What Feed Produces Best Meat and Egg Taste

Corporate Farmer

Hatching
9 Years
May 4, 2010
8
0
7
Plymouth, MN
I am NEW to raising chickens for both meat (cornish cross) and eggs (wyandotts, cochins, polish crested, buff orphingtons, australorps, easter eggers). Has anyone considered what type of feed produces best taste of meat and eggs? I used to feed my flock Sprout brand feed from Mills Fleet Farm (loca store here in Minnesota) which has both animal and plant protein. Recently I switched to Purina Flock raiser as it has all plant protein which appeals to me.

My cornish crosses are only two weeks old and therefore have been indoors and have been eating only commercial feed (purina flock raiser). I plan to put them outside in about two weeks when they are strong enough for varying temperatures, but then they will be almost big enough to be butchered. By then they would have mostly commercial feed. What can I do to enhance the flavor of the meat? Will just raising them on commercial feed produce bland tasting meat birds that are similar to what I buy in supermarkets?

My other breeds are older and have access to outside run which has grass and bugs. They are not old enough to lay eggs yet, but I expect them to start laying in about a month or two. They scratch, sun bathe, have access to clean water and all look happy and healthy.
 
I love the taste of grass and corn fed beef.

I imagine the taste of chicken meat would work the same on those feeds.
 
The chickens being on pasture makes a huge difference in the taste of my chickens' eggs, as well as the nutritional differences that others have tested for. There's a difference in the nutritional quality of meat from animals that are raised on pasture, compared to animals that are not, also. I think any amount of time spent on pasture will improve the health and flavor of your birds and eggs.
 

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