Sorry to lower the tone, but does anyone rear chickens for the purpose of free range quality meat ?
:'(
Only in my mind's eye! One day, when i get my smallholding...
;)
Hi Ricardo
We are thinking about getting initially 4 chickens for eggs but are looking to the future and considering getting a cockerel and raising chicks for meat. Are you asking because you are currently raising chicks for meat or are you just considering it?
We are currently raising 2 pigs for slaughter early next year - if this goes smoothly then I am sure the cockerel will be a done deal ;)
Joan
(www.bellebouche.com/blog)
we have laying hens where i work, and just wondered how difficult it would be to raise some of the chicks for meat and what would be involved. We have had a few chicks this year. I believe you need to keep them confined, but im not sure why. Is there a difference in meat quality between male and female birds ?
oh and i used to be a pig farmer too !
Quote from: Ricado on September 03, 2006, 21:37:58
Is there a difference in meat quality between male and female birds ?
In other poultry the hen usually is the better tasting of the two (if there is any difference), however logically you should eat the blokes and keep the gals for laying ::)
Incidentally a sign I read at Chatsworth house proclaimed the Rhode Island Red as one of the best dual egg/meat birds available. 20 weeks to lay 22 weeks to table.
I'd certainly eat my chickens but I don't think the kids would let me - they don't even like me knecking them when they stop laying
We raise some chickens for the table. We have a dozen or so hens both hybrids and traditional breeds as well as a huge Light sussex cockeral. Any offspring are either kept as replacement layers or for the pot. We don't confine ours which means they take a lot longer to grow but the taste is worth it. The meat is also different to a supermarket chicken - much denser and little goes a lot further. We also take in our neighbours cockerals after 8 weeks of each of their hatches as they are vegetarian.
In addition I do around 3o hybrid meat birds 3 times a year which again are free ranging which does make a lot of difference to their taste and texture as well as 40 or so turkeys which are slightly more freeranging than I would like :-\
I would say that if you have the space do it but just be aware that after you have done your own you will never want to buy another commerically farmed chicken - even a free range one!