Finishing cockerels

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Finishing cockerels
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Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 5:03 pm Post subject:
Not pretty to look at but the specialised hybrid meat varieties are the best converters of food into meat. I've always gone for the Ross Cobbs. If you've got the time and the space, then this thread on OTG is well worth a look at. https://overthegate.myfreeforum.org/ftopic32281-0.php

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46240
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 5:26 pm Post subject:
norfolk black is a nice eater with good flavour,moist flesh and a decent leg to breast ratio, not sure what they are like to keep iirc grannie had a flock that started as a suffolk x rhode island red cross and then alternated roosters between the s and rir when the king needed replacing. they were a good dual purpose crew but that regime does require home (or broody)hatching.

Woo

Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 5:35 pm Post subject:

If he is being aggressive with your hens I would get rid sooner rather than waiting. I found they don't get any bigger, just louder. your hens will be all ruffled and nervous and if your shut him like a monk he may act up more.
any of mine that have shown any aggression have been given swift justice.
the best chickens I ever had were hybrids. huge meaty birds despite having plenty of space to roam about. I want to breed my own but haven't found the same quality of meat even with my Brahmas. and to be honest the hens I had for eggs were really reliable layers too.
good luck whatever you decide.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 5:36 pm Post subject:
Norfolk Black turkeys are the tastiest that I've ever reared but turkeys catch every disease that chickens get but three times more easily and five times as worse.

Woo

Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 5:40 pm Post subject:

Bodger wrote:

Norfolk Black turkeys are the tastiest that I've ever reared but turkeys catch every disease that chickens get but three times more easily and five times as worse.

how long do they take to get to the table? when would you suggest buying for Christmas?? sorry about the hijack ww.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 6:51 pm Post subject:
Traditionally you buy turkeys in off heat in August to rear for Christmas but its not too late now.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46240
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 8:13 pm Post subject:
these are delicious . these are turkeys which wasn�t what i had in mind but as turkeys go this sort are almost nice to eat but they are still turkeys alive or dead. (im not fond of em either way)

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 9:37 pm Post subject:

I don't like turkey. Plus we are a family of one and a bit. And the bit doesn't much like meat.

I've plenty of space, and am in no hurry. I know hybrids are the most efficient, and I might think about a batch of them next year. But I also fancy breeding some (if I can keep the wretched things out of fox for five minutes) I have a couple of silkies who mainly serve as pets, but are intended to be for mothering. I keep my laying breeds for pretty coloured eggs (also as a hobby) and I find that even with my peak flock of 40 odd birds, between the free ranging and the leftovers from a fickle 6 year old they need less in food than I would pay out for eggs. As long as I have two or three in lay, we are quids in on food. Even more so if a certain store that sells bird food can't solve its rat problem! I've some lovely Croad langshans that I might breed and sell (more because they are rare than anything) but I'm planning on seeing how the rejects eat, and perhaps crossing them for a nice roast.

Grandad used to raise light Sussex for the table for Christmas dinner. This was in the war, and I'm pretty sure he had a sort of stack of cages arrangement going. He used to buy them in June to eat at Christmas, and there was possibly a RIR cockerel involved. The details are a little hazy nowadays! My dad hankers after that roast chicken, but I don't think light sussex are what they used to be. And mine got eaten anyway. I'll have a look at OTG. It's very hard to get any sensible information on this sort of thing these days!

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 10:25 pm Post subject:
The old way of fattening roosters for the table was in a confined space,exercise walks the meat off, Feed wise,if you have access to bread waste,soak a loaf in bucket of water or milk if you have it,mash it up in the morning and mix in barley meal and mixed corn or maize,it gives a nice yellow fat unlike the aenemic looking specimens found in shops today.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 16 10:45 pm Post subject:

I expect that's the sort of thing grandad did.

I do wonder exactly how confined? Obviously I need to pen them, but I don't want to go down to intensive standards! I have a 6 year old who doesn't eat breadcrusts or often finish her milk or porridge so they will get that and mixed corn. Possibly sunflower seeds and meal worms once they are confined.

Woo, he's not bothering the hens excessively. The adult ladies are fine, it's just the growers who make a fuss. Although they are all housed seperately, they have the same free range but mostly choose to stay separate. The youngsters never range far from their houses, and the older ones go between, nicking their food (goodness knows why, it's all the same as theirs) and generally scratching about. They don't really bother the little ones, unless I take food down there, whence they all follow the treats. I have to feed the little ones first as the big house is further from the house, and more vulnerable to my fox plague.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 16 8:40 am Post subject:

I keep utility Light Sussex, I've had them for about 12 years and I consider them to be more or less my own strain. They are good layers and the cocks produce reasonable carcasses but if I wanted to breed something purposefully for the table, then I'd probably run a few of my LS with an Indian Game cock. They'd still be much slower than the commercials in getting up to weight but they'd make a really good eating birds. I'd use the silkies as broodies.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 16 1:15 pm Post subject:
Do you sell hatching eggs, Bodger? It'd make my dad's Christmas (2017, obviously) Im looking forward to crossing Mr Croad. I might try Indian game when Jenna is a bit older. She loves the chickens, and I'm not sure a really big cockerel is a good idea while it's still so hands on with them. Last edited by wellington womble on Tue Sep 06, 16 1:18 pm; edited 1 time in total

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 16 1:17 pm Post subject:
I'll send you some for the price of the postage in the spring. Just kick me in the shins to remind me.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 16 6:52 pm Post subject:
Thank you, that would be lovely.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Jan 15, 17 8:16 pm Post subject:

Mr Marans was very tasty. As people said he was a small bird once dressed (I think that ought to be undressed!) only 1200g, and he went in October, so more than six months old. But he was easily as good as the free range organic chicken from a farm shop I frequent. He had very little fat, but it was a lovely yellow colour and the dark meat was very dark, although also as good as any we've had. He was very moist, with loads of juices for gravy and nice tender chicken.

Overall, a success from my point of view. I'll definitely give meat birds another go. If I can just keep the fox at bay, we should get some lovely ones. I'm really miffed about the Croads. I think Mr Croad Langshan would have been really tasty.

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