The 5 Best Meat Chicken Breeds
Are you thinking about raising meat chickens in a backyard and wondering which meat chicken breeds are best? 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. Like egg layers, a different result comes with different meat chicken breeds. Choosing the best meat chicken breeds depends on what you’relooking to achieve. Best Breeds for Raising Meat Chickens in a Backyard 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, high feed conversion ratio, and low activity levels. In five weeks, broilers can reach a dressed weight of 4-5 pounds. Usually raised for meat and egg production, dual-purpose breeds 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 usually is 7 to 8 weeks. Their body makeup is superb, with broad breasts, large legs and thighs, and 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 slower than other meat birds, about six months to full maturity, making them undesirable to the commercial industry. While initially 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-fashioned, 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, fast-growing hybrids replaced these breeds. Today, more than three dozen chicken breeds are in danger of extinction. To avoid irreversible loss caused by the end 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 many eggs. I usually buy my Heritage breeds online since they are harder to find locally than more popular breeds. Heritage Chicken Breeds: 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). Preferred Heritage Meat Chicken Breeds: Delaware—A heavy-bodied bird, the male can weigh up to 8.5 pounds and the female 6.5 pounds. Originating from the U.S., 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 non-aggressive and does well around children and small dogs. Another dual-purpose chicken, theDorking is a superior table fowl with tender flesh, meaty breasts, and wings. It is a productive winter layer, providing a steady egg supply when other breeds are not laying. Good broody hens and excellent mothers stay with their chicks much longer than other breeds. Buckeye is the only American breed exclusively created by a woman, developed by Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio. This dual-purposebreed is very cold weather hardy and adapts to various living conditions. However, they are very active and 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. Conclusion When you plan to raise meat chickens in a backyard, consider your backyard space and setup and the time you must devote. You can use most backyard chicken breeds for meat chickens, but each breed differs in flavor and meat texture. The backyard chicken breeds in this article are suitable for the table. Check out our article Raising Meat Chickens for more information about meat chickens.
Baby Chicks: 7 Places to Get Them
Even though it’s still cold in different areas of the country, now is the time for planning and buying baby chicks for eggs and meat. If you’re at the stage of building your flock, it means you already know what chickens you want to raise. Whether you want laying hens or meat chickens, you will not have a successful backyard chicken farm if you don’t know where to get high-quality chickens. Those new to raising chickens may need help knowing where to buy a flock. The problem is that there’s very little condensed information about hatcheries and breeders. In this article, we list our favorite hatcheries with a synopsis of each one and what they offer. We also include the difference between breeders and hatcheries and which is best for your needs. Buying Baby Chicks: Hatcheries vs. Breeders Choosing a breeder or a hatchery depends on what you plan for your chickens. If you’re looking for egg layers or meat chickens, a hatchery is your best choice for buying baby chicks. But if you plan to raise show chickens, like the Brahma and the Cochin, a breeder is the best way to go. One misconception is that breeder chickens don’t lay as many eggs as those from a hatchery. On the opposite end of the spectrum, others say chickens from a breeder lay better: total BS on both accounts. A chicken has X number of eggs during their lifetime, with their most prolific laying period from one to four years. Once they lay the predetermined number of eggs, they quit laying. The number of eggs you get depends on the chicken breed and not who hatched the egg. Rhode Island Red and Leghorn hens lay 250-300 eggs yearly, while Delaware and Easter Eggers only lay 150-200 eggs yearly. Hatcheries You can find hatcheries in different states, with most willing to ship their baby chicks to you. Most offer a variety of breeds, including layers, meat chickens, Bantams, and exotic birds. It’s not always possible, depending on what we’re looking for; we prefer using a hatchery close to us. Commercial hatcheries have a continuous assembly line of hatching eggs, with thousands of chicks born each week. Once you place your order, day-old chicks are shipped to the post office closest to you and delivered within 72 hours. Our favorite hatcheries: Our Recommended Hatcheries Cackle Hatchery – Cackle Hatchery is a 3rd generation family-owned hatchery offering over 193 varieties of poultry. Raising US Pullorum clean poultry since 1936, Cackle Hatchery ships to the 48 contiguous states plus Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. Besides poultry, the hatchery sells supplies, including: Brooders Incubators and Nesting Supplies Feeders and Waterers Chicken Coops Transporting Boxes and Cages Location: 411 W Commercial Street Lebanon, Missouri PO Box 529 Lebanon, MO 65536 1-417-532-4581 Visit Cackle Hatchery Website Meyer Hatchery – Since 1985, Karen Meyer has offered quality poultry and now carries the title of an industry leader with over 160 poultry breeds. The Meyer poultry lineup includes chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, peafowl, guineas, and game birds and a full line of supplies and feed. Location: 411 W Commercial StreetLebanon, MissouriPO Box 529Lebanon, MO 655361-417-532-4581 Visit Cackle Hatchery Website McMurray Hatchery – McMurray has a 100-year history of providing customers with high-quality poultry and poultry supplies. The hatchery supplies small farmers and rural egg producers with a large selection of day-old baby chicks, pullets, turkeys, geese, ducks, partridges, guineas, and quail. You can order a free catalog or view their available poultry online. Besides their high-quality poultry, they offer starter kits, processing kits, general poultry supplies, and feed. Location: 191 Closz DriveWebster City, IowaPO Box 458Webster City, IA 505951-515-832-3280 Visit McMurray Hatchery Hoover’s Hatchery – Providing quality poultry with excellent customer service since 1944, Hoover’s prides itself on a long tradition of supplying the best poultry in the industry. Hoover’s keeps 15 breeding flocks for various laying chickens. Their broiler-hatching eggs come from a reputable Hot Spring, Arkansas breeder. Their lineup includes: Bantams White, Brown, and Color Egg Layers Polish Meat, Dual Purpose, and Rare Birds Location: 205 Chickasaw StreetRudd, IowaPO Box 200Rudd, IA 504711-800-247-7014 Visit Hoover’s Hatchery Breeders Some people swear by breeders for buying baby chicks other than show quality. They believe that birds from a breeder lay more eggs more often. I can guarantee that buying from breeders doesn’t mean more eggs. When born, chickens have many egg cells for laying during their lifetime. The number of predetermined eggs depends on the breed. Certain breeds may lay several thousand during their lifetime, like a Leghorn or a Rhode Island Red, while others, like the Easter Egger, only lay several hundred. Getting a bird from a breeder makes no difference in how many eggs you get. Breeders are sometimes tricky to find. The poultry association in your state and local feed stores is the first place to check for breeders in your area. Since not all states have a poultry association, we have a list of breeders where you can order chickens. Stromberg’s PoultryShow.com McMurray Hatchery If you can’t find local breeders, you must look online. Our Recommended Breeders Stromberg’s – Besides their quality show birds, Stromberg’s offers laying hens, meat chickens, poultry supplies, and a good selection of poultry related books, videos, and posters. For show birds, Stromberg’s has a line of high-quality ornamental chickens, breeding them for appearance and conforming to American Poultry Association standards. These chickens have little if any economic value, but if you plan to show them, Stromberg’s is the place to get your chicks. Location: 100 York Street Pine River, Minnesota PO Box 400 Pine River, MN 56474 1-218-587-2222 Visit Stromberg’s PoultryShow.com – This site is the best place to find show chicken breeders. They don’t sell chicks or eggs, but they run an all-inclusive site offering breeder information from around the US. Besides breeder listings, this huge information database includes poultry show information; swap meets, ABA-sanctioned shows, guides to raising show chickens, and more. 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I Want More Info Poll
Sometimes I am at a loss for what to post for my readers. Do they want more information on laying hens, Building a chicken coop, or how to raise meat chickens. So with all these possible article ideas running around in my head, you have to wonder, “What’s a backyard chicken blogger to do?” Well…this backyard chicken blogger is going to let the readers decide what they want more of with a poll. Here’s your chance. If you’ve read our articles but still want more info, let us know by voting in this poll. [polldaddy poll=8790584]
Heritage Chicken Breeds
Heritage Chicken Breeds History Chickens and their eggs are a main part of the American diet. Since making their first appearance with Spanish explorers we’ve seen breeds developed specifically for enhanced meat and egg production. In 1873, the American Poultry Association published chicken breeds defined by the Standard of Perfection. The standard breeds defined adapted easily to production outdoors, in different climates. These early birds, or Heritage Chickens, were long-lived, hearty breeds with their reproduction a protein source for America’s growing population until the middle 1900’s. When chickens became industrialized between 1940 and 1960, the Heritage breeds were less prominent. Hybrid breeds, with their ready from chick to table in 8 weeks, became dominant to satisfy public demand. Today, many Heritage breeds face extinction with more than 3 dozen on the Livestock Conservancy’s endangered list. Heritage Chicken Breeds Standards The Livestock Conservancy issues strict guidelines for breeds defined and marketed as Heritage Chickens and they must meet all set forth standards to qualify. A Heritage Breed comes from an American Poultry Association Standard Breed, both parent and grandparent stock. Naturally mated through breed pairs of both parent and grandparent. Genetic ability for a long and vigorous life, thriving in pasture-based production. Heritage Chickens must have a slow growth rate, with market weight taking a minimum of 16 weeks. More of What Makes Heritage Chicken Breeds Heritage Chicken guidelines also state labels must include the breed name and variety. This rule includes terms like old-time, antique, heirloom, and old-fashioned—all synonymous with Heritage Chickens. Chickens hatched from Heritage Eggs must come from Heritage Standard Breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association and established before the mid-20th century. 15 Better Known Heritage Chicken Breeds
Deviled Eggs Ranch Style
Deviled Eggs Ranch Style Recipe Type: Side Cuisine: American Author: Nancy Prep time: 15 mins Total time: 15 mins Serves: 24 Egg Halves Are you looking for something different to take to the next family get together? Our Ranch Style Deviled Eggs are just what you need. Ingredients 12 hard boiled eggs 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon sour cream 1 teaspoon Dijonnaise mustard 2 teaspoons dry ranch dressing mix 1 tablespoon chives, chopped Instructions Cool hard boiled eggs in ice water then peel off shells. Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in small bowl. Place egg white halves in serving dish. Mash yolks with a fork until they are crumbly. Add mayonnaise, sour cream and Dijonnaise mustard and mix until yolks are creamy. Add dry ranch dressing mix and half of chives and mix well. Spoon mixture into small zip-lock bag, seal closed, and cut off tip of one corner of the bag, about ¼ to ½ inch or large enough for yolk mixture to flow through easily. Squeeze yolk mixture from bag into to egg white halves, much like you would use a pastry bag. Sprinkle tops of filled egg white halves with remaining chives. Refrigerate eggs for 1 to 2 hours or until well chilled. Can be made 12-24 hours before serving, just cover and refrigerate. 3.2.2925
Cheesy Bacon Deviled Eggs
Cheesy Bacon Deviled Eggs Recipe Type: Side Cuisine: American Author: Nancy Prep time: 15 mins Total time: 15 mins Serves: 24 Egg Halves Two of our favorite flavors combine for a delightful change to an old favorite. Ingredients 12 hard boiled eggs ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup sour cream 2 teaspoons Dijonnaise mustard ½ – 1 teaspoon pickle juice ¼ cup cooked bacon, crumbled ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder Paprika Instructions Cool hard boiled eggs in ice water then peel off shells. Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in small bowl. Place egg white halves in serving dish. Mash yolks with a fork until they are crumbly. Add mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and pickle juice and mix until yolks are creamy. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper, bacon, cheese, and chives and mix well. Spoon mixture into small zip-lock bag, seal closed, and cut off tip of one corner of the bag, about ¼ to ½ inch or large enough for yolk mixture to flow through easily. Squeeze yolk mixture from bag into to egg white halves, much like you would use a pastry bag. Sprinkle tops of filled egg white halves with paprika. Refrigerate eggs for 1 to 2 hours or until well chilled. 3.2.2925
Deviled Eggs Classic Style
Deviled Eggs Classic Style Recipe Type: Side Cuisine: American Author: Nancy Prep time: 15 mins Total time: 15 mins Serves: 24 egg halves If you prefer the traditional, this recipe is for you. Made with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and my secret ingredient, pickle juice, this recipe will become your family’s favorite too. Ingredients 12 large hard boiled eggs 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons yellow prepared mustard ½ – 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice (to taste) 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder Paprika Instructions Cool hard boiled eggs in ice water then peel off shells. Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in small bowl. Place egg white halves in serving dish. Mash yolks with a fork until crumbly. Add mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and dill pickle juice and mix until yolks are creamy. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix well. Spoon mixture into small zip-lock bag, seal closed, and cut off tip of one corner of the bag, about ¼ to ½ inch or large enough for yolk mixture to flow through easily. Squeeze yolk mixture from bag into to egg white halves, much like you would use a pastry bag. Sprinkle tops of filled egg white halves with paprika. Refrigerate eggs for 1 to 2 hours or until well chilled. 3.2.2925