Chicken Breed Focus - Maline

[JayColli]

Thank you!

If you can post a better picture I can post it to the Malines Facebook group to get their consensus but the shape does seem a bit upright and v-shaped compared to most of what I've seen.

 

[karma2011]

If you can post a better picture I can post it to the Malines Facebook group to get their consensus but the shape does seem a bit upright and v-shaped compared to most of what I've seen.

Here's another picture I have of him. I'm not home right now to get a better one. Hope it's ok. And thank you. I would really like to figure it out cause everyone asked me what he is and where he came from. And I have no clue. It will also help me down the path of what to do with him. I have RIR hens and he's too big for them. My husband figures he's around 13-14lbs.

 

[JayColli]

Here's another picture I have of him. I'm not home right now to get a better one. Hope it's ok. And thank you. I would really like to figure it out cause everyone asked me what he is and where he came from. And I have no clue. It will also help me down the path of what to do with him. I have RIR hens and he's too big for them. My husband figures he's around 13-14lbs.

Sounds like he's the right size then! I'll let you know what they think.

 

[nikkers390]

Yeah, that's pretty hot down there. I've heard they don't do too well with extreme heat. I'm thinking there might be ways you could improvise a cooling system for them. A misting sprayer on a timer during the day - a fan at night in the coop. It'll be more work to keep them comfortable in your environment.

Oh yeah, the turkey head variety of Malines. Would probably be a better bird to raise in northern climates. Someone in Canada has them - I just don't know who! This greatly perplexes me.

S'alright! I've been wrong before too. Just not lately.

Well, you better get looking into the why of fat disbursement then! This was something that always intrigued me as well. I'm surprised you actually found something about it that explains it. Certainly its not just lots of downy feathering, or orpingtons would have similar meat qualities. Do your orps have marbled thigh meat, Our Roost?
Some good large breeds there.

I like your enthusiasm!

Whites & other color varieties are unheard of here. A good breeder & show-er of Malines, by the name of Nathan Saegart in Belgium, breeds all the colors. Someone want to try for an import?

Too expensive & complicated for me. Hubby would divorce me for sure!

I have ordered some Malines from a breeder other than GF plus I have 2 I hatched from eggs.
As far as fat disbursement, I also have a few American Bresse chicks I hatched from eggs. These chickens are famous for their marbled flesh and excellent egg laying qualities. What do you think about this combo? These are chickens I plan to keep strictly for our use.

 

[Our Roost]

Marbled thigh meat in orpingtons you asked me Shellz? Well, my answer to that is a simple yes. Why?, because I mix a good % of scratch with crumbles in their feed!! Orpingtons are a good tasting bird at most any age if bred more for meat than for eggs. That to me means a less restrictive diet to make them fatty and flavorful. Unlike the Malines, orpingtons don't disperse the fat throughout the meat and it builds up in globs. Lean diet, lean birds. Using scratch grains is not by any means a healthy diet for chickens but I cull orpingtons in their second year and not the first. Heck, they have to pay their way with a few eggs first for both hatching and eating. My girlfriend actually prefers the Orpington meat to the malines. I think the meat from the malines is more succulent and never dry if processed properly. I haven't owned bresse or other birds claiming excellent taste qualities. The U.S. does not have a lot of these breeds readily available. I can only tell you what "not" to purchase for a meat bird! Health and stamina means everything. Why spend good feed money if you cant get use from the product. Remember, its a hobby of sorts so make it worthy of your investment. I think you have started with a good selection. Let us know feedback on how malines are working out. Good bird needing a lot of help.

 

[JayColli]

Sounds like he's the right size then! I'll let you know what they think.

The consensus seems to be a conservative yes... Only due to the unknown origin of the bird but judging by its appearance I had 3 people say that it does indeed look like a Malines.

 

[karma2011]

Thank you so much JayColli, For doing all of that for me! Now to figure out what to do with him. He's such a nice looking rooster.

 

[JayColli]

Thank you so much JayColli, For doing all of that for me! Now to figure out what to do with him. He's such a nice looking rooster.

Did you say you were in Alberta? There may be another breeder of Malines locally if you wanted to start up a flock. I only know of breeders in BC and Ontario but there must be at least one in AB!

I've also heard of some people planning meaty crosses with other large fowl like Bresse, Cornish or dorkings that might be interesting.

 

[moving coops]

Any quality sources in Saskatchewan, Manitoba or Alberta?

 

[wava1vaughn]