[dannyboy2010]

i keep a few marans as egg birds and have been keeping light sussex as a meat bird for my own use.  is it the done thing to use a normal egg layer as a table bird if it is up to weight??

[Dominic]

Suppose it depends how you define "the done thing".

The light sussex is a dual purpose meat and egg bird

[dannyboy2010]

putting it another way, is there any reason why not to?? if they are simular weight?

[Dominic]

In that case, no not really.
If your planning on doing it a lot, you'd be better with a meat bird, which will eat less food and give you more meat.

[dannyboy2010]

i see your point,makes alot of sense
 what other birds aswell as light sussex make a good dual bird?

[Casey76]

Faverolles, La Bresse Gauloise, Marans etc are all good dual purpose birds (I'm in France, so I have a bit of a French bias lol) - but like all tru dual purpose birds, the cockerels won't be up to weight until about 26 weeks, but which time they will have been crowing ages.

It you want to rrear table birds on a regular basis, consider getting some medium growth commercial hybrids.  They will be table ready in 12-14 weeks, so if you're lucky they may not be crowing yet.

I've got commercial Naked Necks and Gris Cendré (which is like a BlueBelle) the cockerels make table weight after about 12 weeks, and the girls make reasonable egg layers (about 4-5 eggs a week)

[GrannieAnnie]

In that case, no not really.
If your planning on doing it a lot, you'd be better with a meat bird, which will eat less food and give you more meat.

I wish you'd tell our meat chickens that when they are trying to at us out of house and home!!  

[SoniaBA]

How long will it take for a light sussex cockerel to get to size for the table?

[Casey76]

About 24-26 weeks, which is when they reach maturity

[SoniaBA]

Hmmm, So i can only dispatch a cockerel to eat at 24-26 weeks? How old with a hen (light sussex) before i can dispatch and eat it?

[SoniaBA]

  I alive on the outskirts of a city with close neighbours who would not be happy (undrstatment of the year) with the crowing of a cockerel. I get my chicks on Friday as the breeder told us the Cockerels would be ready long before they crow  Around 15 weeks. What shall i do now?

[Casey76]

Well, it is possible that cockerels will start crowing from 10 weeks (and are sexually mature at 12 weeks!)

Pure breeds will be very weedy at 15 weeks, as they don't start to fill out until quite a long time after that.

Table hybrids can be classed as almost "over done" at 15 weeks!

But for a light Sussex, I would not want to eat one at 15 weeks... he would be all feather and no meat 

[SoniaBA]

  Well i shouldn't make that mistake again    I wont be able to keep them, and if i cant eat them then what?   

[joyfull]

I would cancel the order and get just hens 

[SoniaBA]

And even at this late date cancelling is an option?