Backyard Chickens – The 5 Best Meat Chicken Breeds
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Choosing A Meat Chicken
With the growing popularity of raising backyard chickens comes an increasing interest in raising meat chickens. Dual-purpose chickens, those yielding both eggs and meat, are the most popular. But many backyard chicken farmers are turning to meat chickens for their better flavor.
Just like with egg layers, a different result comes with each breed so, choosing the best meat chicken breeds depends on what you’re looking to achieve.
This is a review of what I consider the 5 best chicken breeds to raise for meat.
Broilers
Broilers are chickens raised specifically for meat. They grow much faster than egg laying hens or dual purpose breeds. Most broilers have a fast growth rate with a high feed conversion ratio and low activity levels. In five weeks, broilers can reach a dressed weight of 4-5 pounds. Dual-purpose breeds, usually raised for both meat and egg production, are smaller with a slower growth rate.
Cornish Cross – The Cornish Cross is an excellent, fast growing broiler. Harvest time for a 4 pound broiler is normally 7 to 8 weeks. Their body make-up is superb, with broad breasts, large legs and thighs and a rich yellow skin.
Jersey Giant – Originating in the United States, this bird was developed to replace the turkey. A purebred chicken, the Giant’s weight averages 11-13 pounds. Jersey Giants grow at a slower rate than other meat birds, about 6 months to full maturity, making them undesirable to commercial industry. While originally a meat chicken, today, the Giant is prized as a dual-purpose bird, laying extra-large brown eggs.
Heritage / Heirloom
When describing Heritage chickens, the words heirloom, old-fashion and antique come to mind. The American Poultry Association began defining these breeds in 1873; setting standards for birds as being well adapted to various climates, hardy and long-lived and reproducing at a rate to provide a protein source to the growing nation. As chicken breeding became industrialized, these breeds were replaced by fast growing hybrids. Today, more than three dozen chicken breeds are listed as in danger of extinction. To avoid irrevocable loss caused by the extinction of a breed, The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy sets standards for marketing these as Heritage.
I love Heritage breeds preferring them to the newer, fast growing breeds. They are large meaty chickens and many also produce a nice amount of eggs. I usually buy my Heritage breeds on line since they are harder to find locally than what more popular breeds are.
Below is a listing of the breeds which qualify as Heritage:
Campine, Chantecler, Crevecoeur, Holland, Modern Game, Nankin, Redcap, Russian Orloff, Spanish, Sultan, Sumatra, Yokohama, Andalusian, Buckeye, Buttercup, Cubalaya, Delaware, Dorking, Faverolles, Java, Lakenvelder, Langshan, Malay, Phoenix, Ancona, Aseel, Brahma, Catalana, Cochin, Cornish , Dominique , Hamburg, Houdan, Jersey Giant , La Fleche, Minorca, New Hampshire , Old English Game, Polish, Rhode Island White, Sebright , Shamo, Australorp, Leghorn- Non-industrial, Orpington, Plymouth Rock , Rhode Island Red – Non industrial , Sussex, Wyandotte , Araucana, Iowa Blue, Lamona, Manx Rumpy (Persian Rumpless), Naked Neck (Turken).
My preferred Heritage breeds:
Delaware – A heavy bodied bird, the male can weigh up to 8.5 pounds and a female, 6.5 pounds. Originating from the U.S., the Delaware is hardy in heat and cold and matures quickly. The meat is delicious and the hens lay jumbo eggs. Delawares have calm and friendly dispositions
Dorking – This relatively calm bird is nonaggressive so it does well around children and small dogs. Another dual-purpose chicken, the Dorking is a superior table fowl with tender flesh and meaty breasts and wings. Dorkings are productive winter layers, providing a steady egg supply when other breeds are not laying. Good broody hens and excellent mothers, they stay with their chicks much longer than other breeds.
Buckeye – This is the only American breed exclusively created by a woman; developed by Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio. This dual-purpose breed is very cold weather hardy and adapts to various living conditions. However, because they are very active, they do not do well in confined spaces, adapting best to free-range. Hens lay medium-sized brown eggs and weigh an average of 6.5 pounds; roosters average 9 pounds.
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Baby Chicks Incubator in
Quinton, Alabama
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Quinton Alabama,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Quinton
Alabama also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Quinton Alabama, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Quinton AL.
Baby Chicks For Easter in
Quinton, Alabama
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Quinton Alabama
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Quinton Alabama * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Quinton
Alabama * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chickens Mail in
Quinton, Alabama
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Quinton Alabama is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Quinton,
Alabama Baby chicks are really
cute as well as
hard to stand up to,
but it's best to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper products, yet
also the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you merely need
to give them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your habitat can be a
simple box, aquarium,
feline service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using only
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also need
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Additionally, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
provide them with a heat source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also function extremely well (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could use
up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 and 100 levels,
as well as each week this could
be lowered by
around 5 levels or
so. The warmth source should get on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other corner of your heat
lamp, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you need to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linens
frequently and
constantly offer tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow very fast
which requires a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as check
usually to avoid thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not take
up that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus and also love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will most
likely bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their behavior, you could
catch health problem or other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Make sure to
likewise check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your house
as well as move outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
section on chicken cages to find out
more
concerning cages and
correct cage habitats.
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