What chickens have the meatiest breasts other than Cornish X

[Germaine_11.20]

Out of all the chicken breeds out there other than the Cornish X what breeds are the best breasted birds?

I cooked 3 of the RIR hens I had that were a year old and they barely had any breast meat at all! It was pitiful.

I appreciate a good egg layer, but this "dual purpose" really wasn't much of a dual purpose bird.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[silkiechicken]

Dual is "more than layer" meat. Meaning, instead of 3lbs of chicken at 20 weeks, you have 4-5. A RIR has 2x the meat than does a leghorn, trust me. Back when "dual" was designated, cornish x didn't really exist.

For a dual breast like a store bird, you'll have to get a x or a meat variety like a "ranger".

 

[brandywine]

I got reasonable breast meat on my Delaware cockerels.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Thank you!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Dark Cornish are the closest to the cross that can self reproduce.

Size wise, a RIR with the long body shape has a very large breast but it takes them a while to fill out. The DC's do it quicker.

Steve in NC

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Good to know. I bought 25 with the hopes that would be the one.

I am going to cross them with my White Rocks and make my own meaties. This should be interesting.

 

[sred98]

I have a dark cornish that is strictly a pet. We thought she was a different kind of chick when we bought her. She is about 1 1/2 years old and she is huge. She weighs probably 8-9 pounds (guessing) and her breast meat is firm and very plump. My kids have been begging me to butcher her, but I refuse. She is as much a pet as the dog or cat. However, we will be ordering some other Dark Cornish to raise for meat. After seeing her mature...she looks like she would be an amazing table bird.

Shelly

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Thank you Shelly. Yes when they are pets there is no way I can eat them.

 

[sred98]

Quote:
Oh yeah...the other night she got scared and refused to go up to the coop. Hopped in bed with me. We watched tv for a few hours while she slept on my chest, then I put her to bed on the towel rack in the mudroom. In the morning, she let herself out the catdoor. I never did find out what scared her! Everyone else was fine.

Silly bird!

She's the matriarch, and I had thought that I would be able to get babies that would be meat chickens out of her, but she'll never have fertile eggs...she's got the roosters (all 3!) terrified of her! All she has to do is give them "The Look" and they run away.

I'm going to order some more Cornish this spring and put them in a chicken tractor. They are the best foragers, too! They are wonderful for free-ranging.

Shelly

 

[Germaine_11.20]

That is so sweet. I bought some diapers from a BYC'r here so I can bring my favorite ones in too.
I can't wait to see the look on my dogs face.