Which breeds of Roosters to put over DP hens to make a good meat chicken?

[debir1966]

My goal is to raise my own meat chickens. I have a variety of dual-purpose hens and would like to get some advise as to which breeds of roosters would help produce a faster growing, good sized meat chicken.

I currently have a mutt roo that will be going to freezer camp as soon as my secondary roo is old enough (he is 14 weeks atm). My second roo is an Ideal Poultry "black broiler". I am not sure what breeding went into him, but he is healthy so far, not getting too big but is good sized. If he does get too big, he will go to freezer camp. I kept him on a whim to see what would happen, but after processing the rest of his batch, I am wishing now that he wasn't black! (plucking black birds was an adventure in frustration and their carcasses are not as appetizing as a white birds because of the dark pigmentation left in the skin).

My third roo is just 10 weeks old and I got him because of a recommendation from someone on BYC who said to get a standard Cornish to use to produce meat chickens. Unfortunately, he is a Dark Cornish (they were out of the White Laced Red and the Buff when I placed my order). I have, however, read varying opinions on the growth rate of the standard cornish (some saying slow and some saying fast) so I am not sure, yet, if he will be the rooster I am looking for.

This coming spring I am planning on getting a White Plymouth Rock rooster, hoping to up the odds of lighter colored chicks, and I have read they grow pretty fast also.

I would love to get some opinions on the 2 roosters I have that I am planning on using (the Black Broiler and the Dark Cornish), as well as on the White Plymouth Rock I would like to get.

I would also love suggestions, opinions and ideas on other breeds that you think would be as good/better than the 3 I have chosen so far.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Standard Brahmas get huge, fast, as do Speckled Sussex. I do not process nor eat my backyard flock, but my Dominique/Light Brahma mix, Booger, is 6 months old and HUGE. Here he is with my teenage daughter , Jay.

 

[LilyD]

I agree with nurse_turtle. I also raise Light Brahmas. They do grow a little slower than meat birds but mine were all more than ready to be processed by 20 weeks and mix well with other breeds as well to produce big hens and roos. I also have standard cochins and am finding the same thing with that breed as well.

 

[debir1966]

Thank you! I had read Brahma's grow slow... it is nice to hear contrary by someone who has raised them. I think I will add a brahma roo with my leghorn roo next year and see what happens! We have one Light Brahma hen we call Big Bertha - yeah she is a big girl!

 

[kfacres]

get rid of the leghorn if you want meat... that's the first step in the right direction.

 

[debir1966]

Erg ... I didnt mean leghorn LOL - I always think of "Foghorn Leghorn" when I think of a White Plymouth Rock!!! Sorry about that, it came out wrong I will be getting a White Plymouth Rock roo next year! and now probably a Brahma roo

 

[SIMZ]

We were going to use a White Rock for raising meat birds. He was very disappointing when we butchered him at 22 weeks - although he was from a hatchery. We've really liked the growth and meatiness of marans roosters. We've raised both cuckoo and black copper and find them very meaty even at 16-18 weeks.

 

[yinepu]

We were going to use a White Rock for raising meat birds. He was very disappointing when we butchered him at 22 weeks - although he was from a hatchery. We've really liked the growth and meatiness of marans roosters. We've raised both cuckoo and black copper and find them very meaty even at 16-18 weeks.

I agree on the marans over the rocks... out cuckoo marans gained weight much faster than rocks that were hatched out a week prior.. even as adults our marans are meatier birds

 

[debir1966]

Ok, scratch the rock! Do marans come in white??

 

[SIMZ]

Ok, scratch the rock! Do marans come in white??

It could be that a good quality-bred white rock would be a different story. I found white marans on the www.marans.org website, although I hadn't heard of them before.