Best Free Range Bird for Meat

[RayrayB]

Hi!
After raising chickens for fun for the last few years, I have started the journey into sustainability and raising my own chickens for meat as well as eggs.

I started with a small seperate flock of marans and ameracaunas with the idea of using the extra roos for meat and keeping the hens for eggs. So far, I've processed a few extra maran roos and have been pretty pleased with the breed.

I like the idea of a heritage, dual purpose bird that is a good forager. I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation or two on other breeds that fit this best. I don't mind slow growth-most important to me is their ability to forage and their hardiness.
Thanks so much!

 

[FunClucks]

Freedom Ranger Hatchery New Hampshires. My dream dual purpose heritage sustainable meat birds that lay a decent amount of eggs.

 

[Birdinhand]

Freedom Ranger Hatchery New Hampshires. My dream dual purpose heritage sustainable meat birds that lay a decent amount of eggs.

Do you know what the pounds of grain per pound of meat conversion rate is. I’d be tempted to give them a try even if they weren’t quite as efficient as CX but it all depends how much less efficient they are.

 

[FunClucks]

Do you know what the pounds of grain per pound of meat conversion rate is. I’d be tempted to give them a try even if they weren’t quite as efficient as CX but it all depends how much less efficient they are.

Well, they're not efficient as CX, but as with many breeds, it depends on how you raise them as much as their genetics on how efficient they are. Type of feed matters (protein, etc), confined vs free range, stress (temperatures, predators), target days till processing, and target processing weight, etc.

For individual experiences you can probably calculate a feed efficiency from, I'd just search up and read a bunch of posts here on the Meat Bird forum. A number of members have raised these and posted about it. They were all very happy with them, as I recall. But feed efficiency does vary based on how they're raised. They were at least midway between standard heritage breeds and CX meat birds as far as processed weight, as I recall.

Best thing is to raise a batch yourself in what you consider to be optimal conditions/methods, and see how you like them.

 

[Birdinhand]

Well, they're not efficient as CX, but as with many breeds, it depends on how you raise them as much as their genetics on how efficient they are. Type of feed matters (protein, etc), confined vs free range, stress (temperatures, predators), target days till processing, and target processing weight, etc.

For individual experiences you can probably calculate a feed efficiency from, I'd just search up and read a bunch of posts here on the Meat Bird forum. A number of members have raised these and posted about it. They were all very happy with them, as I recall. But feed efficiency does vary based on how they're raised. They were at least midway between standard heritage breeds and CX meat birds as far as processed weight, as I recall.

Best thing is to raise a batch yourself in what you consider to be optimal conditions/methods, and see how you like them.

Yeah, it seems like there is a championing of the principle of raising birds capable of free ranging, the humanness of it, the slower growing, and the potential for a prefered taste. I understand the drawbacks to CX, but raising cx vs buying at the store is a significant increase in cost per lb, just wondering how much even more of a premium folks are spending on a slower growing bird that comes in at less weight, but can free range. I’m just looking for whatever data people have… understanding that there are variables that are impossible to track, like how much food they are getting while free ranging vs grain consumed…looking for a ballpark figure for cost per lb.

 

[Penpal]

I think you will find that mixing your own feed is cheaper than buying commercial feed. I live in a farming area and can locally find corn, oats, wheat, and sometimes other grains. I also add quinoa. With chicks I use corn mean quinoa, flax and gradually move them onto the whole grains. I ferment the food, which you can find posts about on this forum.

I find that I spend less money than I would on commercial feed. It's not for everyone, but you could try it out.

 

[FunClucks]

Yeah, it seems like there is a championing of the principle of raising birds capable of free ranging, the humanness of it, the slower growing, and the potential for a prefered taste. I understand the drawbacks to CX, but raising cx vs buying at the store is a significant increase in cost per lb, just wondering how much even more of a premium folks are spending on a slower growing bird that comes in at less weight, but can free range. I’m just looking for whatever data people have… understanding that there are variables that are impossible to track, like how much food they are getting while free ranging vs grain consumed…looking for a ballpark figure for cost per lb.

I keep my eye on Welp hatcheries for when they have sales on CX at beginning and end of season. You can get chicks for ~$1.50 ea that way. Even their regular price ~$2.15-2.30 is one of the best I've found. Sometimes feedstores have sales too if they have trouble moving the CX. Decreasing cost per chick is an easy way to decrease $/lb of raising them.

The other benefit of raising a slower growing bird than CX that you haven't mentioned is that you can be more flexible on the processing date. If CX aren't processed by 8-10 wks you see more of them dropping dead from health issues. The slower growing birds can wait a few weeks or a month or more before processing, you can really process them any time that's convenient. So this helps a lot for folks who may need schedule flexibility or are processing a couple at a time by hand. You can free-range CX if you work at it (although most folks will tractor them instead), but they'll be more likely to succumb to predators and bad weather unless those are managed well. And depending on how much and what quality food is available, and how much exercise they're forced to get while free-ranging you may be working against the CX's ability to put on a lot of meat very quickly, which is the whole point of raising them.

 

[Birdinhand]

Yeah, I’m just wandering if the ballpark of lbs of grain per lbs of meat is say, 1.5x, 2x, 3x?… for a free range CX alternative.

 

[Penpal]

How much grain your chickens eat is going to depend on the kind of range they have to forage in. Close cropped lawn has fewer and smaller insects than a lawn that is 6 inches long. What kind of plants besides grass also will have different results.

 

[Tram]

Another point of view from a homesteader is "On the Hove" which in this case, would be "On the foot"


I have mostly Welsummer and few brown leghorns. Couple months ago, I bought 6 Jersey Giants with a calendar reminder 9 months out. Will see how they are in size and hopefully process some. I am fortunate with low to no predators and free range on 2 acres.

But, I would be screwed if we lost power for days and all the frozen chicken went bad. So keeping some on foot "in case" I need a ready meal is my thoughts.