Raising birds for meat

[jessmorris]

Hello Grapes,
a friend is thinking seriously of raising birds for meat (they are a family of 3). Can anyone suggest good breeds or hybrids for him (RH I know you have IG hybrids...). He is an arable farmer so lots of room, and can grow his own grain if necessary. Is also happy about culling. Some info on fattening birds would be useful - he seems to think you do this with straight grain?
Many thanks in advance,
JM

[RichmondHens]

I raise all the growers on grower pellet, regardless of whether they are layers or eaters. At about 18 weeks the layers go onto layers pellet but the meat birds stay on grower right through to culling. I do give them a bit of wheat, but it's quite fattening and if fed too much grain you just end up with a bird which lays down fat rather than muscle. I tend to just give them a rather larger handful at treat time than I would the layers. They also get other scraps now and again like potatoes but pellet is their main feed. I cannot see how feeding grain alone gives a good meat bird as they need a reasonable level of protein in order to grow properly.

Breedwise, if you are talking traditional pure breeds or first crosses of (rather than Ross Cobb or other broiler hybrid) you can't go far wrong with a Sussex and we have eaten these for quite a while now. I'm only in my second year of producing Indian Game crosses but the ones we bred last year tasted fantastic. We let the IG cock run with a selection of hens - Buff Sussex, Welsummer, Rhodie cross - just to see what came out, and they all tasted good.

My IG cock came from fellow Grape Polly Fouracre so I'm sure she can advise more on IGs and IG crosses.

[Snadger]

I raise all the growers on grower pellet, regardless of whether they are layers or eaters. At about 18 weeks the layers go onto layers pellet but the meat birds stay on grower right through to culling. I do give them a bit of wheat, but it's quite fattening and if fed too much grain you just end up with a bird which lays down fat rather than muscle. I tend to just give them a rather larger handful at treat time than I would the layers. They also get other scraps now and again like potatoes but pellet is their main feed. I cannot see how feeding grain alone gives a good meat bird as they need a reasonable level of protein in order to grow properly.

Breedwise, if you are talking traditional pure breeds or first crosses of (rather than Ross Cobb or other broiler hybrid) you can't go far wrong with a Sussex and we have eaten these for quite a while now. I'm only in my second year of producing Indian Game crosses but the ones we bred last year tasted fantastic. We let the IG cock run with a selection of hens - Buff Sussex, Welsummer, Rhodie cross - just to see what came out, and they all tasted good.

My IG cock came from fellow Grape Polly Fouracre so I'm sure she can advise more on IGs and IG crosses.

I think HFW did a programm on this? From memory the Indian Game crossed with a Dorking was the tastiest bird!

[jessmorris]

Many thanks so far Grapes! I wonder if anyone has Indian Games in Cumbria?

[its hilly]

I'll keep my ears open Jess. Someone will have have a spare cockeral I'm sure.
I've had a couple of nice big maran boys...yummm.
Does anyone know if the game x works as well with cornish game? I know someone with a couple of hens and they look like super meaty girls, and not as stroppy as the Indian game I've met, or is that just luck of the draw.

[RichmondHens]

Indian Game are Cornish Game, it's the same bird, just different names for it. I think the temperament depends on the individual but so far I've found my IG girls to be very friendly. The IG cock started off a real sweetie but as he's matured he's got rather more stroppy. He's now almost 2 and huge, and will have a go at me if the mood takes him (his favourite trick is to sit in the doorway of his house and take chunks out of my hands as I shut/open the door night and morning).

As well as crossing the IG cock with other breeds, I also have (by mistake) two chicks that were fathered by one of the Light Sussex cocks covering an IG hen. So I shall be interested to see how they turn out. Being from a smaller egg they are generally smaller in size than the cross the other way round and have been quite slow to feather up.

And yes you are right Snadge - HFW does recommend the Dorking cross IG as the tastiest bird. I don't have any Dorkings yet but maybe sometime in the future ..................!

[chris]

Shall have to look that programme up, sounds good.

My wife is slowly coming around to the idea!!

[Polly Fouracre]

I cross I.G. with L.S.(though Trevors' not at all fussy!) This gives a very good dual-purpose bird, meaty, good tasting cockerels and decent laying hens, which make their money at market. I roasted a 7lb. bird on Sunday which will feed us most of the week.
I've also found it best to keep the birds for at least 24 weeks for optimum flavour. Mine are fed on grass, growers pellets and a bit of mixed corn +any fresh greens I can spare(also tomatoes and strawberries!!)

[baldrick]

At what age do indian game boys start crowing? Im seriously considering meat birds at the allotment as part of my rotation but technically we are only supposed to keep hens, so ideally id have something that is eaten not long after it starts to crow..........double ideal Id have a trio of IG cockerel and 2 or 3 laying hens and incubate/brood the eggs myself if necessary. Just skip dipping for more weld mesh and working on he who controlls the tool kit as well as trying to design a secure moveable but interesting to live in and easy to clean pen.....

[Snadger]

At what age do indian game boys start crowing? Im seriously considering meat birds at the allotment as part of my rotation but technically we are only supposed to keep hens, so ideally id have something that is eaten not long after it starts to crow..........double ideal Id have a trio of IG cockerel and 2 or 3 laying hens and incubate/brood the eggs myself if necessary. Just skip dipping for more weld mesh and working on he who controlls the tool kit as well as trying to design a secure moveable but interesting to live in and easy to clean pen.....

So are we, and we are expecting a visit from the allotment officer soon!

I have SIX cockerels!

[Polly Fouracre]

The boys start crowing between 16 and 20 weeks as a rule. I will supply cockerels free of charge to anyone who can collect.

[chris]

Out of interest polly, where abouts are you based? [for future ref] - happy for you to pm if you don't want to post in public

[Polly Fouracre]

I'm near Newton Abbot, Devon.

[jessmorris]

This is all really useful - Tim is going for the Sussex I think but it sounds as tho an IG hybrid is the way to go!
Thanks all of you for your thoughts.
JM

[baldrick]

The boys start crowing between 16 and 20 weeks as a rule. I will supply cockerels free of charge to anyone who can collect.

I may come back to you on that thank you. Im down to 5 garden layers so Sue chooks kindly hatched 2 of my 3 eggs as replacements. I was hoping for either 2 girls or a Welsumer cockrel (would love one, and would be easier to rehome than a mutt if necessary) and a maran/aracuana hen for olive green eggs. Unfortunately it looks like Ive got it the other way round. Hubby has gone soft on me now he has seen the cutesy chicks so he doesnt want our lovely Rottweiler marked mutt chick dispatched....and I have to say the tamer he gets the more I agree), and he doesnt want Wellie having to integrate herself into an existing flock on her own(fair point), so it looks like they will be going to the allotment as part of the rotation with another hen. If they are both hens then no problem they can stay here. Then I will be looking at whether I go for laying hens or eaters at the lottie. I fancy both, an IG boy and other breed girls, but I really need to research this properly, coz Id quite like more ex batts..........hmmmm chickens are as addictive as dogs..........