Leghorns on Grandmas old homestead

[hsm5grls]

I was talking to my Dad today about my Grandma and the homestead he grew up on in the 50's and 60's, We were talking about her gardens, pigs, canning etc. and as we were going over things and memories we shared of her he started telling me that she always hatched and raised leghorns. That's the only chicken they ever ate growing up. So that got me thinking about the old homesteads and whether or not that would be an option now days. Is the breed still the same and if so why don't more homesteaders hatch and process their own chicks for meat? I became very curious and as I have no experience with Leghorns or any kind of meat bird other than the CornishX I was hoping some of you would have some input.

 

[GodLovesU]

Idk know about brown leghorns but I have heard that white leghorns are more so egg chickens than meat chickens.

 

[fluffycrow]

Leghorns are a Mediterranean breed, and as such, are known for their egg production, small size, and lightweight build.

I think leghorns are a great breed, but don't see how they could be someone's choice if their only goal was meat production

 

[Logar]

Is the breed still the same and if so why don't more homesteaders hatch and process their own chicks for meat?

More people don't hatch their own meat birds because it would take more time for less meat. CornishX were bred to give the most meat in the shortest time possible. A normal bird would take around 16 weeks before it produces even half of what a CornishX would give you at 8 weeks.

It really depends on the individual on which option is better for them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

why don't more homesteaders hatch and process their own chicks for meat?

You might be surprised at how many of us do raise our own chickens to eat. Not all of them are Cornish X or Rangers either.

he grew up on in the 50's and 60's,

I'm about the same age. I grew up on a subsistence farm in the ridges and hills of East Tennessee. Our flock of chickens was mostly for eggs but we did eat some of them for meat. We did not have a purebred flock, it was mutts, a mixture of games and dual purpose breeds. Our broody hens would hatch and raise chicks every year so we had pullets to replace old hens (great for chicken and dumplings) that had pretty much stopped laying and excess cockerels for the table.

It sounds like your father was a visitor, did not live there so you cannot base a way of life on what his grandmother did with those chickens when she had visitors. How many people could your grandmother feed with one chicken, a leghorn? We had five kids and two adults. When we butchered and ate a chicken some of the pieces offered were back, neck, gizzard, liver, and heart. The wishbone was separated from the breasts to get another piece. Chicken and Dumplings was not just comfort food, it was a great way to stretch a smaller hen so more people got enough to eat. Mom knew how to cook for a group, I assume your great grandmother did too.

I became very curious and as I have no experience with Leghorns or any kind of meat bird other than the CornishX I was hoping some of you would have some input.

I obviously do not know the situation with your great grandparents. Since they had leghorns I'd assume the main purpose of their chickens was for eggs. It was for us. Ours free ranged and pretty much fed themselves except when snow was on the ground. Really economical.

You can eat any chicken of any breed, any size, any sex, and any age if you know how to cook them. Some people think a chicken can only be eaten if is double extra huge. Not true at all. A lot of people in the United States (and other countries) still lived on farms in the 1950's and 60's. Some still do. They were really good at using what resources they had. A lot of people these days have never even visited a farm, let alone worked on one. That's why you might hear the phrase "Don't know where their food comes from". Farms today are a lot different than they were 75 years ago. Today is a different way of life.

 

[hsm5grls]

Thank you all for your input. The conversation started because my dad has always done Cornishx and that's all I have done also. Last year he did red rangers and said he didn't like them at all. I know it's all personal preference and what one person does may not work for another. I am trying to find a way to produce the best meat bird I can on my own property. I have hatched out many chicks and I am pretty good at hatching out roos HAHA. I understand that they will not be as meaty or taste the same as a Cornishx and Im ok with that. Again thank you for responding I really appreciate it

 

[Klutch]

Back in the day, the need for meat was less because they ate everything fresh from the garden. The surplus crops and products had to be preserved some way (canning/pickling). Simple times.

 

[Penpal]

I wonder if all the birds were white and your Dad just assumed they were eating leghorns. A leghorn would be fine for just Grandma and Grandpa, but for visitors you'd want something larger and heavier.

 

[Karoo permaculture]

So I might have a somewhat controversial opinion about this and since no one is stopping me im going ahead .

We are the "I cant wait", "I need it now", "The faster the better", "Lets make a quick buck" era. You can see it all around, from the fast food drive throughs, right to the massive amount of short term debt because we want something now, instead of waiting until we have saved for it. We often compromise on taste if it means we can get it sooner.

This shaped our livestock, and one of the reason why CornishX is making a killing, very fast growth, big breast, easy to slaughter.

The reason your grandma was able to do what she did is because she didnt have a problem to wait, instead of feeding a massive meatbird that can barely walk with expensive store bought feed, she let her chickens mature by letting them forage for the majority of their food, only really supplemental feeding was kitchen scrap and the odd grains. Also, when chickens cost you next to nothing to raise, it isnt a problem to slaughter 2/3 instead of 1 big meat bird.

Living in a 3rd world country I still see this happening in a lot of rural areas, the chickens that survive in those circumstances are your Mediterranean build birds

 

[hsm5grls]

So I might have a somewhat controversial opinion about this and since no one is stopping me im going ahead .

We are the "I cant wait", "I need it now", "The faster the better", "Lets make a quick buck" era. You can see it all around, from the fast food drive throughs, right to the massive amount of short term debt because we want something now, instead of waiting until we have saved for it. We often compromise on taste if it means we can get it sooner.

This shaped our livestock, and one of the reason why CornishX is making a killing, very fast growth, big breast, easy to slaughter.

The reason your grandma was able to do what she did is because she didnt have a problem to wait, instead of feeding a massive meatbird that can barely walk with expensive store bought feed, she let her chickens mature by letting them forage for the majority of their food, only really supplemental feeding was kitchen scrap and the odd grains. Also, when chickens cost you next to nothing to raise, it isnt a problem to slaughter 2/3 instead of 1 big meat bird.

Living in a 3rd world country I still see this happening in a lot of rural areas, the chickens that survive in those circumstances are your Mediterranean build birds

My Dad said the same thing, He said they only ate leghorns because that's what grandma had and she could get them for free. They raised pigs even year and processed them on their homestead. Grandma had a big garden. I remember her grabbing a rooster up by the neck when it came at me when I was about 5 and saying that he was on his way to the pot... I don't have a lot of memories from grandma but I know the kind of women she was, she raise 10 kids on her homestead, her kitchen always smelled like bacon, she saved everything that she thought might be useful, she did her laundry in an old washer that just agitated and they went through the ringer on to the line that had a swing on each end that us grand kids would take turns swinging on. She was a strong women and also very capable, I remember her canning and telling us about the plants. She lived to be 93. She had my dad the second to the last child when she was about 43. She's been gone about 20 years. When I was 12 she gave me a bible that I read to my children every day, my kids are almost all grown now and that's the only thing I have from grandma. well that and my love of the garden canning and chickens. The smell of bacon in the morning will always remind me of her. The last phone call I had with her was when my kids were little (I have 7) she said I did it and you can do it too.