The Joy Of Keeping Chickens by Jennifer Megyesi

Author:Jennifer Megyesi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2011-02-01T16:00:00+00:00

A Buff Silver meat bird escaped its date with the butcher and is part of the coop. “He’ll be good for company as a stew,” said the author.

Heritage or Dual-Purpose Breeds

Heritage breeds of poultry are perfectly suitable for smaller-scale meat production. They mature more slowly, dress smaller (taking more like 13 to 22 weeks to dress out at 4 to 5 pounds), and their carcasses will not necessarily be as butter-yellow in color or as overly plump in the breast and thigh as their giant, white, marshmallow cousins. The meat will be firmer in texture with a stronger chicken flavor. They are heartier than the commercial hybrids, and can be adapted more readily to foraging operations. These birds do not suffer mortality as the hybrids do from frail hearts or legs that cannot support added breast weight.

An added benefit to raising heritage breeds of poultry is the ability to choose a dual-purpose breed, where males are butchered for meat, and females are kept as laying hens. If you decide to raise heritage breeds, the sexually maturing males should be separated from the hens at about 10½ weeks of age to avoid harassment and injury to the hens.

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