# What is the best non-hybrid breed for meat?



## advancecourage (Jul 5, 2010)

I want opinions on what is the best breed for meat that is NOT hybrid like Cornish x or Freedom Ranger. I would love a dual purpose breed that lays at least a moderate amount of eggs as well. 

We are trying to live sustainably and want to raise a truly natural meat bird next year. Thanks!


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

There isn't really much difference in any of the dual purpose breeds. Pick one you like and go with it. They are usually about the same size, lay about the same number of eggs, and grow off about the same.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

New Hampshires were the breed of chicken used for commercial meat production before there were cornish crosses or freedom rangers. I've had some for 4-5 years.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my New Hampshires. And, they lay a LOT of eggs. I have two batches of hens that are 4 and 5 years old and this year their production FINALLY slumped a little this laying season. I plan on butchering the old ladies this year... but I like their personalities and their antics so much I'm going to have to really motivate myself to butcher them. The past 3-4 years production was still great. Though, I don't force them to produce for the winter since I don't get out there often enough to prevent them from freezing, anyways.  

The NH roosters do make pretty impressive meat birds, despite being what we call 'skinny chickens' on our farm. For efficient production of meat, however the Cornish X's are the best. With the 'heritage' types of naturally reproducing birds, however, we find all of the fast growing breeds to be just about exactly the same for carcass size. Rhode Island Reds, Australorps, New Hampshires, Easter Eggers, rocks of any sort... all about the same. They still don't compare to the Cornish X's, especially for efficiency... and you simply don't make good soup without cornish x's. 

I believe that Freedom Rangers do breed true and naturally, so they COULD be used. I could be wrong, as I've never cared for the idea of freedom rangers enough to look more into them.

I'm almost wondering if keeping two breeds to produce a sexlink would be best for you. I find all the fast growing carcasses are the same size, and that would allow you to sell off chicks at hatch as pullet chicks, and allow you to keep the exact number of roosters that you want as meat birds. There is a pretty large demand for sexlink hens, as they are GREAT layers. Probably could make a decent profit selling female chicks and started pullets every year.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

I've got to say that mygoats may be on to something with the sex-links. I'm raising a mix and my Red sex link cockerals are hands-down the heaviest. They make the buff orps look wimpy (poor youngsters are still all feathers)


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

Otter said:


> I've got to say that mygoats may be on to something with the sex-links. I'm raising a mix and *my Red sex link cockerals are hands-down the heaviest.* They make the buff orps look wimpy (poor youngsters are still all feathers)


Not that I don't believe you but every time someone makes that comment, I still wonder how. RSL hens aren't that big so why are the roos? I vote for Delawares. The one roo I let get to crowing age last fall was quite good--definitely better and larger than any other non Cornish X I've raised. 

I'd hoped to have 3 D hens this time around--instead I have 3 very small carcasses in the freezer. They were about a month or so away from crowing but I had 24 X's being done and driving 120 miles RT again for those 3 made no sense.


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## rabbitpatch (Jan 14, 2008)

Our Delawares are not the great layers they are supposed to be. When they do lay, the eggs are nice, extra large eggs, but they do not lay all that frequently.

Our RIR's are nice heavy birds and grew out very quickly. They are probably our most consistent layers too.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Sex links are often crosses of the faster growing, brown egg layers. They shouldn't be terribly small... and neither should the hens. Especially not smaller than their parent stock. The cockerals should grow just as fast as their parent stock... 

Delawares, if I remember correctly, are a slower growing/maturing brown egg layer. They take longer than RIR or Australorps to get to butchering size. 

The main reason I suggest the sexlinks is that added benefit of profit from being able to sex them at hatch. If I were to raise heritages for meat, I'd do the sexlinks.


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## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

My Marans Roo at 4 monthsd old. he's got MEAT on him, and the girls are laying well even though they just started.


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

I'm not arguing with anyone--I want to learn, too. My only experience with a tasty bird other than these "I've died and gone to heaven" Cornish X I raised was a plump freeranged D roo. I may never get a chance to test your RSL roo theory but wish I could and hope someone else will. I guess I can wrap my head around the 'faster maturing" concept...if I can remember that egg machines aren't all Leghorns.


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## PotBellyPigs (Jul 27, 2010)

Black Jersey Giants, which were developed to compete against the turkey market.
These monsters can get up to 12-14 pounds...


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Black Jersey Giants do get huge..but it takes them 8 months to do it. Until they flesh out, they're HUGE...but it's all bone. I had some, and loved them VERY much...really really nice birds...but MAN they grow slow. 

My personal favorite is the Marans. Cuckoos seems to be the largest over all, but a LOT depends on the strain you get. The boys I got last May with buckeyes, cochins, dark cornish, and "oddballs" the marans are developing faster, and larger than any of the others. 

I know the meat has a slightly sweet flavor, and it's plentiful. Our last batch of roos that went into the freezer butchered out at 4+lb carcass weight

The hens lay 4 to 6 eggs a week, depending on the variety andstrain. The eggs are large to X-Large. It DOES take them a little longer to mature into laying hens than some other heritage breeds. 5 to 6 months vs 4 to 5 months.


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## PotBellyPigs (Jul 27, 2010)

Wisconsin Ann said:


> Black Jersey Giants do get huge..but it takes them 8 months to do it. Until they flesh out, they're HUGE...but it's all bone. I had some, and loved them VERY much...really really nice birds...but MAN they grow slow.
> 
> My personal favorite is the Marans. Cuckoos seems to be the largest over all, but a LOT depends on the strain you get. The boys I got last May with buckeyes, cochins, dark cornish, and "oddballs" the marans are developing faster, and larger than any of the others.
> 
> ...


Quite true, Anne, Jersey Giants are slow growing, but they are monsters, and when laying, a monster egg!
However, my White Plymouth Rocks grew twice as fast.
Laid their first eggs at 6 months, and pretty frequently.
I love my Buff Orpingtons, but they are not as good a layer, but attain pretty good size(8lbs).
I also have some pretty Delawares, and I think they grew faster than all of them....


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I have Light Sussex. I have not butchered any yet but I am logging their weights.

The females were 5.5 lbs. at 22 weeks. My males are 3.5 lbs at 14 weeks I have a 9 month old male that is 9 lbs.

I like that they are very gentle and friendly. I can pick up my adult males with very little fuss.

The females lay approx. 5 eggs a week, though I have none laying yet. They are 24 weeks right now and should lay at any time.


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## PotBellyPigs (Jul 27, 2010)

painterswife said:


> I have Light Sussex. I have not butchered any yet but I am logging their weights.
> 
> The females were 5.5 lbs. at 22 weeks. My males are 3.5 lbs at 14 weeks I have a 9 month old male that is 9 lbs.
> 
> ...


Nice.
I thought about sending off for some Speckled Sussex from Meyer Hatchery, but didn't do it.
Perhaps I will, since these are cousins to your hens, and should grow just as fast....


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I don't think the speckled get as big or as fast. I also have some buff sussex and they are half the size as the lights at the same age.


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## craftnkids (Sep 6, 2009)

I am raising and selling meat birds. We used to use Cornish x but they do not do well here in Ga. We have started raising Delawares, and have found them to be gentle, friendly, and productive egg layers. We are really liking our birds both for taste and enjoyment wise.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Got to thinking about this some more...and we need to mention the straight Cornish. The original meat/table bird. VERY quick to grow, they forage really well. Hens are good broodies, although they don't lay as many eggs per week as most of the others that have been mentioned.


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

Of all the dual-purpose heritage breeds I've raised, I think the Salmon Faverolles got biggest, fastest. The Marans would be next, and then probably the Buckeyes. I didn't get to butcher any of my Faverolles as the raccoons got to the extra cockerels first, but they were definitely larger than any of my other chickens by five months old. In France they are a valued meat breed, and are good layers, also, plus will sometimes go broody. 

Kathleen


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

We have a variety of dual purpose, including a dark cornish. Haven't butchered her, since I was saving her for breeding. She doesn't look any bigger than her comrades, but man she is a heavy little chunk. She's also the sneakiest hen we have...no fears about foraging beyond the fence, and absolutely refuses to lay her eggs anywhere but in the thickets somewhere. So much for the breeding idea.

Her brother was butchered off last fall with a wyndotte cockeral of the same age. Cornish, hand's down, was the meatier of the two.


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## PotBellyPigs (Jul 27, 2010)

Wisconsin Ann said:


> Got to thinking about this some more...and we need to mention the straight Cornish. The original meat/table bird. VERY quick to grow, they forage really well. Hens are good broodies, although they don't lay as many eggs per week as most of the others that have been mentioned.


Hey, Ann, how about the Standard Cochin?
This is a really big bird(12lbs).
Now, I've never raised them, but I understand that they are really gentle, and produce a lot of meat.
However, I understand, that they are not as good a layer, as other hens.
Have you ever raised any?


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## PotBellyPigs (Jul 27, 2010)

BlueJuniperFarm said:


> Of all the dual-purpose heritage breeds I've raised, I think the Salmon Faverolles got biggest, fastest. The Marans would be next, and then probably the Buckeyes. I didn't get to butcher any of my Faverolles as the raccoons got to the extra cockerels first, but they were definitely larger than any of my other chickens by five months old. In France they are a valued meat breed, and are good layers, also, plus will sometimes go broody.
> 
> Kathleen


Yeah, I too have ****, skunk, cat, dog, problems.
Thus in order to keep chickens, they are enclosed, and their outside run is up on pallets.
Greg,
Alger, Ohio


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## PotBellyPigs (Jul 27, 2010)

painterswife said:


> I don't think the speckled get as big or as fast. I also have some buff sussex and they are half the size as the lights at the same age.


That is a shame, since they are a nice looking chicken.....
Greg,
Alger,Ohio


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## jessepona (Sep 7, 2005)

We raise light Brahma roos for meat birds- they are very, very tasty, have large breast and legs and nice birds to be around. They're efficient foragers and the hens lay a nice large brown egg every other day, sometimes every day in summer. As an added bonus, Brahmas are very sweet birds. However, this is a problem if you are plagued by feral (or loose) dogs. The roos are good at shepherding the hens around, but they lack the fight to really protect them if they're attacked by large animals. They do keep a watch out for hawks and I've seen my roo sound the alarm and shuffle his ladies into the hen house.

They're feathered feet help keep them warm in the cold winters here, but they do look a bit unhappy in the summers. I wouldn't think they'd do really well in hotter climes- Texas, Alabama, etc... 

Hands down, they are my absolute favorite breed.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

PotBellyPigs said:


> Hey, Ann, how about the Standard Cochin?
> This is a really big bird(12lbs).
> Now, I've never raised them, but I understand that they are really gentle, and produce a lot of meat.
> However, I understand, that they are not as good a layer, as other hens.
> Have you ever raised any?


I've had quite a few hen cochins, this is my first year with roos. They do seem to be very nice birds...and they are certainly big!  I hadn't thought about them as a meat bird...have to look into that as they grow this year (I seem to have received a plethora of males in this group of straight run ) The girls are excellent broodies, but as you mentioned, they don't lay a lot of eggs. So far our new hen is laying 2x a week. But I have the Cochins so they could hatch chicks from other breeds, so her egg laying isn't all that important to me.


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## PotBellyPigs (Jul 27, 2010)

Wisconsin Ann said:


> I've had quite a few hen cochins, this is my first year with roos. They do seem to be very nice birds...and they are certainly big!  I hadn't thought about them as a meat bird...have to look into that as they grow this year (I seem to have received a plethora of males in this group of straight run ) The girls are excellent broodies, but as you mentioned, they don't lay a lot of eggs. So far our new hen is laying 2x a week. But I have the Cochins so they could hatch chicks from other breeds, so her egg laying isn't all that important to me.


How fast are they growing?
I'm curious now.....


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