table birds.

glaswegian

hi.i am considering getting a few broiler hens in the coming weeks.i keep a few hens at present for eggs,and kill a few turkeys at christmas time.i have never kept table birds before and was wondering about which breed is the better bird for the table.i've read a bit about hubbards and some other quick growing birds,but i don't want a bird that finds it hard to stand at 12 weeks.just wondering if anyone has kept a breed that will at least live long enough to lay so i can hatch some eggs for future consumption.

Dairynewbie

Dorking, Sussex, and Orpingtons is what we have. Kill all males and some hens between 18 to 22 weeks. Taste better than trad boiler breeds they don't reach the same amount of breast meet tho' I find the dorking the best out of the three. The roosters are a kind of by-product of breeding and started doing them for the table. Impossible to sell roosters. We don't cross breed. And we have large bodied breeding stock.
Wife and kids look after them I just do the final deed.
If you let them get older than 22 weeks they will get bigger but the taste suffers.
We feed them potato skins and a mixture of rolled oats, wheat & barley and some maze meal. Let them have as much access to grass as you can. It will cost more than if you buy chicken in the supermarket. But the taste is much better..

glaswegian

hi dairynewbie,thanks for your reply.i'll take your advice on board.the 18 to 22 week kill time sounds a bit more decent than 12 weeks for a hubbard,and maybe a few eggs for breeding stock. i cant get my hens to eat any grain at all appart from maize,all they are interested in is layers pellets,although they have plenty of grass to free range on.

thanks again for your advice.

Dairynewbie

i cant get my hens to eat any grain at all appart from maize,all they are interested in is layers pellets,although they have plenty of grass to free range on.

thanks again for your advice.[/Quote]

Hunger is a great sauce!
Mix layers pellets with the grain and then reduce the amount you add. I would not remove layers because it has minerals and stuff the help them along.

glaswegian

thanks again dairynewbie. done a bit of looking on the web for dorkings,i got a lot of info re size,weight taste etc,they sound as you said a good bird to keep,thing is,i can't find one breeder who sells them either as mature birds or chicks. i'm in sligo and although there are a few breeders in the area none seem to breed the elusive dorking.

regards.

Dairynewbie

glaswegian wrote: »

thanks again dairynewbie. done a bit of looking on the web for dorkings,i got a lot of info re size,weight taste etc,they sound as you said a good bird to keep,thing is,i can't find one breeder who sells them either as mature birds or chicks. i'm in sligo and although there are a few breeders in the area none seem to breed the elusive dorking.

regards.

We got ours in florence court and portlaoise sales.. Ours are silver dorking.

mrs.machine

I'm trying Indian Game X Light Sussex this year. I have eaten some purebred Indian game and they're a fine bird. The cross is well known for meat and meant to be faster growing.

Naraka

I keep Transylvanian Naked Necks. They are an excellent dual purpose breed.