What's your favorite meat bird?

[Anna_MN]

I recently ordered 14 Jumbo Cornish X Rocks from McMurray Hatchery. I have never had meat birds before and I decided on these because they were the most highly recommended on their site. What is your favorite meat bird and why? Thanks for the help!

 

[kfacres]

CX, undoubtably, the best feed to gain ratio, and most meat yield... HANDS DOWN!

read my BYC page.

 

[Country Parson]

The Cornish crosses are THE meat bird. Not only are they the only burd used in the American meat industry, but they are the most cost effective meat bird on the market. They are bred to grow at an extremly fast rate and thus have the best feed-to-meat conversion ratio. No other meat bird comes even close. My guess is that the next best thing is probably 3 to 4 times the feed cost to produce the same weight, and even then you won't get the large breasts as you do on the Cornish crosses.

The downside is sustainability, as these birds can't breed on their own and thus the backyard enthusiasts can't hatch their own out. The next best thing is the dual purpose breeds. I have several types, though I am going primarily to Plymouth Rocks. Good layers and sizeable bodies. I also have a small flock of Dark Cornish...they are really, really, really bad layers but they are a great meat bird...though still nowhere close to the Cornish crosses.

 

[yinepu]

home grown heritage turkeys!

After butchering a few and having one for dinner for thanksgiving I can honestly say that my husband and I both never want to be near another darn store bought bird again!

So for now the heritage are our favorites (that may change next year when we eat our first home grown muscovy)

 

[Oregon Blues]

Pomeranian geese. Yum.

Pekin Ducks

Cornish Cross Chickens

Ringneck pheasants

Bobwhite quail.

In that order.

 

[kfacres]

Well since people opened up the door...

My 2nd favorite meat bird- is a BBW turkey..

My 3rd is a true Cornish bantam.

From there, all others are equal, in poor meat bird ability, or cost/ production sustainability and/ or cost effectiveness.

 

[Anna_MN]

Thanks for the input! What can you tell me about the Cornish X Rocks that i'll be getting in February? Have you ever tried them?

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
ya, read the 2nd comment on this post-

you feed them... they grow really fast... you butcher them... you eat them...

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
Are CX the kind of chicken sold in stores then?

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
Are CX the kind of chicken sold in stores then?

yes the only kind...

cornish
cornish roaster
broiler
cornish game hen
game hen
cornish rock
cornish rock x

all same bird... all same bird sold in grocery stores.

To get a game hen, you butcher the cx birds at about 3-4 weeks of age... that's most of the time the cripples and runts. pretty good market for those birds- call them something else, and jack the price up.