Breeds for Meat Birds?

Hi guys! My family is on a journey to make our farm sustainable. (Check out Start Farming Now on YouTube to see more!)

I have many laying hens of various breeds all of which are super lean despite some of them being "dual purpose" breeds. I'm looking to raise some breeds specifically for meat. However, the typical Cornish cross is anything but sustainable, since I would be dependent on a hatchery for a yearly supply. I'd love to find a breed or cross of breeds that would have a good yield, be active, healthy, able to reproduce, etc.

What are your recommendations?

*Breeds we already have: Orpington's (buff and lavender), Plymouth barred rocks, easter Eggers, olive Eggers, speckled Sussex, salmon faverolle, blue laced red Cochins, blue copper marans, Silkies (blue, buff, black, splash), some golden duckwing phoenix bantam crosses from when I had bantam Phoenix roosters (coon took them all) and several mixed breed bantams that we've hatched (I'm trying to go with all standard birds now with the exception of the silkies).

I know my friend who owns chickens that I'm also raising them for her uses the classic Rhode Island Red chickens for meat and eggs, she also has 1 Black Maran that she wants more as a meat bird. She has a Leghorn Roo but Rhode Island Red's and Leghorns are fairly thinner... Hope that help a little! I don't have much info on different breeds of chickens compared to ducks and geese so I'm trying to see if I can help...

StartFarmingNow said:

Hi guys! My family is on a journey to make our farm sustainable. (Check out Start Farming Now on YouTube to see more!)

I have many laying hens of various breeds all of which are super lean despite some of them being "dual purpose" breeds. I'm looking to raise some breeds specifically for meat. However, the typical Cornish cross is anything but sustainable, since I would be dependent on a hatchery for a yearly supply. I'd love to find a breed or cross of breeds that would have a good yield, be active, healthy, able to reproduce, etc.

What are your recommendations?

*Breeds we already have: Orpington's (buff and lavender), Plymouth barred rocks, easter Eggers, olive Eggers, speckled Sussex, salmon faverolle, blue laced red Cochins, blue copper marans, Silkies (blue, buff, black, splash), some golden duckwing phoenix bantam crosses from when I had bantam Phoenix roosters (coon took them all) and several mixed breed bantams that we've hatched (I'm trying to go with all standard birds now with the exception of the silkies).

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I probably sound like a broken record but, have you considered the Buckeye chicken?

peepdaddy said:

I probably sound like a broken record but, have you considered the Buckeye chicken?

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I have not. I will look into them. I think we will try a few breeds out and see what works best for us. Thanks!

IIRC, @Tre3hugger is working with some heritage birds, RIR and Delaware, have been selected for meat rather than eggs.

Close @3KillerBs ! Delaware's and New Hampshire reds. The NHs are especially good candidates for meat.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-attempt-at-a-dual-purpose-heritage-flock.1489689/

Most breeds offered by the hatcheries as dual purpose have actually been selected for laying qualities over many years. So you are really unlikely to get truly dual purpose birds from them unless you get something like Red Rangers or Dixie Rainbows that have been specifically bred for meat qualities as well as laying qualities.

But stock still exists from private breeders that maintains the dual qualities of heritage breeds. Wyandottes, Plymouth rocks, New Hampshires and Delawares can all be first rate meat birds if you get the right stock from the start.

Tre3hugger said:

Close @3KillerBs ! Delaware's and New Hampshire reds. The NHs are especially good candidates for meat.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-attempt-at-a-dual-purpose-heritage-flock.1489689/

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Well, you know me by now -- I can't tell one red chicken from another.

So I'm thinking of trying the McMurray Deleware Broiler hens and adding a rooster of another breed (their deleware roos seem to have a reputation for being aggressive so we just won't keep whatever males we get from a straight run order). Anybody have experience with this line? Or recommendations on a breed for the rooster?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/delaware-broiler.html

Those look pretty interesting. They are relatively new. I'd be very interested to hear how they worked out of you got them

StartFarmingNow said:

So I'm thinking of trying the McMurray Deleware Broiler hens and adding a rooster of another breed (their deleware roos seem to have a reputation for being aggressive so we just won't keep whatever males we get from a straight run order). Anybody have experience with this line? Or recommendations on a breed for the rooster?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/delaware-broiler.html

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