Meat birds, are birds, mainly chickens, raised for the purpose of consuming their meat. As someone who draws a fuzzy line between chickens and pets, this was a difficult decision for me. So why raise birds destined for slaughter? The short answer is that one could never eat more humanely raised meat, nor more nutritionally superior meat. The longer answer is that these standard/heritage breeds will disappear off the face of the earth if we do not continue to breed, and yes, eat them. Join me as I learn my way through this process, and try do it ‘right.’

The chicks you see here are newly hatched Chanteclers. They are a standard/heritage breed from Quebec, and do very well in our climate. Chanteclers are great at protecting themselves from predators, are excellent foragers, and  have a lovely disposition. Who could ask for more? Considered dual purpose birds, the females could be kept for egg-laying, and Chanteclers could reproduce naturally on their own. No need to access a broiler house – more on that later.

Interestingly, we have a restaurant in Toronto, Chantecler, a resort in Quebec, Hôtel Le Chantecler, and a restaurant in Nice, Le Chantecler. There must be something rather tasty about Chanteclers.