[bedifferent]

If one were looking for fertile eggs that would eventually grow into good meat birds (both cocks and hens) what would you choose?

A feature of the breed chosen would be that they do not like flying and are happy being kept in spacious run area.

Thanks for the advice

[GrannieAnnie]

Well, our meat birds from Simon Skinner are doing well.  they were 3 weeks old Thursday and already weigh in at 400gms +.  The way they are going, I don't think they'll be able to fly if they wanted to!!!  You don't say whereabouts you are bedifferent, but Simon is very accommodating, and will deliver as near to you as possible.

Roughly where are you?  I'll put his email addy on here in a minute, but only just back from Scotland, so a bit tired!

PS   It's pouletanglais@ukonline.co.uk

[bedifferent]

I am in northamptonshire, what breed of birds are they?

[woodburner]

I've got Cobbs, but I'm not really happy with them. The main reason is that they are growing too fast. At 3 weeks, one of them was off it's legs a bit, so I have had to put them on a diet already! :shock: It's not like they don't get any exercise either!  :?

If I want to raise meat birds again I think I would try Hubbards or Sassos.

[bedifferent]

I have heard of sassos - they are supposed to be good for this sort of thing. I don't really want a bird that is going to put on huge amounts of weight really quickly much rather slower but something that tastes like what a chicken should or did taste like - whatever that is. I suppose thats the point really. What does chicken really taste like??

[woodburner]

Sounds like you really want one of the utility breeds. I'm just starting at this so I can't really recommend anything from experience but Light Sussex are relatively easy to come by. They are also traditionally crossed with Cornish/Indian Game or Dorking (hard to find) for even better meat. You need to get a strain that hasn't had the 'meatiness' bred out of them in favour of 'egginess'. They can take 6 months or more before they are really ready for the pot, but are easy to look after. They generally cost a lot more than the commercial meat birds, so if you can keep a mature cockerel, you would do well to breed your own. l only have two chicks so far and they are adorable!! (Much nicer than the Cobbs!)

[agapanthus]

try grannieannies breeds we have got 6 .annie will give the breeds,/ numbers/ they have come on brilliantly ,,, she may have some spares or contacts to get you sorted out

[GrannieAnnie]

Thanks AG!!!

At least one of the 3 breeds we've got here is a hubbard, but off hand can't remember which one.  We had Sassos once, but I wasn't greatly impressed, maybe we were just unlucky!

The 3 we got from Poulet re JA757's, white birds who mature in 8-10 weeks and weigh about 2.6kgs, the coloryield are brown and mature a week or so later, and the Mastergris are greyish and mature in about 12-16 weeks.  Like Aggy says, they are doing well and weigh in at 400gms plus at 3 weeks, but they have strong legs and big feet, so have no problem walking, apart from on Aggy's laminate flooring, where they were skating around a bit!!

I really have no commercial interest in Simon at Poulet Anglais, but if you email him, he will let you have small numbers of birds, although I wouldn't ask for something like 3, but I have known him to sell 10 to people, and his driver, Trevor goes all over!  up to Scotland, across to Wales, down to Kent and down to Cornwall.  He will either arrange to meet you somewhere convenient, or if he has a rearer in your area, you could meet him there.  Day olds are 50p each collected, or 80p delivered and he does hatching eggs too, with a good success  rate they are 35p each!!

[bedifferent]

Does Muntjac like welsummers for meat or is it just eggs?

[muntjac]

both ... .when a bird  is going to be tabled i usually fed her more cooked mash etc .  veggies trimmings boiled up in good 3 pints water and a good clover tub of corn chucked in .simmer for about 20 mins n let it cool then feed it over a couple days .... its also a great way of getting use out of waste from sunday dinners. you want it stiff   to serve

[mdueal]

I second the JA757's from Poulet Anglais - Ours are only one week old and have doubled in weight ( i do feel a bit guilty weighing them to chart progress though!) They are cheeky little things and will already eat out of my hand - theres some pics and videos on my website if you want to look at them.
I had been warned away from sassos as was told they get fat and lazy so smell bad - not sure if this is true but it was enough to put me off. If i were going for a slower growing, more traditional, table bird I would probably have light sussex.

[mdueal]

GA - I think it is the JA757's that are hubbards

[woodburner]

I had been warned away from sassos as was told they get fat and lazy so smell bad - not sure if this is true but . . .

My Cobbs are smelly even though they get plenty of exercise. What is it with meat birds and being smelly? :?