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 Chickens Male Or Female in
Lebanon, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Lebanon Virginia,
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. Lebanon
Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Lebanon Virginia, 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 Lebanon VA.
Baby Chickens And
Baby Ducks in
Lebanon, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Lebanon Virginia
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
Lebanon Virginia * 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 Lebanon
Virginia * 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 Chicks Habitat in
Lebanon, Virginia
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
Lebanon Virginia 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 Lebanon,
Virginia Baby chicks are quite
cute and also
hard to stand up to,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
correct products, yet
also the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
easy, you merely have to supply them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable
habitat A lot of food as well
as water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, aquarium,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally require
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the environment to get them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to 2 months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be decreased by
around 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource should get on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you should
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not just curling up),
you should add some heat.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is key as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to change
the bed linens
frequently and also
constantly give tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow very quick
which needs plenty of clean
food as well as water. Give
enough at all times and also inspect
commonly to prevent dehydrated as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to get a running start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't occupy that task till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
view their behavior, you can
catch illness or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted plumes and clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
as well as relocate outside right into a
coop. Look into our
section on chicken cages to read more
concerning coops and
appropriate cage environments.
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