Why meat birds?

[Morrigan]

I can see your point. And the finished product sure is amazing. But I just can't imaging myself raising them.

I wanted to add that it is possible to raise CX without them dropping dead on you. I've been raising them for 6 years now and have never had one drop dead on me. Of those that survive the few days after shipping stress, I only failed to raise about 3 (out of approx. 150) to butchering age. Of those, one was due to a hawk attack, one was a runt with something genetically wrong with it, and one got an impacted crop. The key is giving them lots of space, creating a system where they are moving and foraging from a very young age, limiting their food, and raising them at a time of the year where they won't be maturing in the heat of the summer. I butcher the in groups starting at 8/9 weeks, the last going to 12 or 13 weeks.

If you want a bird with a lot of breast meat and can raise in a short amount of time, CX are a very reasonable choice, and can live like chickens until their time comes. Here's a couple of 7 week hens, still able to fly up to roost.

And some 11 week olds enjoying the sun.

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My goal is to actually hatch out my own layer replacements and eat the roosters and pullets that are not what I am looking for for my breeding program. That way everything has a use and I don't have to buy more meat birds. The only reason I want to do it this way is so that I can make sure that it is a self sustainable breeding program and provides meat and eggs both.

Having said how much success I've had with the CX, this is my plan as well. I hate subjecting chicks to shipping stress every year (our postal hub really is lousy here), and seeing dead and dying chicks when I open the postal box. Also, I just want to be more self sufficient. My husband is on the fence. He agrees with my overall idea, but wants breast meat big enough to make piccata and chicken kiev. We may end up buying a few meat birds from the feed store each year to supplement my project.

 

[Compost King]

....I hate subjecting chicks to shipping stress every year ... My husband is on the fence. He agrees with my overall idea, but wants breast meat big enough to make piccata and chicken kiev. We may end up buying a few meat birds from the feed store each year to supplement my project.

I love the large breast meat too but I do not want to mail order chicks so I am working on breeding a CX Hen with Heritage roosters and hatching out my own. My biggest mistake was only getting one Female CX and my 2nd mistake was to get her in February so she would be large but not laying yet when the hot weather hit. She died and I will be getting a batch of girls in August so by the time they get large it will be cooler and easier for them to survive... then I get to find out if they lay in winter or not... but that issue can be fixed with lighting if it turns out to be a problem.

 

[Morrigan]

I'm also toying with the idea of trying to cross a heritage cornish with a RR, NN, or even a CX hen, to see that cross might have decent breast meat.

I'm driving myself a bit crazy right now, trying to sort through all the possibilities of how I might want to structure my meat flock.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Up here we have VINS that will take extra roosters and humanely euthanize them and feed them to their raptors. A lot of people do that because let's face it processing isn't for everyone and some people just want to rehome and not worry about extra roosters. I feed RAW to my dogs and so the extra roosters are eaten either by myself or the dogs as are extra turkeys, ducks etc.

Dog food has come from very shady sources and still does. There is no regulation saying the meat they use needs to be safe or ethical so they can take animals that are euthanized or other pets even that are destroyed at the humane societies. The only regulation is that they need to meat nutritional requirement but it's easy to do that even with non food sources. Quite scary as far as I'm concerned.

I only buy dog food that uses only human grade ingredients. More expensive but well worth it to me.

 

[Newyorkrita]

I wanted to add that it is possible to raise CX without them dropping dead on you. I've been raising them for 6 years now and have never had one drop dead on me. Of those that survive the few days after shipping stress, I only failed to raise about 3 (out of approx. 150) to butchering age. Of those, one was due to a hawk attack, one was a runt with something genetically wrong with it, and one got an impacted crop. The key is giving them lots of space, creating a system where they are moving and foraging from a very young age, limiting their food, and raising them at a time of the year where they won't be maturing in the heat of the summer. I butcher the in groups starting at 8/9 weeks, the last going to 12 or 13 weeks.

If you want a bird with a lot of breast meat and can raise in a short amount of time, CX are a very reasonable choice, and can live like chickens until their time comes. Here's a couple of 7 week hens, still able to fly up to roost.

Honestly I have read a lot here about raising the CornishX like real chickens. Letting them free range and such. But I still think this is not the breed for me. It is not as if there are not other choices.

 

[Parront]

I'm also toying with the idea of trying to cross a heritage cornish with a RR, NN, or even a CX hen, to see that cross might have decent breast meat.

I'm driving myself a bit crazy right now, trying to sort through all the possibilities of how I might want to structure my meat flock.

I am just going to do the traditional thing, order a good traditional breed from a breeder on here, & eat the males, no matter how small or young.

 

[Morrigan]

Honestly I have read a lot here about raising the CornishX like real chickens. Letting them free range and such. But I still think this is not the breed for me. It is not as if there are not other choices.

Totally understand and respect your position. I just wanted to express that CX can be raised in a more normal, healthy fashion that what you often see. And, they are truly unbeatable in terms of feed to meat conversation and tons of breast meat. But, the fact I can't breed them and reproduce them myself is a pretty big drawback. If you've got the time and interest to go in a different direction than CX, I'm down with that, and am always interested in people who have true dual purpose flocks.

I am just going to do the traditional thing, order a good traditional breed from a breeder on here, & eat the males, no matter how small or young.

I've been doing that to some degree with my flock. The one thing I keep struggling with is that in order to hatch out enough chickens to supply my chicken meat for the year, I wind up with way too may pullets. I'm not interested in selling pullets on an on-going basis. I just don't want the hassle of taking them to auctions, or else dealing the bio-security issues of people coming onto my property to get them.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to get over it, and start eating the pullets too. I don't know why I'm so squeamish about this. I think it would help if I could breed a large enough size to feel like it's worth it.

I love to hear what breed you select and how it goes.

 

[Compost King]

I'm also toying with the idea of trying to cross a heritage cornish with a RR, NN, or even a CX hen, to see that cross might have decent breast meat.

I'm driving myself a bit crazy right now, trying to sort through all the possibilities of how I might want to structure my meat flock.

If I had access to a good sized Dark Cornish Rooster (I don't care if its a cull from a breeder due to reasons other than size) I would cross him with my Red Rangers or any of the Free Range type meat hybrids. I do not want to go the Hatchery route because ever bird I have gotten from a hatchery has been a bit on the petite side.
I too am trying to create a sustainable meat flock and I am sorting through possibilities along with with dealing with what I have to work with as far as breeding stock. Although the breed is fragile and not very hardy as chicks, I found crossing Dorkings increases the amount of breast meat due to a long breast bone. Now if I could only get a Cornish to plump up that long breast bone... Cornish X would be even better to speed it up.

 

[Parront]

Totally understand and respect your position. I just wanted to express that CX can be raised in a more normal, healthy fashion that what you often see. And, they are truly unbeatable in terms of feed to meat conversation and tons of breast meat. But, the fact I can't breed them and reproduce them myself is a pretty big drawback. If you've got the time and interest to go in a different direction than CX, I'm down with that, and am always interested in people who have true dual purpose flocks.



I've been doing that to some degree with my flock. The one thing I keep struggling with is that in order to hatch out enough chickens to supply my chicken meat for the year, I wind up with way too may pullets. I'm not interested in selling pullets on an on-going basis. I just don't want the hassle of taking them to auctions, or else dealing the bio-security issues of people coming onto my property to get them.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to get over it, and start eating the pullets too. I don't know why I'm so squeamish about this. I think it would help if I could breed a large enough size to feel like it's worth it.

I love to hear what breed you select and how it goes.

I am getting Barred Hollands from one of the members, rjohns39, might as well support your local breeders. I will not be able to keep males, zoning. Eating pullets is a time honored tradition, some prefer them and pay more for them as a meat bird. My meat bird to raise might just be a duck. No rules in Prescott about loud quacking!

 

[Parront]

Here is a nice link about ducks for meat:https://www.metzerfarms.com/CommercialMeatDucklings.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=24129499