Everything about meat birds: Please, advice, knowledge, experience, don't-dos, marketing, ect.

[Birds4Eli]

Hello!

Everyone is welcome on this thread-- What are your opinions on meat birds? How much space do they need? What breeds do you recomend? This thread is all-things meatbirds.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A couple things come to mind right away. There are a lot of different meat birds but the vast majority of them (roughly 95%) are Cornish/Rock crosses. Through genetic selection and a corresponding century of nutrition research. Those freakish birds Are about twice the size in 1/3 the time broilers and fryers were in the 1940s. You can butcher them at any age. I usually do so about 6 weeks. You can also butcher at 3 weeks to make Cornish game hens. For me, the only drawback with that is the size makes it hard to get my hands in the carcass to thoroughly clean. One could probably acquire a lung scratcher to make it a bit easier.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hello!

Everyone is welcome on this thread-- What are your opinions on meat birds? How much space do they need? What breeds do you recomend? This thread is all-things meatbirds.

I primarily use specific crosses of Heritage Type Chickens for meat birds. Easter Egger/Brahma was my best years ago, & Easter Egger/Brahma X Malay was even better.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wanted to add when you butcher, acquire the sharpest knife possible. When my knife isn't sharp enough, I cut myself more than the chicken. I've found a killing cone makes things easier too.
Rather than buying one, I made one coiling a cone from sheet metal securing with a couple rivets and screwing it to a post on the corner of the compost pile. All that nitrogen rich blood went right into the compost.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hello!

Everyone is welcome on this thread-- What are your opinions on meat birds? How much space do they need? What breeds do you recomend? This thread is all-things meatbirds.

This entire "Meat Birds, ETC" section of the forum is all things meat birds. You could write a book about any of the different topics and still leave a lot out. My suggestion is to browse this section and read anything that strikes your interest. Start with the sticky section at the top of the forum. If you still have questions (and you should) then ask a specific question so we can address it.

I could easily write several pages on what types of birds to use for meat birds. You would likely have no interest in a lot of it. So if you can, try to narrow it down a little.