tasty chicken breeds

[scattybiker72]

im trying to research tasty breeds of meat chicken . now, i know that what they eat ect has a part to play, and im not particularly that bothered by speed of reaching slaughter weight , more the taste. I don't want to raise birds that taste not much different to supermarket plastic wrapped white things . i have had a devonshire red from morrisons and that is the sort of thing im after. i waqs wondering if anyone has any idea where to source such birds or if there is any other breeds anyone could recommend .thanks for looking

[oldjerry]

I'll have a go at this.
Firstly,you're absolutely right,what they eat is a huge factor in how they turn out,so don't completely swerve the standard white hybrid birds,they can be kept free range,they will still finish quite quickly,and we sold many of these (all pre ordered) in our small holding days,and by all accounts they were the dogs.
However.. I'm sure you could do better.Here's a couple of ideas.
Poultry breeds have been in development for at least a couple of hundred years(although agri-business has speeded the process up more than somewhat) with the result that(a couple of dual-purpose breeds aside) trad breeds are either egg layers or meat birds.So as a general rule of thumb,get an old breed book,see which breeds lay the least eggs,and go from there.
To cut a long story short,take a look at Indian,or Old English Game birds(but if you go for the latter,guard them well,and don't go shouting about it).
Weird Epilogue: I kept both hybrids and pure breeds for years,but I've never eaten poultry meat in my life!

[diggernotdreamer]

I can remember an episode of River Cottage and HFW did a blind tasting of various breeds and the Dorking came out top (probably not in the Dorkings opinion though)

[scattybiker72]

thank you very much. i have decided to do a taste test myself . getting different breeds, keeping them all on the same feeding ect regime, and seeing which is better.

[darkbrowneggs]

If you find a good strain of Marans they are an excellent dual purpose bird. So when you hatch you have the benefit of top quality eggs from the pullets and the spare boys can be eaten

I find mine will make about 2 - 2.5 kilos in 24 - 30 weeks just fed on straight wheat after an initial 6-8 weeks on chick crumb, ( and a gentle weaning from one feed to the other) plus of course good free range. They are allowed to run around until about 10days to 2 weeks before they are ready then penned and fed a fattening diet. I use the breast meat as stirfry or fast cook and the legs for coq au vin or similar, or slow poach the whole bird. Wonderful.

The meat is superb true gourmet quality and fine white texture, but you have to ensure a strain which has been bred as dual purpose.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

You know, DBE, I live a scant 15 miles from the town of Marans and you'd expect to be able to find a good dual-purpose strain here if anywhere (certainly the town's website waxes lyrical about the bird), but I never have. Egg layers, yes, though never of the same quality as in the UK. Bit ironic, really.

[darkbrowneggs]

You know, DBE, I live a scant 15 miles from the town of Marans and you'd expect to be able to find a good dual-purpose strain here if anywhere (certainly the town's website waxes lyrical about the bird), but I never have. Egg layers, yes, though never of the same quality as in the UK. Bit ironic, really.

Now that is interesting.

Do you know of the "Best" breeders round there or could anyone find out for me? and what colour eggs are they getting - check out my website or The Marans Club website for a colour chart

I have always kept the Cuckoo Marans clean legged English variety, but am just venturing into trying some of the French type ones. I think I have managed to track down a fairly good line, but am always interested in contact for folk with real quality stock

This is the cockerel who heads my little flock aged about 8 or 9mths A real gentleman and a pleasure to have around

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I've owned what local breeders call Marans (cuckoo & copper-black) but which have been selected for laying and low food consumption. From that point of view they're pretty good: 280-300 eggs per year of around 55g, a bit darker than RIR eggs, but about as far removed from the heavy, traditional Marans as could be. But these guys are selling at local markets to people who want one set of chickens for eggs and will by another breed (usually a fast growing hybrid) for table.

I did once own a couple of wheaten Marans bought from a show by a friend and they laid the most stunning dark eggs, but at the rate of about 100 per year. They were good, heavy, girls too.

You could try and contact the Marans Club of France - they have an English language section of their website which suggests that they might be able to help in that language if you're not confident in French. This is the link:

http://www.marans.eu/indexang.htm#haut%20de%20page

[darkbrowneggs]

Thanks for that

[Niele da Kine]

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/ ... hooks.html

That has a lot of different chicken breeds sorted by all sorts of things, although taste isn't one of them unfortunately. Perhaps you could start a page like that with taste added in?

You can take Silkies off your list of tasty birds. They have gray black skin and gray black flesh and it looks so grotesque that flavor doesn't matter. Personally, I've found roosters to be the most tasty. Especially the one who used to crow and wake me up.