Meat birds

[CrealCritter]

I'll get one in the morning. I have 30 more coming in probably tomorrow...... why do I do these things to myself?

Well I'm fixing to do the same thing to myself... I'm going to order 50 jumbo CCX this weekend. Great thing about CCX is you only have to feed and water them 9 ~ 10 weeks then you get to reap the rewards of your work.

I anit gonna lie we all like a fatty broiler. Pour off some of the drippings and make white flour gravy before uncovering to brown the skin. So easy and so delicious, I mean if I can cook a awesome stuffed baked whole chicken anyone can.

Dripping gravy

Plate

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I bought my 12 meaties and a bag of starter feed for them on Tuesday.
12 Meaties @ 1.99 and a 50 lb bag of starter for 16.99. My total investment so far is 40.87. At this point my cost per bird is $3.40.

Bay should do much better than that cuz of all them freebies she got!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I would like to know why meat bird food costs significantly more than any other kind of feed I buy.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Chick starter is super expensive compared to layer pellets. I use starter/grower, last year it was $17.49/50lbs. Layer pellets are about $11.75, goat feed is about $12.49 and pig feed is somewhere around $10 (it actually isn't "pig" feed, that's more expensive too). I don't get it.

 

[Mini Horses]

Generally, higher proteins. that's why this newly adopted farmer I found is a good price. Higher protein in his feed for 45% less than what I pay for the lower pro ones. If I ever totally retire (WHAT? It could happen!) Well, if I do -- I will work with raising mealworms, maybe some crickets, too. With chickens that free range, flies are way, way down because they keep the manure down, where most of the flies lay and re-generate.

So far I have checked out the Cornish chicks 3 times, 2 different TSC and not yet bought. I'm still thinking on it. Actually, do not want to pay $2 per chick. That's a big start up cost! I'm cheap.

 

[baymule]

$2.00 for meat chicks is a good price. The hatcherys charge more.

 

[Chic Rustler]

well so far I have only gotten long skinny carcasses. That may be because I have only been doing adolescent rooster tho.

The barred rocks and buffs are nice and fat looking.

 

[Beekissed]

Out of the birds you have the Barred Rocks will have the most potential to develop heavy breasts and meaty carcasses, while having a fine, densely packed meat fiber. White Plymouth Rocks are the "Rock" part of Cornish Rock cross meat birds and used to be the original broiler birds for commercial use in the US.

Though the Barred Rock have some similarities with the White Rock, they will come in a far second on muscle layering, fineness of meat texture and marbling of fat in the meat fibers that one will find in the White Rocks, but of all the birds you have, they will get you as close as you can get to that.

BOs can develop a large frame, but usually won't have the meat density of the Rocks, so will not yield as much meat. They also eat way more than the Rocks, so they don't have good feed conversion for a meat project.

If I had to rely on meat from the breeds mentioned, I'd cross the BRs with the RIR so I could get good laying from the hens and meatier males from the cross. Since you only have a BO rooster and only want to use what you have, you're limited to crossing what you have with a BO....I'd cross the BRs with it for bigger carcasses and superior meat texture and marbling.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hmmmm, lots of birds, lots of opinions! I've eaten my share of Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons... my buff's won every time. Bigger, heavier meatier... maybe I just had crappy Barreds, lol!

 

[Chic Rustler]

Out of the birds you have the Barred Rocks will have the most potential to develop heavy breasts and meaty carcasses, while having a fine, densely packed meat fiber. White Plymouth Rocks are the "Rock" part of Cornish Rock cross meat birds and used to be the original broiler birds for commercial use in the US.

Though the Barred Rock have some similarities with the White Rock, they will come in a far second on muscle layering, fineness of meat texture and marbling of fat in the meat fibers that one will find in the White Rocks, but of all the birds you have, they will get you as close as you can get to that.

BOs can develop a large frame, but usually won't have the meat density of the Rocks, so will not yield as much meat. They also eat way more than the Rocks, so they don't have good feed conversion for a meat project.

If I had to rely on meat from the breeds mentioned, I'd cross the BRs with the RIR so I could get good laying from the hens and meatier males from the cross. Since you only have a BO rooster and only want to use what you have, you're limited to crossing what you have with a BO....I'd cross the BRs with it for bigger carcasses and superior meat texture and marbling.

I have a rir rooster. I have already had broody hens hatch a couple black sex links. They were pullets.


You think the black sex link cockerals would make a good meal?


I have 50 eggs in the bator now. I'm sure there will be a few black sex links. The rir is my alpha