Breeding meat birds

[Circle cypress farm]

Hey guys,
So I’m thinking of trying to breed my own meat birds instead of purchasing the Cornish x chicks. My thought is to get a Dark Cornish roo and 5 ish white rock hens. I completely understand they will not be like the Cornish x I have been purchasing BUT I am looking to get a larger bird that will be of weigh by around 12 weeks. I thought everyone would be doing this but I can’t find anything online of ppl doing this! Am I crazy? Will this totally not work?? Help please!

 

[RiverOtter]

There are LOTS of threads about this, just scroll through this section of the forum.

While recreating CX certainly CAN be done, for a decent backyard bird, there's no need to cross, pure Cornish work fine. Some folks also like Bresse when you can find them. For crossbreds, crossing with a Leghorn gives shockingly good results, and I'd do that before bothering with heavy breed hens.

 

[NatJ]

For crossbreds, crossing with a Leghorn gives shockingly good results, and I'd do that before bothering with heavy breed hens.

Leghorn? Is that because they're bred for early maturity, and therefore do their growing early?

 

[Circle cypress farm]

There are LOTS of threads about this, just scroll through this section of the forum.

While recreating CX certainly CAN be done, for a decent backyard bird, there's no need to cross, pure Cornish work fine. Some folks also like Bresse when you can find them. For crossbreds, crossing with a Leghorn gives shockingly good results, and I'd do that before bothering with heavy breed hens.

Thank you! Happy I posted so I can start looking in the right places! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer

I am a little surprised to hear leghorn as well. I have read they are slender so not the best for meat. I do not personal have any so I am totally just referring to what I have read. Definitely interested on your ideas as using them for meat. Heard they are great birds!

 

[RiverOtter]

Leghorn? Is that because they're bred for early maturity, and therefore do their growing early?

That's a big part of it. Also, they are light boned, so unlike some "dual purpose" breeds that get huge, they don't spend months building that big frame before fleshing it out.

But the biggest part is the proportion. Most dual-purpose breeds carry their weight in their thighs. They have scrawny little keely breasts. Leghorns carry their weight in their bodies. They race around on their thin little racehorse legs ... with all breast meat. And the majority of the male crosses have that trait.

When I first into chickens, I thought the idea of dual purpose was great, so I ordered several mixed cockerel specials to see which breed was the best for meat. The Red Sex Links (Leghorn parent) were far and away the best. No contest. I had also gotten several White Leghorn and California White roosters, and even though they were half the size at butchering, I was so thrilled to get something that at least resembled the chicken I was used to buying, instead of just stringy thighs.

I ended up keeping a couple of those roosters, mostly because I liked how they looked and felt like eggs were the way to go anyway, and to my surprise, all their sons were at least as good for meat as the RSLs, and sometimes better.

Of course, the next generation was all over the place, but one California White rooster, who somehow threw a lot of blue birds, his get kept a fast-maturing, deep bodied frame that was great. My profile pic hen is 3 generations from him.

I had a great line going from him, but the last 3 years have not let me breed as I wanted and I sadly lost a lot of birds, so I only have 3 hens from that line left. One is broody right now with eggs sired by a Lavender Orp roo, so we'll see what the future holds.

If I can find a Leghorn rooster to put with them, rest assured I will!!

 

[RoosterML]

When it’s roughly $2-$3 a bird why not just buy meat birds. That’s my view nowadays.

 

[Molpet]

When it’s roughly $2-$3 a bird why not just buy meat birds. That’s my view nowadays.

In a word
Sustainable

Some of us don't want to buy chicks every year.
For me, I am old and can just harvest a couple birds at a time. One for meat for the week and one for the freezer for the winter. So I have hens hatch out half to a DZ at a time. No brooder used. Harvest as weather and back allow. Can't do that with CX.

 

[RoosterML]

In a word
Sustainable

Some of us don't want to buy chicks every year.
For me, I am old and can just harvest a couple birds at a time. One for meat for the week and one for the freezer for the winter. So I have hens hatch out half to a DZ at a time. No brooder used. Harvest as weather and back allow. Can't do that with CX.

Very true! I’ve not been able to come across a bird with the breast meat I like and I just picked up a bunch at $1.53 delivered. You just can’t beat that. I do process extra Roos also but they are always scrawny and we need two for a meal.

 

[Molpet]

Very true! I’ve not been able to come across a bird with the breast meat I like and I just picked up a bunch at $1.53 delivered. You just can’t beat that. I do process extra Roos also but they are always scrawny and we need two for a meal.

2016 I kept a CX pullet restricted diet and exercise, eggs by Sept. Bred her to a mixed heritage roo. Put those cockerels over most of my hens. F3 cockerels dress out 5 to 7 lbs at 16 weeks

 

[RoosterML]

2016 I kept a CX pullet restricted diet and exercise, eggs by Sept. Bred her to a mixed heritage roo. Put those cockerels over most of my hens. F3 cockerels dress out 5 to 7 lbs at 16 weeks

How’s the breast portion?