Meat bird breeds?

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ABR

ABR

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I'm getting a space prepared over the summer to raise a batch of meat chickens in the fall. Most of the feed stores around here get Cornish Cross chicks. I'm willing to order from a hatchery to get a certain breed if necessary.

What breeds do y'all prefer and why?
 
For meats, I can usually get a good price for Cornish. Last group of 30 we got for under $2 each for roos (heavier than hens) and free shipping. Also have had Red Rangers before, and they were fine. Not as big as the cornish, but they can go a few weeks longer before butchering.
 
I only have experience with cornish. Unlike most people, I like them.

Now however, I am developing my own hybrids based on cornish x and mixed laying hens. The first generation was 2 cornish hens and a chantecler rooster. Cornish are crap layers so only a few chick's. The next generation was a rooster from that paired with chantecler, leghorns, azure, basic brown hens, ameracauna and another cornish hen.

The next generation was two roosters, one a throw back to cornish and an equally big rooster with ameracaun/brown traits paired with all the mudblood hens from previous years.

This springs chicks are a crazy mix of colors with some solid whites. About 50% are fast growing, big and agile. Some are growing slightly slower and 3 are following the path of egg layers for size. It's interesting that every last one of them have fully plumped out breasts. I think that I am getting some size and decent growing locked in. I am hoping that they will show good egg laying ability as well. I have two broodies sitting so I am going to be overrun with chickens this year.
 

Australorp​

Black Australorp

The Australorp was created using Orpingtons.

Back in the 1800s Orpingtons were shipped from the UK to Australia. They were well received, however, the Australians wanted a chicken that laid even more eggs.

After a few years of effort they created the Australorp.

Australorps come in a variety of colors but the most well known variety is black.

They can be shy initially, but once they get to know you they will show that they have great personalities that shine through. Expect them to be docile and friendly, they will even tolerate being picked up and carried around. They are also quiet which is a must have if you have neighbors close by.

If you are looking for a black chicken that can lay lots of eggs then this is the breed for you.
 

Australorp​

The Australian Orpington. An excellent egg layer that currently holds the world record for egg output in one year – 364! The Australorp is a dual purpose hen too.
They dress out at a respectable 5-6lb, and the meat is said to be good.
The name “Australorp” derives from the types of chicken breeds used to formulate this excellent egg layer, which was Australian Black Orpingtons (Australorp).

Golden Laced Wyandotte​

The Wyandotte chicken is an American breed named after a North American Indian tribe.


It was developed in New York State in the 1870s, with the original breed type being the Silver Laced Wyandotte.

Since 1888, the Golden Laced Wyandotte chicken breed is recognized by the American Standard of Perfection.

This breed lays 180-260 good-sized brown eggs a year, and lay year-round, including wintertime.

Thanks Magus.
 
Do people raise chickens just for meat, or is the deal to raise them for eggs, then when that stops, eat the chickens? I don't see the economic gain of raising chickens just for meat. Maybe that's not done, and meat chickens always start out as egg chickens in the beginning. Buying, sheltering, feeding, raising, slaughtering, plucking, cleaning, cutting up, disposing of non-edible parts, and finally cooking a chicken that would create probably only one family meal seems like a lot of effort compared to going to KFC. It makes more sense to me if that chicken had been supplying you with eggs for several years before getting the ax. Do people raise chickens solely for meat (in home, not commercial settings)?
 
Yes there are chickens just for meat, that will die if you do not process them in 8-12 weeks.
 
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Then most chicken are raised for eggs, then use for meat when they stop laying, in three to five years.
I have the book he talks about, the laying chicks start at 17.55.
 
Haertig said:
Do people raise chickens just for meat, or is the deal to raise them for eggs, then when that stops, eat the chickens? I don't see the economic gain of raising chickens just for meat. Maybe that's not done, and meat chickens always start out as egg chickens in the beginning. Buying, sheltering, feeding, raising, slaughtering, plucking, cleaning, cutting up, disposing of non-edible parts, and finally cooking a chicken that would create probably only one family meal seems like a lot of effort compared to going to KFC. It makes more sense to me if that chicken had been supplying you with eggs for several years before getting the ax. Do people raise chickens solely for meat (in home, not commercial settings)?
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Meat specific birds are rapid growers with most only needing care for 8-12 weeks before they're ready for butchering. Most laying breeds aren't as "beefy" and by the time they are through laying they're too old to be good for anything but the stockpot. For me it's less about cost and more about knowing what is in the meat that I'm cooking as well as not relying on the government or stores for meat.
 
Exactly that. Meat varieties must be butchered in 8 to 12 weeks or they will die. They eat continuously. If you want a dual purpose bird that can egg lay and is worth your time butchering, then go for the bigger breeds...like Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Jersey Giants. We raise those three and Americaunas. I hatch them out and butcher the roosters when they get big enough. But the difference in butchering a large breed young rooster and a meet bird at ten weeks is huge. The meat bird is meatier, hands down. But the roosters are still worth butchering, if they are a large breed. This is what I do.
 
Haertig said:
Do people raise chickens just for meat, or is the deal to raise them for eggs, then when that stops, eat the chickens? I don't see the economic gain of raising chickens just for meat. Maybe that's not done, and meat chickens always start out as egg chickens in the beginning. Buying, sheltering, feeding, raising, slaughtering, plucking, cleaning, cutting up, disposing of non-edible parts, and finally cooking a chicken that would create probably only one family meal seems like a lot of effort compared to going to KFC. It makes more sense to me if that chicken had been supplying you with eggs for several years before getting the ax. Do people raise chickens solely for meat (in home, not commercial settings)?
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The way we did it was to use them for eggs for a couple of years then put them in the freezer UNLESS they had a brood or were extra good layers.
 
Amish Heart said:
Exactly that. Meat varieties must be butchered in 8 to 12 weeks or they will die. They eat continuously. If you want a dual purpose bird that can egg lay and is worth your time butchering, then go for the bigger breeds...like Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Jersey Giants. We raise those three and Americaunas. I hatch them out and butcher the roosters when they get big enough. But the difference in butchering a large breed young rooster and a meet bird at ten weeks is huge. The meat bird is meatier, hands down. But the roosters are still worth butchering, if they are a large breed. This is what I do.
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I have thought about Jersey Giants, but was not sure they would not cost more to feed, then the meat is worth.
You are putting them in a pasture or run for 40% of their food?
 
We have cornish cross for meat. We can sell on of those at the market for $20 to $30 for a large one , some get to be 7-8 pounds

We have a variety of types for the hens, white, green and brown eggs.

If you butcher a hen that is done laying ( just did that not long ago, 4 year old developed a problem with one leg) , they are generally not eatable , it's all tough, skin and bones and dark meat. They got to the dogs after we butcher them

Cornish cross are sad fat birds, they eat until they die if you let them and don't walk around much. We have them in a chicken tractor outside that we move when they are done with a patch of grass. We take the food away overnight, so they don't eat SO much
About ready to butcher the first batch we got a few months ago.
 
sonya123 said:
We have cornish cross for meat. We can sell on of those at the market for $20 to $30 for a large one , some get to be 7-8 pounds

We have a variety of types for the hens, white, green and brown eggs.

If you butcher a hen that is done laying ( just did that not long ago, 4 year old developed a problem with one leg) , they are generally not eatable , it's all tough, skin and bones and dark meat. They got to the dogs after we butcher them

Cornish cross are sad fat birds, they eat until they die if you let them and don't walk around much. We have them in a chicken tractor outside that we move when they are done with a patch of grass. We take the food away overnight, so they don't eat SO much
About ready to butcher the first batch we got a few months ago.
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I've heard good things about the American Bresse, but do not have personal experience.
My husband and I are looking to develop a sustainable flock of meat birds, so no Cornish Crosses (reproduction issues). We've just started raising some dark cornish and partridge chanticlers, and have on order some black javas and partridge rocks. We have some traits we're looking for and want to evaluate these breeds.

Haertig said:
Buying, sheltering, feeding, raising, slaughtering, plucking, cleaning, cutting up, disposing of non-edible parts, and finally cooking a chicken that would create probably only one family meal seems like a lot of effort compared to going to KFC. It makes more sense to me if that chicken had been supplying you with eggs for several years before getting the ax. Do people raise chickens solely for meat (in home, not commercial settings)?
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You've already gotten your answer that yes, people do. But I wanted to add that while you're right - it's a lot of effort for a meal - there are a lot of reasons for choosing to go this route. For us, we're just so sick and tired of this broken food system and feeling like we can't trust any of it. And we want sustainability to whatever degree we can achieve that. So even though we've never raised chickens for meat before, never butchered before, we're going to learn this year.
 
Yep. We have all of those, and also guineas. You can eat guineas, but we don't. They eat ticks and chiggers and free range. Because of the free ranging, we lose a number of them each year to predators, but I'm hoping to restock at our local fowl sale at the end of the month with baby guinea keets. There is one sitting on a nest of eggs.
 
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