Sustainable Meat / Standard Bred Dual Purpose Bird Thread.

[Egghead_Jr]

In that Jeremy breeds to the Standard of Perfection he'll have culls throughout the growing season. Being a great breeder he puts out a ton of birds and culls down to keepers. That your not really interested in show quality or the Standard yet that's a really good option. You never know until you talk to a person but he may have options for you being it's a day trip away.

 

[rottlady]

back in the 40's or friend's family raised New Hampshires as part of the "Chicken of Tomorrow" project. The grandfather EJ Bittner created on his Springbrook Farm, a strain of New Hampshires they called "Mammoth NH Reds" The roosters reached 9lbs and they were a finalist in the project as well as winning prizes at fairs.
I have looked and looked but as far as I can find, this strain is no more?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I have new Hampshires and while they are fast growing unfortunately they can't handle the cold here. This winter was mild with only -35 but still the roosters combs froze. I am raising Partridge Chantecler currently to replace them and hoping to breed a good line of dual purpose egg/meat birds. Has anyone had experience with Partridge Chantecler. They love to free range and are growing at about the same rate as the NH chicks?

I don't think the stock of Chantecler here in the States is up to par with what you have in their motherland. There are not a lot of them here. Being the national bird for you you should ask around and see if the White are better utility than the Partridge. With adding color to a bird the utility of them often suffers. Take my Silver Penciled for example. Runty strain of bird compared to the easier to breed White Plymouth Rock. They are actually over standard weight for the breed. You may find in asking around it's the same with Chantecler and in that breed the White was the original.

 

[popsicle]

I'll also vote for New Hampshire. I have always been happy to raise hatchery or breeder-sourced New Hampshires.

Right now I've got 40+ 7-week old chicks from Cackle in the grow-out pen. There are Chantecler, New Hampshire, Delaware, White Rock, Columbian Rock, Naked Neck, Marans and several other breeds. The New Hampshire pullets (no cockerels) are bigger than any other chicks, including the Columbian Rock cockerels. The Delaware and White Rock look like little butterballs, but they are smaller than the New Hampshires.

I got some pretty German New Hampshires from a breeder here on BYC a couple years ago--I was very happy with them but they seemed prone to gout with our alkaline soils and hard water. I have one left--she is beautiful and causes no problems in the flock.

However, personality wise I think the Chantecler cockerels are significantly calmer than the New Hampshire cockerels. I couldn't process the New Hampshires soon enough; and despite wanting to get some fertilized eggs in the incubator, I couldn't tolerate any long enough to make it to the pullets laying. Meanwhile, a White Chantecler rooster was the longest lived rooster on my property at over a year old before the crowing drove me bananas.

ETA: I don't weigh any birds at processing. If pressed, I'd say the New Hampshires were bigger at a younger age than the Chanteclers. Regardless, I'd be hard pressed to recommend one over the other besides aesthetics of color and comb.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

In that Jeremy breeds to the Standard of Perfection he'll have culls throughout the growing season. Being a great breeder he puts out a ton of birds and culls down to keepers. That your not really interested in show quality or the Standard yet that's a really good option. You never know until you talk to a person but he may have options for you being it's a day trip away.

I found him an left an email. Thank you!

 

[walkonwatereh]

Has anyone found a good utility line of Partridge Chantecler in Minnesota, Iowa, or Missouri? I am heading their on a trip and wanting to add another line to my flock of Chanteclers.

 

[CatalanState]

Improved Black Penedesenca, average weight of 19,4 ounces at 4 weeks



Catalana del Prat, average weight 38,8 ounces at 8 weeks

 

[Dave C]

Some great projects you guys have going on

I was breeding DC & La Bresse last year along with a medium Sasso broiler hens but these were lost in a fox attack last year.

This year I have 23 slow Sasso Broiler chicks in the brooder

And am also on setting eggs from these Red Sasso medium broilers x Ixworth ( which is an old English DP breed )

The plan is to then mix the blood next year adding more Medium broiler and another DP breed, possibly La Bresse, Rocks, New Hampshire or Dark Cornish.
I'm not sure about the DC although I do have some large stock the egg laying is quite poor compared to the others I have available.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

We are now at the 4 week mark with my chicks

My Rainbow Dixies
They weigh an average of 583 grams

My Red Rangers
They weigh an average of 586 grams

My Jersey Giants
They weigh an average of 308 grams. I do have one Jersey Giant that weighs 394 grams, my heaviest. I will try to pull him and mark him so i can consider him for my Rooster.

For a comparison, my layer mix now weighs an average 312 grams

 

[DesertChic]

We are now at the 4 week mark with my chicks



My Rainbow Dixies
They weigh an average of 583 grams



My Red Rangers
They weigh an average of 586 grams



My Jersey Giants
They weigh an average of 308 grams. I do have one Jersey Giant that weighs 394 grams, my heaviest. I will try to pull him and mark him so i can consider him for my Rooster.

For a comparison, my layer mix now weighs an average 312 grams

Thanks for posting the weights. Wow....what a difference from my NNs, which averaged 340 grams @ 4 wks.