What are the best breeds of chickens to raise for there meat?

[Tracydr]

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I'm raising a batch of Red Broilers from Ideal Hatchery, along with 11 Cornish X. I'm really liking the red broilers. Not as consistent in size but very healthy and active. Some of them are keeping up with theCornish at three weeks, some are smaller.
Even if they take 12-14 weeks to get to a 4-5 pound dressed weight, if I get less leg problems and don't have to worry as much about heart issues and breast sores, I'll be pleased. Plus, they're very pleasing to look at. I'm not much into white birds.
When I move, late next year, I'm going to try some different breeds to raise my own. Mainly Cornish ( purebred), but also Buckeye, Brahma, Australorps. I'd also consider Naked Necks. They have half the feathers ( helps with plucking and heat tolerance) but still do well in cold. They're great layers of large, brown eggs, gentle birds and get huge. I noticed on the Hubbard website that they are used in a number of they're crosses, I think on the maternal side. I used to have some when I lived in OK. Ugly birds but great layers and great dual purpose. Perfect for a state like OK or TX with brutally hot summers and cold winters.

 

[Tracydr]

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I used to raise grass fed longhorn. It was not shoe leather, it was the best beef I ever ate. That chef did not know what to do with grass fed lean steak.

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
I used to raise grass fed longhorn. It was not shoe leather, it was the best beef I ever ate. That chef did not know what to do with grass fed lean steak.

longhorn is quite comparible to jersey meat.. once those steers reach about 800 lb, they become so marbled, that the burger is hard to grind. No doubt in my mind that you had a great eating experience with it... the question is at hand, was for half the meat in a steak worth it? I mean we're comparing 8" RE to 15" RE??? Heck, I've seen hogs dress out 7" LEs, as compared to a longhorn or Jersey's 8"ers?

90% of all Holstein steers grade Prime, 95% of them grade choice or better... but 100% of them yeild 1/3 smaller REA than a beer steer... and I bet that if you compared hot carcass weight of the holstein steers to an average ole Angus steer.. and made their carcasses the same weight.. the holstein (Longhorn, Jersey, Etc) would have 1/2 as big of a REA.

 

[Tracydr]

It's all in the environment. I raised my longhorns on leased pasture. Pasture cost $1,600 a year for a section, ran 30 cow/calves and a bull, plus about 10 steers. Cows required no help in calving whatsoever. Used inexpensive, native round bales for the cold part of the winter to supplement pasture.
This set-up would not have worked with angus, black baldys or other traditional beef breeds, just like free-ranging doesn't work for the Cornish X. But, with the longhorns, my steers would get to 800-1,000 lbs by two years old with almost no human intervention and very little feed cost.
So, if my rib-eyes were a little smaller, who cares? The meat was delicious. We loved it and had a great grass-fed market for it. Plus, the horns and hide are also valuable. No calf pulling, no heifers dying from calving, 100% conception rates, easiest cattle to raise. These were cattle came from practically wild stock that I bought from the Wichita Refuge in OK. Many of the cows had roamed wild. My oldest cow was getting pregnant up until 20 years of age! I've never heard of that before longhorns.
And yes, I have had a purebred Jersey steer as well. He was OK grass fed eating but nothing like the longhorns.
Anyway, just saying. If the right breed is selected for the environment and you know how to cook it properly, you should be happy with the results. Just don't expect your dual purpose to have a Cornish X carcass and dont expect to throw Cornish X out on 40 acres to fend for themselves.
If you like grocery store chicken, you may not be happy with dual purpose chicken. If you like heavily marveled steak, it may take a perfectly prepared longhorn prime rib or ribeye to convert you.
Quote:
I used to raise grass fed longhorn. It was not shoe leather, it was the best beef I ever ate. That chef did not know what to do with grass fed lean steak.

longhorn is quite comparible to jersey meat.. once those steers reach about 800 lb, they become so marbled, that the burger is hard to grind. No doubt in my mind that you had a great eating experience with it... the question is at hand, was for half the meat in a steak worth it? I mean we're comparing 8" RE to 15" RE??? Heck, I've seen hogs dress out 7" LEs, as compared to a longhorn or Jersey's 8"ers?

90% of all Holstein steers grade Prime, 95% of them grade choice or better... but 100% of them yeild 1/3 smaller REA than a beer steer... and I bet that if you compared hot carcass weight of the holstein steers to an average ole Angus steer.. and made their carcasses the same weight.. the holstein (Longhorn, Jersey, Etc) would have 1/2 as big of a REA.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
I'm raising a batch of Red Broilers from Ideal Hatchery, along with 11 Cornish X. I'm really liking the red broilers. Not as consistent in size but very healthy and active. Some of them are keeping up with theCornish at three weeks, some are smaller.
Even if they take 12-14 weeks to get to a 4-5 pound dressed weight, if I get less leg problems and don't have to worry as much about heart issues and breast sores, I'll be pleased. Plus, they're very pleasing to look at. I'm not much into white birds.
When I move, late next year, I'm going to try some different breeds to raise my own. Mainly Cornish ( purebred), but also Buckeye, Brahma, Australorps. I'd also consider Naked Necks. They have half the feathers ( helps with plucking and heat tolerance) but still do well in cold. They're great layers of large, brown eggs, gentle birds and get huge. I noticed on the Hubbard website that they are used in a number of they're crosses, I think on the maternal side. I used to have some when I lived in OK. Ugly birds but great layers and great dual purpose. Perfect for a state like OK or TX with brutally hot summers and cold winters.

I only wish I could get past that vulture look because the naked necks likely would be perfect for me. But oh, I can't stand to look at them.

 

[Tracydr]

The Naked Neck grew on me. It was a packing peanut roo and being a dominant trait, within a year, I soon had a mixed flock with a bunch of naked necks. I hated the looks at first but they're so ugly as to be cute. Plus, some of the sweetest chickens and great layers. Very hardy in a free ranging situation.

 

[susi]

Hello, all! My post count makes it obvious that I'm new here, so I don't know how fussy the forum is about asking questions on existing threads. Please forgive me if I should have started a new thread. Long story, short...I, too, am interested in starting my own breeding flock to ultimately raise my own meat birds. For me, that would be half the fun and I'm in no rush. The responses thus far to the OP have been very informative, but I'm still a bit confused. I've been successful with the egg laying side and have a lot of experience with animal management. We have a perfect setup; very versatile for either penning birds, limited free range or true free range, etc.. I'm honestly not concerned about feed costs or the amount of time prior to processing. All I care about is developing a breeding and management program which produces the highest quality meat. I'm a lover of white meat, so suggestions with that in mind would be appreciated. I've noticed that no one has mentioned the American Bresse's. Is the Bresse meat overrated or are they just that difficult to obtain? Thank you in advance for being tolerant of the newbie.

 

[wyoDreamer]

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I believe the Bresse to be very difficult to obtain and pricey as well. France doesn't export them.
The price listed on for the only site I found for the American Bresse was $99 for a single unsexed-day old chick.
Most people can't afford to purchase chicks at that price just to eat them.

 

[Lambingfamily]

Sounding a bit uneducated here, but what is a DP flock? We have been raising chickens for the past 4 yrs, thanks to a school project. My husband has decided he wants to raise some chickens to feed our family so I have been researching the best meat chickens. I am a softy when it comes to this so I am having a difficult time. The plan is to feed and let them free range as well. There is a farm near us that raises Freedom Rangers and processes in about 10 weeks. I know we need to keep them separate from our other birds. I like the idea of not having to slaughter a bunch of birds at one time Open to suggestions and willing to learn.

 

[SIMZ]

Hi there! DP is dual-purpose. It simply means a breed of chickens that are decent egg layers and also grow enough to have some meat as well.