[Dave C]

Jointed up the 2 Indian Game cockerels I culled yesterday.



Stir fry tonight, bit of dinner tomorrow and hopefully some left for a nice soup.

Rest of the carcasses go to the dogs (raw) so nothing is waisted.

Hi Dans, these were 2 IG cockerels that I kept in reserve, they spent the last few months chasing Pullets and only living on layers pellets, so I could of finished them better to gain more meat.

The meat on pure IG is quite dark and gamey on the breast and very dark on the legs and thighs which are generally huge.

But to be honest most large pure breeds will hold nice dark leg and thigh meat.

[Charlie1234]

I read a lot in this thread about meat birds with a lot of breast meat. We're not overly keen on breastmeat in this house, preferring darker meat, I use a lot of thigh meat for cooking. Are there any breeds that are particularly good (or big) in the thigh and leg region? hinking about getting some hatching eggs and raising for meat but don't want to get the wrong sort.

Dans

Hi Dans/Dave c
Maybe some of your Bishop Rangers would be a good type of meat bird for Dans to incubate,would be a quicker turn around than the pure IG ?

Steer clear of the cobb type chickens though they grow too quick until they are unable to walk around. My last ones killed at 8 weeks were between 3kg + 4Kg.

[Dave C]

Maybe too much Breast meat for Dans and not as dark as pure breeds like IG, Marans or Sussex etc.

[Dave C]

I just came across a breed called poulet de Barbezieux.
Apparently it's the tallest and largest European breed. Looks like massive black leghorn or minorca.
They are meant to be better tasting when roasted than later bresse.
Anyone even heard of them?
Are French just proud of all their breeds? Lol

You have to hand it to the French they do have some excellent table birds no wonder they are proud of them.

A few years ago I bred La Bresse and enjoyed them a lot, until I got into the French Sasso hybrids which are just excellent.

They breed and rear them to Label Rouge standards which has lead the world in free range production standards for 40 years.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1888/label-rouge-pasturebased-poultry-production-in-france/

Have a read of the link.
The French Sasso birds I have were created especially for the Label Rouge farmers.

I've bred my F2 (3rd) generation now and they seem to be breeding true.
I've also blended them with my Cuckoo Marans as a side experiment.
Just to keep the French theme going 

[farmers wife]

I want to raise birds for my table.  I see La Bresse or Sasso - I have found La Bresse eggs on ebay but struggling to find Sasso.  I try to deal with S&T but never get an email back even after phone calls drives me mad.

[Dave C]

Where abouts are you?

I might be able to sort you some Sasso eggs or chicks out.

[snowyriver]

I try to deal with S&T but never get an email back drives me mad.

Know exactly what you mean, it happened to me.

[Charlie1234]

I try to deal with S&T but never get an email back drives me mad.

Know exactly what you mean, it happened to me.

Before joining here I contacted them several times and had no reply     so went elsewhere.

[macgro7]

Poule de Barbezieux:

Not much breast meat on them, sort of average for an old pure breed bird. Legs are big though, they are about 1/3 bigger than la bresse, the lady who sells them said - that's quite big then. They look skinny but weigh 5 kg! They better taste nice!

White dorking:

They look like they have more meat on them, but maybe it's just because they have shorter bones, a specially legs.

Anyway, I ordered eggs of both barbezieux and white dorking- picking them up on Saturday! 
Might do some crosses with each other and la bresse next year. We should have some really nice tasting birds! And I'm not gonna free range them for now untill the fox learns there's no more food over here 

Got a beautiful white muscovy hen the other day so we are back to breeding muscovies! As soon as I let her out the Drake jumped on her lol two minutes later the other one mated too. Oh muscovies!
For comparison look at muscovy ducks:

That's some meat!

[Dave C]

That's great news pal, good to see your back in business 

They look really interesting breeds you've chosen.

What ages where the birds processed in the pics ?

[Dave C]

I try to deal with S&T but never get an email back drives me mad.

Know exactly what you mean, it happened to me.

Before joining here I contacted them several times and had no reply     so went elsewhere.

I got Sasso from them for years, but the Last time I spoke with Steve (about a year ago) he was talking of packing in !

That's the main reason I started breeding them myself to see if I could get a sustainable flock.

[macgro7]

That's great news pal, good to see your back in business 

They look really interesting breeds you've chosen.

What ages where the birds processed in the pics ?

Barbezieux are slaughtered at minimum 110 days, capons 6-9 months. A bit like la bresse I think.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

I just came across a breed called poulet de Barbezieux.
Apparently it's the tallest and largest European breed. Looks like massive black leghorn or minorca.
They are meant to be better tasting when roasted than later bresse.
Anyone even heard of them?
Are French just proud of all their breeds? Lol

You have to hand it to the French they do have some excellent table birds no wonder they are proud of them.

A few years ago I bred La Bresse and enjoyed them a lot, until I got into the French Sasso hybrids which are just excellent.

They breed and rear them to Label Rouge standards which has lead the world in free range production standards for 40 years.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1888/label-rouge-pasturebased-poultry-production-in-france/

Have a read of the link.
The French Sasso birds I have were created especially for the Label Rouge farmers.

I've bred my F2 (3rd) generation now and they seem to be breeding true.
I've also blended them with my Cuckoo Marans as a side experiment.
Just to keep the French theme going 

Even the cou cou de Rennes ain't bad ?

I read an interesting fact that the cuckoo marans derived from the coucou de Rennes

Interesting read about the label rouge standards
And something to work towards

[Dans]

Thanks guys. I think I'll have a look for IG, though not sure I will find much close by. There is a Maran breeder near though, so could pick up some hatching eggs from her. Now to convince the OH to let me hatch some eggs without a broody, or keep my fingers crossed that one of ours goes soon.

Dans

[Charlie1234]

Thanks guys. I think I'll have a look for IG, though not sure I will find much close by. There is a Maran breeder near though, so could pick up some hatching eggs from her. Now to convince the OH to let me hatch some eggs without a broody, or keep my fingers crossed that one of ours goes soon.

Dans

Im Sure Dave C could help you out there Dans