Rearing for the table

[Newtothis]

Hi
Does anyone have a good contact in or around Oxfordshire for getting some meat birds.
Also what breeds are the best - Cornish X or Ixsworths?

thanks

David

[HeyWayne]

I drive past a little place just outside Thame on my way to work. On the main road through Kingsey. Not sure if they're commercial, but they have an awful lot of chook houses.

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi
Does anyone have a good contact in or around Oxfordshire for getting some meat birds.
Also what breeds are the best - Cornish X or Ixsworths?

thanks

David

I should imagine there are loads around there. How about asking Cotswold Chickens for help?

[RichmondHens]

Are you intending to hatch your own, or buy in day olds? Do you have sufficient space to raise a bunch of meat birds? They are best kept apart from the laying flock as they will need a different diet.

I've not tried Ixworths, they are relatively rare so finding a breeder near you might be a challenge. Indian (Cornish) Game crosses are very good. I used an IG cock on both Sussex and Welsummer hens with good results. Expect to wait a good 6 or 7 months though for any pure breed or first cross to mature. I try and hatch meat birds no later than March or April so they have the summer to grow on and then they are ready for despatch October time before the weather gets too cold. If you want a faster result but still want a free range type bird, I have heard that Hubbards (a meat hybrid) are very good and get up to weight faster than pure breeds.

[Newtothis]

Thanks for the suggestions - I have a small area between several fruit trees that I could fence off so that the meat birds and my layers are kept seperate. I think that would give an area for about 10 growers. Are the Indian Game crosses tasty? Sorry if that sounds a bit blunt, but I'd quite like to have a good table bird at the end of my efforts. I was planning to raise through the spring/summer as you suggest RH. Are the Hubbards similar to the ones that supermarkets sell as free range?

[Newtothis]

Oh and was planning to buy in day olds for this first attempt.

[RichmondHens]

Yes I believe Hubbards are the free range supermarket ones. It's usually Ross Cobbs and Sasso which are intensively raised inside and despatched at 8 weeks old. They are not quite so suited for free range anyway. My own attempt last year to free range Ross Cobbs just resulting in them laying down on the grass for most of the day about 5 yards from the feeder and only moving to get more feed! They did graze a bit to start with but as they grew bigger and bigger became less active. Hubbards are apparently more like normal chickens.

The Indian Game cross tastes excellent. The pure ones taste good too although the meat is darker which not all people find appealing. The texture of the meat too (but this goes for all proper free range birds) is much better, with proper muscle fibres and good density, not like that pappy spongy stuff that the supermarkets sell.