Best Free Range Bird for Meat

[U_Stormcrow]

A couple thoughts.

One, you can't compete with a Cx. Its why they dominate the market. Neither can you compete with the big producers - when our costs were jumping to $0.40-$0.60/lb for feed during the pandemic, commercial producers were issuing 10q statements complaining of feed costs at $0.19-0.21/lb.

Yes, free range birds offset costs by ranging - how effectively is determined by season, space, breed (somewhat), and the quality of the grounds on which they free range. I save anywhere from 15-35% of expected feed costs, depending on season, for my birds. I continue to work to improve my grounds, just as I continue to work to improve my birds. That savings is offset by however. Free range birds, of whatever variety, are slower to put on weight genetically, meaning they take lionger to get to target weight. All that exercise free ranging develops flavor, but also reduces feed conversion rates. That exercise also makes the meat tougher (as does greater age at target weight).

The Cx is HIGHLY specialized, and highly dependent on specific feed regimen to optimize growth. Production reds are HIGHLY specialized, and give up a lot of average health and longevity to support that rate of lay. Free ranging, self sustaining mutts, "heritage" breeds, and the like are basically four door sedans. They'll never haul your RV or boat, and they won't rocket off the line and corner like a finely tuned sportscar.

Its a matter of tradeoffs. With modern feeds, you can get very good rates of lay, and decent meat production with a number of large breed, fast growth birds - the various [color] rangers are great example of recent efforts to reproduce a larger, fast growing bird that can benefit from free ranging. I'd be inclined to look in that direction first.

Keep in mind also that many "Heritage" breeds (as in breeds that have been around 100, 150 years) have been bred with emphasis on egg production for the last 60, 80 years or more, and have lost a bit of consistent size - I have Brahma, and while they looked huge compared to some golden comets I had of the same age, their weights were only a few ounces heavier. By the time my free ranging Brahma were full size, they were good only for stock or sausage. Brahma, of course, are a large breed, SLOW growth bird. Saving 30% in feed costs isn't a real benefit when it takes 3x as much time to hit target weight.

Better to pick an age when the meat has the right combination of flavor and chew for your preference, and butcher then - even if your yield is 3# instead of 3.5# per bird.

 

[Birdinhand]

Bravo U-stormcrow, it makes such a difference when people put this kind of careful nuanced thought into a post like this. Well done and thank you!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Bravo U-stormcrow, it makes such a difference when people put this kind of careful nuanced thought into a post like this. Well done and thank you!

Just sharing my mistakes, so others need not repeat them - unless they want to.

I free ranged some Cx I got from TSC. Learned a lot. Cx *WILL* range given opportunity, restricted feed and other birds to show them what to do. (albeit not ranging as far as other birds). They will also grow MUCH slower as a consequence. When I ate my first Cx at 9 mo (weight of a small turkey), after sawing with a steak knife and a minute of chewing, I tossed the thing into the burn pile and found something else for dinner. The next ones (same age) became sausage. Much better use of the bird at that point.

Did a LOT wrong. Learned a little.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'd say get Heritage Plymouth Barred Rocks, or any Plymouth Rock as long as it's not Hatchery stock. They're huge, & beefy.

Another breed to consider would be Malays, they're good for meat, & free range also. But they tend to be leaner, like a Wild Turkey.

Generally I just cross breed specific birds for meaties. Brahma/Easter Egger was my best cross breed for meat.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've got 10 Cornish X, I was thrown unexpectedly, & got stuck with, & will be butchering soon. I know this is abit off topic, but one of them has white shanks, so that means a white skinned/shanked chicken was used in the 4 way crossing. Just now to figure out what that piece of the puzzle is.

 

[speedy2020]

A good dual purpose breed would be White American Bresse (large rooster, hen lay well, and meat taste great).

 

[DoozyWombat]

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'm not sure if you mis-typed there, but raised CX are absurdly cheaper than store-bought chicken. In my area (Shenandoah Valley, VA) chicken in the grocery store runs $3-$5 per lb. Organic free-range chicken is $6 and up per lb. Even with losses to predators, my chicken costs with CX are almost exactly $1 per lb. That includes shipping, cost of the chicks, bedding, electrolyte, and all the feed. I give them high-protein chick starter (until I've gone through a 50lb bag per 25 chicks), then switch to cheap layer feed.

And yes, they are free-range. In weeks three and four, feed them twice a day for 30 minutes, then take away their food. Aside from those two weeks, let them eat all they want, and they'll still be healthy and active at ten weeks. They are very active foragers, and fly about as well as any heavy-breed chicken (that is, like a brick with wings. But they still do it.)

I learned the hard way I have to go out once the sun goes down and pick them up and toss them into the coop, because they are too stupid to follow the flock in and the coyotes figured this out.

 

[Shadrach]

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!

How much land have you got and how much chicken do you want to eat a year?
If you like vegetables and have other sources of complete proteins, a farm essentially, then with some thought raising ones own meat is doable to a point.
I see you've had some breed recommendations. There is one very important aspect that often gets overlooked and that is sustainability. To raise a sustainable source of meat and eggs from chickens one needs a breed that goes broody reasonably easily and be prepared to eat both males and females.
Ten broody hens producing five chicks a year (excluding flock replacements) will give you close to one chicken a week to eat. This work out as a lot of chickens and of course at least one rooster.
Free ranging inevitably means losses through predation. Think in terms of 50% of what hatches not making it to three months old if broody raised and free ranged. This percentage will improve as you learn and the chickens learn how to best deal with the environment they live in.
Given the intention is sustainability and dependance on what you raise or grow a closed flock is essential until new blood is needed. Import some disease and your food for the year is gone.

The Dorking, if you can find any, would be high on my list.
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/dorking-chicken/

 

[Penpal]

DoozyyWombat makes a good point. What you typically buy in the grocery store is not a fair comparison with your own birds, unless you raise them the same way.

You have to compare your cost with a similar bird. Pasture raised/free range/sees daylight.

 

[Sic]

A lot of unknowns in your circumstances, weather and environment, but Partridge Chantecler are my personal favorite for dual purpose free range chickens in Alaska. They are very thrifty, excellent foragers, good egg layers, very hardy, calm, have good predator awareness and evasion, can go broody and make great mothers, make an excellent table bird - good breast size- that can be harvested in less than 4 months. Mine are 100% free range during spring, summer and fall, winter is the only time we supply additional feed. (I can do this because we live on an island with unlimited resources for poultry - ymmv)