Author Topic: chicken questions? (Read 4352 times)

GreenMan · « **on:** November 11, 2009, 01:56:06 pm »

Hi All,

Need a little help, I can’t seem to find answers on the web about certain chicken/hen related questions I have so I hope you can all help.

I wanted to produce chicken for my table as well as eggs. I am fairly confident that I can keep chickens for eggs with no problems as it does not seem so hard. I wondered if you can tell me how to end up with a bird like I buy from the farmers market. E.g corn fed so it has yellow tinge to the flesh when it has been plucked. I have been very impressed with the flavour & texture of the corn fed free range and wanted to try and achieve this at home, also they cost about £12 from farmers market - well worth it as a treat though!

So, do I need a certain type of chicken to achieve best results and what age should I get it and what should I feed it in order to maximize the flavour and texture? Or, do I just dispatch a layer when I get hungry?

I was hoping to save 4 ex-battery hens (henrehomers.net) and give them a free range life but before I go down this route I wondered if anyone knows if this is a good or bad idea? Please answer this on the basis that I am not looking to break even or make profit from the hens/eggs.

Thanks. Nick

harry · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2009, 02:08:03 pm »

probably get a white feathered bird as i think the flesh is lighter, not 100%sure about that, and feed it corn, thats corn in the usa meaning, ie maize, buy from a feed supplier as maize grits, mix in fattereners or growers pellets for the extra protien and vitimans. the type of table bird breeds are numorous, but ixworths , hubbards, rir Xs, sassos, cobbs, etc etc, try to get them as fertile eggs, day olds, or 3 week old, lenght of kill varys from 8 weeks to 20 weeks depending on breed, but free range will take longer to reach any weight. best to pen them up in a small moveable pen to gain weight.

carl · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2009, 02:22:47 pm »

Layers tend not to be very meaty, and would be a little old by the time they do not lay many eggs. ok for curries, but v poor for roasting.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2009, 02:36:53 pm »

yep the colour is all down to corn. if you want fast growth then go for a hybrid meat bird. if you want a traditional bird then go for any of the utility breeds but your not going to get a bird with tons of meat. were trying growing cochins,brahams and hopefully jersey giants we will then cross them with the hybrid layers and see what we get. its very nearly a waste of time killing off the hybrid cocck very little meat. a two year old layer is only fit for stews or animal food very tough. if this is your first time with hens then try light sussex you get both.

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2009, 02:59:03 pm »

And if you are also thinking to rehome four ex batts then good on you! Join the clan - www.bhwt.co.uk

chickenfeed · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2009, 03:10:47 pm »

:chook:we had sasso's last year for the table but this year i tried rir x blackrocks the birds are killing out at around 5 - 6lbs but plenty of meat on the breast we have been very happy with the results going to cross rir with light sussex next year both are the large utility types so expect some big birds

harry · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2009, 06:01:05 pm »

anyone had jersey giants or a X for meat, if so what are they like and time scale

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #7 on:** November 11, 2009, 06:20:20 pm »

thats what we hope to find out. we crossed the hylines with a shetland and we got some very olive green egg layers the cocks are bigger than there dad. but still not much meat. if we can get a plump boy with the egg laying of the mum it will be great. the big birds are very slow growers so not really a meat bird. ive tried two hatches of jersey giants and they both failed. so it may take some time. the cochins/brahmas should do just as well the cochins seem to grow faster than the brahmas.

little blue · « **Reply #8 on:** November 11, 2009, 09:43:41 pm »

Quote from: shetlandpaul on November 11, 2009, 06:20:20 pm

if we can get a plump boy with the egg laying of the mum it will be great.

It'll be a genetic breakthrough and make you famous... the first fat, fertile fella that lays a good egg!

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #9 on:** November 11, 2009, 09:51:49 pm »

Roxy · « **Reply #10 on:** November 11, 2009, 09:53:22 pm »

Well, I like the idea of you having ex battery hens from Henrehomers, as I am an area co ordinator

I am not clear as to whether you want to keep the hens for laying and then eat them??!! Thinking of my ex batts, they never grow into massive birds, and therefore would not be worth eating .....and we rehome them as pets, not for eating. But I am certain you intend getting proper meat birds for that purpose.

doganjo · « **Reply #11 on:** November 11, 2009, 09:56:20 pm »

Quote

I was hoping to save 4 ex-battery hens (henrehomers.net) and give them a free range life but before I go down this route I wondered if anyone knows if this is a good or bad idea? Please answer this on the basis that I am not looking to break even or make profit from the hens/eggs.

I think it's explained here, Roxy, so don't worry

.

Roxy · « **Reply #12 on:** November 11, 2009, 10:57:53 pm »

oh yes, I am quite relieved now -thanks doganjo

marigold · « **Reply #13 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:03:06 am »

We got Croad Langshans because they are pretty good all rounders. Good for eggs though not like hybrids and good for eating the black ones have white skin under their black feathers and they're big and beautiful!!!!
I've decided to name all the cockerels after world leaders so that we can eat our way to world domination. We have Boris (Johnson) and Chairman Mao at the moment.