Thank you so much for the warm welcome!!. Maybe all the knowledgable people here could help me with chicken choices. I like the eggs but more so for the meat once the layers have reached thier prime so to speak. Always had leghorns, so I'm open this time for anything new!! I do have bird exp. had chickens before and I do rescue parrots, well really they just end up on my porch?!? When people find out you take care of them, poof. Got a little mini macaw right now, poor baby, didn't think I could save her. Been three weeks now and she is slowly improving, just don't know right now. Anyway, I'm rambling,lol, any advice or suggestions on chicken breeds would be great. I have looked here on the site at the breeds, but I favor personal experience and advice from those who have them. Thank you very much and all advice is very much appreciated!!!!!!
I currently have Black Giants (Jersey Giants), Buckeyes, Silver Pencil Rocks and a Barred Rock and a bunch of Mutts... The SPRs and the BGs both have decent body type to go to meat if we choose to. My buckeyes are well fleshed but shorter boned so will be OK, just not as much meat as the BGs or SPRs. I currently have hens sitting on Light Sussex eggs which come from a flock with beautiful size and body type to be good table birds and the roosters are huge.
There are many dual purpose birds but finding quality can be the problem as many times body size was lost to egg productivity over the generations. I found my hatchery BGs don't have the same size as many of the better bred ones I have seen at shows and same for the BR... however, my Buckeyes and SPRs are both from a breeder who was interested in SOP for the breeds and have filled in very well and as a bonus 3 of my 5 SPRs are now hatching eggs of their own. (I am one of the folks who see broodiness as a historical plus, not a negative)
My best advice, rather than directing you to a particular breed, is to go to a few of the shows and see what suits you and talk to the exhibitors about their breeds. Something will catch your attention and when it does you can do a bit of research and find someone who has some good birds for sale. If you are planning to get them soon then check out the review section for further descriptions of breeds you may be interested in.
With my birds... the Silver Pencils are calm, generally friendly and just nice hens to have in the flock, Barred Rock isn't quite as friendly, but is curious and always willing to beg for goodies, The BGs are hatchery and they are nice hens, calm and nice to have in the coop, but not overly friendly or interested much in what silly humans are doing. The Buckeyes are always underfoot or on my shoulder, wherever is more convenient for them... they are by far the nosiest and most interactive of the group, if I am outside, there is a buckeye nearby watching, or underfoot interfering in whatever I am trying to do.
I aim for meat and eggs with extra roosters going to freezer camp by 18 or 20 weeks in our flock.... Also on my wish list are Heritage Cornish, Dorking and White Rocks.
I hope you find birds who suit you well...
