What kind...

[AnotherKim]

I'm new to this area. I've been raising hens for eggs for a few years now, but never for meat. With the craziness going on in the world now, I figured it's about time I look into the meat end of chicken raising. What is your favorite meat bird? Give me some ideas, please.

 

[Sara S]

cornish cross is a very good one a friend of mine had them last year and now she has white rock very tasty one!

 

[cavemanrich]

I only keep chickens as pets, and only eat the eggs. I do eat chickens from the grocery store.
Here is my view on meat birds, and some pluses and minuses, as only my opinion.
Cornish X is the best choice for quick delivery. 8 week and you are eating.
Red Ranges are probably #2 position. Slower growing, but also give you a longer span to eat the flock.
My view on the minuses of meat birds,,,, they are eating machines, which translates to pooping machines. The CX have the added disadvantage, of needing to be processed at the ideal time. That means you will have to stock up your freezer at that point.
CX do make fine tender meat, but there are discriminate peeps that prefer other breeds for taste.
I am not in position to raise many chickens as I live in urban backyard country. But If I lived in rural area with no limitations, I would raise all the unwanted cockerels and eat them at 16 weeks, Some longer than that. I know at 16 weeks, a standard breed cockerel is no where near the size of a broiler, but I'm fine with that. They are still tender enough to eat, so not exclusively a soup bird.
Just wanted to express my view of chicken as food.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[aart]

Have never raised CX or any other 'meat' birds,
but eat all my extra cockerels(from hatching replacement layers each year)
and older hens(to get population down to winter scale).
Buying/hatching, feeding, housing, and slaughtering are all things to think about.
But make sure you have the freezer space to store them.

 

[Severne]

Have never raised CX or any other 'meat' birds,
but eat all my extra cockerels(from hatching replacement layers each year)
and older hens(to get population down to winter scale).
Buying/hatching, feeding, housing, and slaughtering are all things to think about.
But make sure you have the freezer space to store them.

I agree, my favorite is the leftover cockerels and old hens. I do however help raise the Cornish X because I have a big family that eats a lot of chicken.

 

[Parront]

The best thing about the Cornish-X is they are in the freezer before they even start to crow.