[manian]

hi all..
the layers are doing well and earning their keep. We love eating chicken so the next step (when its warmer)is to try some growers. I ve not got a cockrel so I have some questions.... 

Is it best to buy chicks or eggs and incubate?
What are the best breads for the table
what age are they usually ready? or do you weigh before dispatching (as you do with pigs)
Are cockrels ready before they start crowing loudly 
how much space should they have- my layers free roam in one of paddocks but i understand they won't grow as quick if running around(although i don't want them cooped up.......
I will keep separate from my layers and have seen the posts about feeding corn etc last few weeks

thanks for all your help
manian

[CameronS]

i would look for poults between 1-5 weeks rather than faffing with chicks and becomingh attatched,

hubburbs are good meat birds i have no personal experience with them, but others on here have and reccomend

this isn't the greatest answer but hopefully its a start

[Castle Farm]

I breed for table and the first thing you must realise is the bird will only grow to the breed potential. Once it has put the muscle on the frame and reached maturity (starts to crow) within a week or so after that the bird reaches it's limit of growth (LOG) and any excess food other than what it needs to be active gets put down to fat around the abdomen.

Non or at least very few of the traditional breeds L/S, RIR,PR are as good as they used to be years ago. That and the fact that we are all used to seeing plump breasted birds in supermarkets (commercial) keepers get disappointed by the finished dressed bird.

Indian Game crosses are about the only way you can get any breast meat on them and they are slow to mature unless you can mate it to a faster maturing breed.

Sussex is a medium weight.
Dorking is a heavy weight...if you can find the right strain.
RIR..not really up to the job nowadays.
Cochin would do but slow.
Brahma..don't go there.
Orpington..to much feed putting feathers on the bird.

I eventually went with Australorp after about 15 years of trying different types.

I have posted the results on my web page over the last 6 years of breeding if your interested.

[egglady]

we buy hubbards at a few days old and find them easy to rear and they grow to a decent size and are very tasty (once we''d figured out not to eat them with an hour of dispatching that is!!)

[manian]

where do you buy in your hubbards egglady?
i'm beginning to drool (although we'll have to wait till spring)
Mx

[egglady]

been really lucky and buy them from central scotland smallholders (of which I'm a member). we are onto our second lot, hubby dispatched another 2 today so one will be eaten just now and the other put in the freezer for another time.

can honestly say i dont think we will ever eat supermarket chicken again - at least not if 14 year old son has anything to do with it!