Just wondering about breeding for meat.

Skinny rooster · Post by **Skinny rooster** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:35 am

Not going to try this anytime soon but I was wondering about crossing for meat. I was reading other posts regarding butchering roosters and it had me thinking. A lot of breeds give that long body with not a lot of meat for the amount of work I find. However I noticed when I butcher standard Cochin roosters, they have more of the compact body like store bought chickens. Good meat on the breasts but really light in the back end and legs. Has anyone noticed any breed a person could cross in to build up the meat, especially adding on the rest of the body and legs?

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:39 am

At one point there was a number of people who were doing meat bird trials, since we didn't hear back hard to tell how it went.
In general terms, trials have been done on meat production and best results are from CROSSING two "closely bred" (read purebred/inbred)
breeds and using the "terminal cross" as the meat bird.
So you have a good start with a Cochin rooster you like, now some girls short and chubby legs???

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:52 am

malines (sp?) x cornish is what a couple people were doing I believe, Clawton was one and had great results. my most meaty mutts were some EEs, no telling parentage but I believe they were cornish x ameraucana but i honestly dont know as I didnt breed them on purpose.

the dark cornish carries the lethal gene which kills the chick usually just before it hatches, get white cornish if you decide to work with them.

Post by **thejonesboy** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:16 pm

Turkeys :)

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:24 pm

yup turkeys!!! i second that. the Beltsville small white is the most perfect homesteading turkey! they may not be the smartest but they will follow you everywhere! haha

Post by **Killerbunny** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:38 pm

They part out really well too. Natural breeding, perfect!

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 3:10 pm

KB had a good success with Wyandotte Rooster over her hens., how about your Cochin rooster over Wyandotte hens?
They are close enough in type, so you would get the cross bred vigor, without coming up with some scary looking birds?

G Williams · Post by **G Williams** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 1:25 pm

My best distribution of meat, was on the Dorkings this year. The Light Sussex had a good deposit of breast meat well filled to the wish bone but had smaller legs. They fattened easily plucked nice and clean. My Orpingtons had large legs and no a lot of breast meat.

Skinny rooster · Post by **Skinny rooster** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 11:56 pm

Lol @ the jones boys, nooooo I don't want turkeys! What are you trying to sell me some lol? Cochins are big enough to deal with. I like to eat turkey however just not raise them. I was just seeing if anyone had created a mix since I have the Cochins.
Wyandott might work OC, I have eaten the Wyandott bantam roosters and was pleased with the little carcass. Anyway, this is a "someday".

Post by **Killerbunny** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 6:23 am

The carcase was coming out at 3 - 3 1/2lb, good for the 2 of us and awesome for soup. I did Wyandotte cock over australorp hens and amerthingysomething hen LOL! The second worked best, chunky things at 14 - 16 weeks.
BTW the Beltsville turkeys I processed at 20 -24 weeks were anywhere from 9-10 lbs dressed, so not monsters. The 2 boys are quite big now but destined to remain as breeders (maybe 25lb live weight.