Guineas? Turkeys? Rabbits? Which is the best home grown meat?

[CrimsonRose]

Wow Wife that's awesome! I only had quail for about a year and had to give them all away when we moved...

I'm waiting till spring and want to get a few eggs to hatch out and start it up again... I love my quail!

Didn't know that about the chickens hatching the quail... I personally always used my homemade bater but was going to see if my silkie would go broody and hatch me some but now I better rethink that plan... I only put that advice in my post because it was suggested on so many quail sites I had read....


As for the infertility in the buck rabbit you didn't have him in any HIGH heat this past summer did you??? it seriously effects their fertility if they are in heat for long periods... I don't breed during the summer for that fact...

 

[savingdogs]

What great thoughts and ideas you all have here.

We will have to certainly keep pigs in mind. But we have a friend who raises them and we could buy from her, and since OFG is such an outspoken hater of pigs, it makes me nervous. I don't have her energy.

But seriously, we have put a deposit on some beautiful does and bucks, we got convinced in this thread which was the right choice. My hubby hated the thought of the guineas being loud. We may still try some turkeys but I'd think I'd like to try buying just a few locally in the spring and not going whole-hog.....

But the rabbits we are already familiar with, having had them as pets and I've worked for a veterinary clinic that specialized in them along with other non dog and cat type animals. I don't think we could eat our baby goats so that I idea won't fly around here. Already my teenage son is upset I ask him to eat duckling but he says now baby bunny?

I guess I'll just make it look like fried chicken.

 

[tortoise]

How much are you paying for your rabbits? And what breed(s)?

 

[savingdogs]

65.00 for four Creme d' Argent rabbits, I haven't seen them yet but I've seen photos. From an enthusiast of the breed, a young person I met on BYC.

 

[patandchickens]

The thing I like about turkeys as opposed to chickens (and, by extension, guineas or rabbits either) is that you get a LOT more meat out of each death.

This is significant to me not just ethically but (especially) PRACTICALLY, since it does not take me much longer to kill and clean a turkey than to kill and clean a chicken, and I can get like 5-10x the eatin' off each one

JMHO,

Pat

 

[savingdogs]

That is a very significant point! We agree and slaughtering our own meat really makes you think about it more.

 

[Denim Deb]

Right now, I'm wondering about fish-tilapi to be exact. I was reading in Back to Basics, and it mentioned that they're fairly easy and cheap to raise.

 

[savingdogs]

That sounds interesting, do you have to have a pond? We have a fake one for the ducks but I doubt fish would last long in there!

 

[Denim Deb]

That sounds interesting, do you have to have a pond? We have a fake one for the ducks but I doubt fish would last long in there!

Nope, but they mentioned in B2B that you could use a 12' x 2' kiddie pool. They're not that expensive.

 

[tortoise]

65.00 for four Creme d' Argent rabbits, I haven't seen them yet but I've seen photos. From an enthusiast of the breed, a young person I met on BYC.

Good price. $2/lb live weight is rule of thumb for a rabbit up to 6 months old.