Sustainable meat bird

[Sneakyturtle]

What is the best meat bird that you can raise and breed yourself? I’d like something that is healthy enough to breed naturally and produce viable offspring that breed true, while also being a fast grower that is feed efficient.

 

[BrennaM]

There's a few good threads on here about the new hamshire lines from freedom ranger hatchery. I plan on ordering those for myself in the spring.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

There's a few good threads on here about the new hamshire lines from freedom ranger hatchery. I plan on ordering those for myself in the spring.

I've also been curious about Murray McMurray's Delaware Enhanced Heritage Broilers. Delawares were THE meatbird before Cornish X arrived on the scene. Then they were bred mainly for egg laying ever since. But it seems with these Delawares, they are attempting to bring them back as a sustainable meatbird. Has anyone tried these?
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/delaware-broiler.html

If I had a farm and could have roosters, I would try raising these. I've been interested in Delawares as layers for a while, and being able to just order straight run and process the cockerels would make things so convenient.

 

[BrennaM]

I actually made a post asking about the Delaware boilers from McMurrays, I got a few good responses from people who had them. They seem to be a good option.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I actually made a post asking about the Delaware boilers from McMurrays, I got a few good responses from people who had them. They seem to be a good option.

Oh cool! Would you happen to have the link to your post?

Even thought I can't do straight run now, the hens may still be an option for me since they can go in the soup pot later and might still be fairly meaty compared to other laying breeds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What is the best meat bird that you can raise and breed yourself? I’d like something that is healthy enough to breed naturally and produce viable offspring that breed true, while also being a fast grower that is feed efficient.

You don't want much, do you? I'm not picking on you. To be honest a whole lot of people on this forum want the same thing.

That leaves out the Cornish Cross. While they are hybrids and won't breed true that isn't the big problem. If you could breed them even their poorer offspring would still make tremendous meat birds. It's just too hard to keep them alive and healthy enough to breed and lay eggs. The Rangers are somewhat in the same boat. They may be a bit easier but easier does not mean easy. They would still be a big challenge to breed.

Some people have used CX or Rangers to cross with a dual purpose chicken to create their own line of meat birds, usually hens of one of these with a dual purpose rooster. You only need to keep the hens alive long enough to get some eggs to hatch so you have your breeding stock. These will not breed true in the first generations but it doesn't take that many generations of selective breeding before you consistently get pretty good birds. There are some good threads on this forum detailing how some people have approached that.

There is a common fallacy on this forum that some people believe all birds of a specific breed have exactly the same traits. That is not even close to true. If a specific breeder breeds for good egg laying flock they can have a strain of that breed that lays really well. If a different breeder breeds the same breed for meat qualities they can develop a strain of the same breed that might not lay really well but makes a good meat bird. That's why I hesitate to mention breeds but Ilike posts like @BrennaM 's because it is talking about strains.

Different people like different qualities in a meat bird. You mentioned fast grower. That is a real common trait we like. What age do you plan to butcher them? One person in here likes to butcher at 14 weeks so that is his fast grower target. I like butchering later, say 23 weeks, so that's more my target. Some people like the big breeds like Brahma or Jersey Giants, but those are slow maturing. You are probably talking months instead of weeks for them. A lot of that is how we cook them, different ages can require different cooking methods.

Are you buying all the feed they eat or will you grow most of it or rely on forage? If you are buying it then early maturing might be more important for feed costs than otherwise.

How many do you want to hatch a year, whether you eat all of them or sell some? Is this just for your table or are you planning on going commercial? How important is this to you? Is it worth a big commitment from you or is it more casual?

The better your starting stock the better your flock will be. But you have to select your own breeding stock to maintain top quality. Getting good birds to start with is only part of the process.

Do you pluck your birds or do you skin them? If you skin them it doesn't matter, but you get a prettier carcass when you pluck if you start with a white or buff bird. The darker pin feathers left behind are really noticeable on a plucked bird. Would that bother you?

Back in the mid 1900's before the Cornish X took over the meat bird market in the US the most popular meat market breeds were Delaware, New Hampshire, and certain strains of the White Rock. When the CX took over the hatcheries stopped breeding specifically these for meat bird traits so these days most hatchery birds of these breeds aren't any better for meat than many other dual purpose breeds. If you can find a breeder that knows what they are doing and is breeding for meat traits you can get some good initial stock. Many breeders breeding for show have good sized stock. But you will pay a price for these, they don't sell them at hatchery prices.

If your only goals were a lot of cheap meat, you can't beat the Cornish X even with buying the chicks. You can probably buy the meat at the store cheaper than you can raise it, especially if you put a price on your time. Some people go that route. Many of us have different goals and prefer to go another way.

I obviously cannot come close to telling you which might be best for you. I've probably added stuff that makes it sound more complicated than it has to be. My suggestion is to read threads on here, ask any questions that come up, and then try something. I know you want to avoid the trial and error, that's why you ask questions. But the only way to really know what is important to you is to experience it. Some things I thought important to me weren't really. Some things I never thought of were.

 

[BrennaM]

Here's my post, https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/delaware-broilers-from-mcmurray.1544304/


And the New Hampshire thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-attempt-at-a-dual-purpose-heritage-flock.1489689/

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What is the best meat bird that you can raise and breed yourself? I’d like something that is healthy enough to breed naturally and produce viable offspring that breed true, while also being a fast grower that is feed efficient.

You got some really great feedback already!

For me the best bird is one you enjoy keeping.

My definition of fast growing and naturally reproductive is around 16 weeks for harvest age and 24-30 weeks is slow.

Bielefelder dressed out average 4# at 16 weeks (20% protein feed and free range one acre), and with auto sexing bonus female chicks can be sold as sexed pullets at hatch or even harvested too come that time. I wouldn't call them economic without some chick sells.. as they are heavy ladies.. but they were easy keepers.

I'm gonna suggest (white) Rock or Naked Neck Turken. I've raised both..

The article that follows has some comparisons with some of the breeds being discussed.. I had to verify not robot to view but it was a good read..

https://smallfarmersjournal.com/heritage-breed-broiler-chickens/

Wyandotte's have been nice table birds.

 

[NatJ]

If I had a farm and could have roosters, I would try raising these. I've been interested in Delawares as layers for a while, and being able to just order straight run and process the cockerels would make things so convenient.

You could still order straight run and process the cockerels, if you are willing to do them as soon as they start crowing (so maybe around 8 weeks, plus or minus a few.) Of course, they will not be anywhere close to Cornish Cross size at that age, but they are edible at any size. And the younger you process them, the more tender they are.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally I like my bantam Cornish. If you fed then really good protein feed, I think they'd be a nice little bowling ball. They're not giants, but my male I have could probably feed two or three portions if I wanted to use him for more than eye candy