Rearing chickens, ducks and geese to eat

Experienced smallholder Lorraine Turnbull discusses how to get the best return from your meat birds.

Having bred poultry now for quite some time, I’ve never shied away from preparing our own birds for eating, either as joints or a whole roast. You know how they’ve been fed, raised and humanely processed. Of course you have to decide which species of bird; chickens, ducks or geese.

CHOOSING CHICKENS

Starting with chickens, obviously you’ll get more meat from a large fowl rather than a bantam, and there are specific meat birds you may wish to purpose. Here in France they are Bresse; large white meaty birds, whilst in the UK Cobb or Ross meat birds are commercially available. You’ll of course get more meat from a meat bird, but you can always create your own meat birds from crossing Light Sussex, Marans or Orpingtons with a Cornish game bird, for example. A typical commercial laying hen will be a poor reward for the cost of feeding it up, so concentrate on the larger, heavier breeds.

Timing is crucial, of course. Before four months old, there will be lots of growing, and not a lot of putting on flesh or weight. Waiting after six months means any male birds are sexually active and all that chasing females will result in strong (often tough) leg meat and not a lot on the breastbone. Personally, with my own birds, I aim to prepare them at five months old, although Cobb or Ross birds will be ready to eat much sooner. Keeping birds in a secure and lit shed with constant access to food will also develop a heavier bird quicker - after all, what else have they to do but eat?