Meat chickens.

I’m gonna be ordering meat chickens in March. I don’t like the taste of the Jumbo Cornish cross or the lack of flavor I should say. I’m thinking a heritage breed like a white Wyandotte. Any opinions?

Started using Freedom Rangers also called Red Rangers two years ago they grow a little slower than the cornish cross but faster than a heritage bird and if you raise them on grass they forage well, they will move around verses sit by the feeder all day. They taste good, the only down side is the breast isn't as big but then they are real chickens. I have raised several different heritage breeds like the freedom or red ranger the best. Have fun raising those chickens.

PS I'm a firm believer that having access to green grass is the biggest factor for taste of chicken.

I raise over 100 Cornish Cross on pasture each year. They are the best chicken when you factor in time to butcher and feed to weight conversion. I have raised freedom rangers and various other breeds of leaner broilers too. Those other breeds consume just as much feed, often more because they need more time to reach an appropriate butcher weight.

All the heritage breed birds are too tiny to even fool with. The only heritage breeds I would consider due to their large size would be the jersey giants, delewares, brahma.

Once you look into heritage birds, you'll have to keep them 6 months to even get close to possible butcher weight. By that time the meat has gotten less tender, especially the thighs and legs.

As stated previously, I raise a lot of CC birds. I can get them to 5 plus pounds in 8 weeks. Some of the birds reach that point a week or so earlier.

it may not be the best flavor possible , however the Cornish cross definitely taste different I think better when given greater variety of feed than just commercial mix.

This is the winner here. We raise cc and keep them in a chicken tractor that gets moved once ot twice a day. They are on grass and get axcess to insects. Once they have gotten larger they get moved 2 times a day. It aimed of the best chicken I have eaten. Freedom rangers take several weeks/months longer to reach the same weight eating much more food. Duel purpose birds are like multi purpose tools they can do both but neither well. For meat they are to small have a hatchet shape breast and take to long to grow out becoming tough.

Frank's hot sauce helps with lack of taste.

Chicks are not that expensive. If you have room to let them free range maybe you could order a few of the Cornish X, something in the middle, and another dozen of a heritage breed and see for yourself.

Like a couple other guys, I am betting if you let one of those big super breeds hit the ground and eat more than a milo mash the flavor might surprise you.

If you feed the ccs as much table scraps, kitchen scraps, weeds and garden waste as they will eat in addition to grain or feed they are much better tasting, they will also grow just a little slower which I think is better for them healthwise. Less bone problems and sickness.

Following, as I may get into meat birds at some point.

I’m thinking chickens is going to be a fun endeavor.

I suspect feed has a direct effect on taste. I know I can taste a drastic difference in my layers eggs from summer (when the are free ranging on grass, bugs, etc) and winter (when they just eat bag feed). The eggs taste a LOT better in the summer. Just a thought.

We have raised both Cornish Cross and Freedom Rangers. We butcher CC at 8 weeks, FR at 10-11 weeks. The CCs will poke around the pasture, but they don't seem to get much out of it. Our "pasture" is mostly chickweed, grass, and scattered barley plants. We prefer FRs.

Plymouth Rock birds are a great combo type.

Of the heritage breeds I've raised Turken roosters were the fastest to 5lbs. Faverellos tasted the best and the most tender. Faverellos also reached butcher weight at areasonable time. My faverello/Brahma crosses were the fastest last summer.

My Cochin and Cochin crosses were the slowest and had the most fat. But had good proportions.

My straight Brahma were slow also.

My chickens are free range with access to constant feed. Also Fed house scraps, scraps from a bar and grill, and lots of garden and orchard excess.

I love cornish x rock meat birds.Put them in a slow roaster and yummy.

I raise a couple hundred meat birds a year. I use both Cornish Cross and Red Rangers. If you properly care for your Cornish Cross, they will taste nothing like what you get in the store. Mine are forced to move around, and go to pasture daily. Red Rangers take a couple extra weeks to hit weight, but they are good too.
2 Cornish in the plucker

Couple hundred pounds of home grown, pasture raised chicken.

Pasture raised Cornish, packaged and ready to go.

Comparison: 15 week Heritage in the back, 8 week old Cornish in the front.

I raised the Cornish birds once the meat was tasteless and mushy but it was my first run at it my bad most likely.

Mushy?Never had any chicken that was like that.

Separated from the layer they did not get much exercise I think was the problem they eat the same feed they die.

I always had mine out in a good sized pen.

I've raised a lot of cornish cross. There is a lot to be said for them:

• Taste great
• tender
• quick
• big

There are also some drawbacks:

• They need more constant supervision
• they can be pretty bland-I place that in the negative; others may consider that a positive
• They need to be butchered, all at once, at the right time. again negative or positive, your choice.

This year I intend to raise Delawares. This is the breed that the Cornish Cross superceded. They grow large, while foraging, and laying eggs. My intent is to:

• buy straight run
• butcher the roosters at maturity
• Collect eggs for a year or two
• butcher
• repeat

Like I say, that is the plan. I can't vouch for it quite yet.

E have done several batches of the roasters. We raised the first groups inside and at 8-9 weeks they needed to be processed. Large, fast growing but some were starting hardly be able to walk. We did several groups with an outdoor run, that we could move some to keep some sod and roots. We also fed garden waste etc. and we kept those an extra week or two as they were much more mobile with more flavor also. We have done the Red Rangers as well. Our 3 batches were all outside and the roamed alot. Not as big, not as fast growing and due to be much more active a bit more tough but very good flavor. We have hatched two batches with our own incubator and If I was picking the cross I would like the best it would be some Cornish crosses with the Red Ranger, but we have not got that setup yet.

Bryce

A lot has already been said about the cornish cross. A feed that's not all corn will help the taste

The heritage birds will not be the thick-breasted cc. But they will produce a good carcass and has a longevity of production if they are managed right. We have ordered 100 heritage birds, usually some sort of plymouth rock (barred rocks, partridge rock), as straight run chicks. After 4 months, the best roosters get spared, 4 or 5 for the 40 or so pullets. We will also butcher some of the scrawny hens that just don't have much body or frame. That happens a little later, so it isn't all at once. Now, let those pullets lay eggs and the best roosters cover them. Hatch out the eggs and repeat the process. Chicken tractors are great for this growing out. Now, the second generation is where the difference sets in. Heritage birds ready to butcher at 16 weeks, carcass weight of 4 plus pounds. Eggs popping out at 16 weeks as well. Thick, meaty, tasty chickens at their best.

T-Rex Have raised Delaware's for meat they are pretty much the best as far a heritage birds go. For me the breast were tender but the legs and thighs were tough. I pasture raise my chickens on grass and clover. Not trying to talk you out of it just saying how it worked for me. I started using red rangers and it wasn't my idea. My customers wanted something other then the cornish cross. I first tried the red ranger ie the red label in Europe many years ago and it was very good. They take just a couple weeks more then the cornish cross and forage a lot better. They also don't stink as much as the cornish. Like I said My customers kind of demanded me to try them and I resisted for a while, now I use them extensively. If it is about quality you might try them. If you try the Delaware's let me know how they turn out. Love to learn.