Want Heritage Chicken 's that are good for meat, help?

[kizanne]

Ok ....

So I'm working on something similar. My list includes orphington, barnvelder, marans, delaware and some broiler but now CX left overs. Since I don't have any hatched chicks yet can't tell you how the crosses are working yet.

Things I have noticed. most of my non broiler birds are dressing out about 3 pounds alot less than CX's I grew for alot less time and work involved. But I like the taste better and the grow schedule doesn't bother me.

We slaughter on a more as needed basis. Usually about once ever 2 weeks we'll do in 4 chickens and this lasts us for those 2 weeks. We have grass fed beef in the freezer and eat out 1 -2 night per week. I do have some CX in the freezer from our first and only batch of those for when we don't feel like slaughtering or want a bunch of meat cause at 6-10 pounds there are left overs.

The poster that said you need to figure out your needs is true. I thought we'd go through alot of chicken but turns out one to two a week is all we need. So far I've been able to grow what we need in the space I have. I have just started hatching which will then close my circle on where my chickens come from and we are working on making a slightly larger faster grower than just any old bird. Never expect or want it to approach the speed or size of the CX but a 4 pound dressed bird in 20 weeks or less that would be my ideal. 3 pounds would be ok I'm getting that now. I can hatch them out 10 at a time staggered 5 to 10 weeks apart. Obviously I'd love one that dressed out at a nice size less than 20 weeks say 13 weeks but I don't expect to approach the hybrid weights....

One thing to consider is how much grow out space do you have? How often do you want to slaughter. For a grow out of 2 birds for 20 weeks of growth I have to have space for 40 birds. I can stagger them where some are in the brooder and some in my grow out pen but you're still talking alot of birds hanging around. The quicker they grow the less birds you need at one time if you do them in small batches. I currently have 42 hanging around and another 20 in the incubator.

 

[ronott1]

I have have a cross going right now that is interesting. I had a McMurray SG Dorking that was the only rooster with my layers. After the Sheriff caught me and I had to give up my roos, I hatched a dozen eggs. I have Marans, Golden comet and Barred rock hens crossed with him. The Dorking x Barred rocks are growing faster. I am excited to see how well they develop.

 

[karenbrat1]

I just got a really nice Buckeye trio, so will be hatching and eating culls from their offspring next year, and will cross them on perhaps Dark Cornish and Barred or White Rocks to see what kind of table birds the cross will make. I've had Welsumers for over 10 years, and the Buckeyes are much heavier birds. There's not much meat on a Welsumer carcass, but I like their temperament and they are great layers of dark, speckled eggs.

The Cornish Cross broilers can't be beat for the most meat with the best feed conversion in the shortest time. But they ARE disgusting to raise... they are simply eating, crapping machines.

I had Blue Laced Red Wyandottes and Blue Copper Marans for a couple of years, and while they ended up with nice carcasses they took forever to get there and were not great layers either. Sure they taste good, but very slow growing, put on a big frame but took a really long time to put flesh on it; same thing with heritage breed turkeys I've had.

 

[Nicholie Olie]

@ wyoDreamer haha i know i know! But since they were dual purpose i was unsure if they'd be a good pick. I thought i read somewhere that dual purpose actually cost more then they're worth. So i figured two different species for two different things would be better? But maybe i'll look into those also!

 

[ScottnLydia]

We've been raising Delawares for meat with great success! We hatch out between 10 to 20 at a time and raise them up to about 3 months, sometimes a few weeks more. This results in what used to be called a "broiler" sized bird of about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds. I know this sounds small to folks used to 5 pound Cornish Xs, but they are big enough for 2 meals for the 2 of us. If we need more, we just cook 2. The flavor is SUPERB ! Moisture and tenderness are perfect! We could probably go a few weeks longer, but I don't know how much more would be added. We once raised some roosters to 5 months but they had to be braised, the tenderness was gone in the wings and legs. Delaware layers that have gone into the moult make outstanding stewers, we really enjoy them braised.

We have recently added Partridge Rocks and shall find out how they are as meat birds before too much longer. Crosses are in the offing as well. I like the idea of hybrids because of 'hybrid vigor' and how they often grow faster. Time will tell.

I too dislike Cornish Xs. I have raised them, I just don't like what they have done to them. I don't like the meat, either. It's bland and flacid. Delawares ARE the market chickens of my childhood, so they are the chicken taste that I remember my Gramma making when I was a kid! For me, that's what is important. Also, it is important to know that dual purpose birds are NOT built like the Cornish Xs, so don't expect the same wide breast and short legs.

When I was researching breeds I also considered Dorkings and Sussex, noted for fine eating qualities. But like so many large birds, they are scrawny when young, just skin and bones, and don't fill out until they are 6, 7, or 8 months old and are intended for slow roasting. I like fried chicken, too, so I wanted something that would fill out sooner. I also needed something that could handle our cold winters AND brutally hot summers and still lay well.

~S

 

[3littlebirds]

White Dorkings have the best tasting meat of any breed and mine lay very well too. White Dorkings are best for meat.

 

[maryhysong]

White Dorkings have the best tasting meat of any breed and mine lay very well too. White Dorkings are best for meat.

Could you give some idea of live & dressed weights at different ages and how you feed them? I'm beginning to keep and hatch small numbers of chicks for sale locally and would love to be able to have a meaty type bird that is also a heritage line

 

[ScottnLydia]

White Dorkings have the best tasting meat of any breed and mine lay very well too. White Dorkings are best for meat.

What methods have you used to cook them? Have you tried frying them? I was told by a number of people that raised them that they were better roasters than fryers.

~S

 

[milleryardchx]

I'm starting a meat flock of heritage birds Im using white rock hens under delaware roosters. My main rooster I picked for breeding is over 9lbs from a farmer south of me. Im rasing our first batch now they are two weeks old and Im raising four week old cornish cross to compair. The white rock hens are out growing a few of the delaware roos (those smaller roos will be going to freezer camp) the 2 largest and best to the standard of delaware roos of my 13 will be kept for breeding, to be crossed with my 12 white rock pullets the rest will be chicken dinner. In the spring I hope to take all the eggs from our cross and have my own meaties and egg supply. No more buying chicken at the store!

A few heirtage farms near me use delawares for meat birds to get 5 to 9lbs birds and a friend of mine uses white rock. I have been looking for a faster grower and what I have read is if you cross the two you get a heritage bird that with broiler diet grows faster than just the two bloodlines by themselves. We shall see good luck with whatever you come up with!

 

[milleryardchx]

White Dorkings have the best tasting meat of any breed and mine lay very well too. White Dorkings are best for meat.

I found if very hard to find white dorkings do you mind sharing where you found them or do you sell?