Piggotts hatchery meat chickens and their breeding

[macgro7]

Anyone heard of the piggotts hatchery near Luton (uk)?
Here's their website:
http://piggottspoultry.co.uk/meat.html
I'm getting meat chickens from then next friday:
10 - Ross 308, the standard cornish cross broilers.
10 - 957, hubbard slow growing broilers (better for free ranging).
10 - S44, red broilers, same as the red rangers.
Do you think there's any sense of keeping a red cock and couples of white hens for breeding for our own meat birds?

 

[eviemethugh]

For as few birds as you are getting, I personally wouldn't keep any for breeding. To feed and maintain them for a whole year just to hatch out a few dozen birds won't save you any money, and the Cornish X might not make it anyway. For our family, it is better to have an ending, some downtime in the winter when we only have our egg layers to take care of, and then start back strong in the spring.
If you are really interested in this kind of project though, there are at least 2 or 3 people in the "First Run of Cornish X, Im so Excited" thread that have kept their cornish X and hatched this spring! They call the offspring from them "toads" I believe, and probably have lots of great tips about how to keep them from getting overweight if you do want to keep them to breed.
Also, on this thread, duluthralphie has lots of great info in a quick easy to read way: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1114132/is-this-a-turkey

 

[Dave C]

I've used Piggotts poultry, there a good set up very professional

I've got 12 Sasso T551 slow growth birds at 8 weeks which I'm keeping 4 hens & 2 Cockerels back & have 20 Sasso X431A Farm Rangers on order for Saturday which I'll be keeping 3 or 4 hens back.
These will all be crossed between them and my Cornish Indian Game.
I'm also on the "Cornish cross first run, Super Excited" thread, have a look on it there's loads of cool info

 

[macgro7]

Ok Thanks.
I won't keep any Ross chickens. I've had then before and I hate them!they just keep dying!
I'm only getting some for my wife...

 

[Dave C]

The 957 & S44 look worth keeping I'd keep a slow grow male to cross over the Ranger hens.
Pm sent to you mate.