHEn the heavy discussion about brining showed the difference in "bite" aka tenderness, my son mentioned the birds already tasted too salty. ANd I personally don't want a mushy tender bird any more. Well, yes, sometimes, I do. But I also like a bird that requires some chewing.

I don't brine. I do rast at a lower temp 250 until done then turn up the heat to put on a golden brown roasted skin. I don't have time to let a bird rest in the refridgerator and a turkey takes up too much room.

So how do you get your turkey ready to cook Arielle? I read that you can just let the bird set for at least 24 hrs before cooking it. But so many say to make a brine either with spices and sugar or salt to soak the turkey in. I was wondering how to do that and fit it in the fridg? Maybe a cooler?
Ya'll are bringing up pin feathers do you have to get all the pin feathers out of the birds or will the burn off in the cooking process if you can't get to them all?