[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Hi
I currently have 12 chickens roaming my garden of all different breeds!
I am thinking of rearing chickens for meat has anyone got any good ideas of breeds/breeds to try?

This also applies to ducks/geese

Thanks

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

*breeds/xbreeds

[Steph Hen]

I have eaten surplus cocks of a few breeds over the years but to be honest, there's rarely that much meat on them. Marans and sussex are meant to be good dual purpose breeds, but I've found them to have big, tough leg meat and no breast at just a few months old 5 or 6months. But my adult birds are fed mostly whole grains and are totally free range. Not worth my while plucking and dressing them to be honest. I think next time I'd skin and gut and just make soup/stock.

I would suggest in the first instance choosing a meat breed - (tired after no sleep and a long day!) think ixworth? and there's that french one I can never remember anyway and rear them to the book, give them all the right food, keep in a pen and kill when you're meant to. Because i have found extensively reared dual birds not that good. I'm sure others will post with much more and better experiences than me!

[HesterF]

Hubbards are one of the typical meat breeds, aren't they? Kill at 10 weeks or so.

I've got Orpingtons and eat the excess cockerels of them. By six months they're a good size (3kg plus dressed) - different sort of meat to shop bought, much gamier and same free range big legs/small chest that Steph describes but a nice roast that'll feed a family easily enough. I cooked one the other day and noticed it's also ready much quicker than the typical 20mins/pound plus twenty minutes so I did wonder whether that's because of the smaller chest/bigger legs - much bigger surface area. less 'depth' of meat. But they wouldn't be good value - raising them to six months requires a lot of food, far more than the £10 or so they're worth at that age.

H

[Stereo]

I dunno, I priced our marans at £5 to get to 6 months and a decent family meal at the end of it. To be fair, the leg meat is only fit for currys and soup in my view but the breast was OK for a family roast. Depends. You can spend £30 in pizza hut or £20 in KFC to feed your family. You might do it cheaper with a smart supermarket shop. But £5 for enough chicken meat for main course and some left over is OK with me.

I am doing Ixworth this year but they've all got Cocci so have to now find out if I can eat them. Got some nice hens though.

[devonlad]

eating anything other than meat birds has been a deeply unsatisfactory and stringy affair, Both Hubbards and sassos have been pretty easy and very tasty, roughly 2-3 kg after 12 weeks.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Thanks for the replys

Mine will be free ranging and I'm not really worried of cost as it's the welfare thing I know how they have grown and what they have been fed etc

Out of interest how much food do you feed yours would u say 100g per bird per day sounds about right!
I feed mine a decent complete feed and that's what it suggests on the bag, also I put some mixed corn down as a treat

Thanks

[devonlady]

I also use mixed breed cockerels, my own grown birds and anyone else's surplus. I get these for free and as they are usually at least 12 weeks old they don't need much grub to get them to weight.
I find they are better done in the slow cooker or a casserole than roasted and the flavour is wonderful It doesn't compare to supermarket sh~~e
Mine are free ranged and given a small handful of whole wheat (organic) morning and night.

[Fowlman]

For your first venture into table birds i would suggest one of the meat hybrids such as Hubbards, Ross/cobbs, sasso. Grow at alarming rates unless you free range them which will slow growth rate a little.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I keep salmon faverolles at the moment, they're a dual purpose bird, however in the long run when they start hatching chicks, I'll fatten up the cockerels to kill. They are quite heavy chickens so they could be a possibility.

[shygirl]

as the title says "poultry", have you considered turkey hybrids? they are worth the effort and they make a few meals out of each one.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Some good ideas thanks

I also have chickens at work and was given and in there where 2 nice Sussex hens and 8 cobbs not sure how old the cobbs are but will find out

But just been reading the river cottage book and in there says light Sussex/cobb cross are a good combination as they finish slower

So I may just source a light Sussex cockerel and hatch a few out and experiment with those I would have meat birds and also some pure LS

Also I'm defiantly going to rear some turkeys for Xmas next year

[Stereo]

If you want a nice slow grower then Ixworth are a good bet. 6-7 months for a lovely table bird.