"Pretty" dual purpose birds - finding the right breed

We're looking to start our own flock and need a little help selecting the right breed to start. Our main goal is brown eggs. We'd also like birds that are decent for meat, worth the effort, if you will. The aim is to slaughter extra roos and hens past their prime. They must also be ready for Maine winters.

I decided on RIR as they seem to fit this perfectly, but the wife threw in a new criteria: looks. She wants them pretty. I think RIR look just fine, but what do I know?

I was thinking Wyandottes or Speckled Sussex. Am I on the right track? Do you have any other suggestions?

Thank you

I'm with the wife on this one. I like to stay away from single comb chickens in damp cold weather and let's face it they are kindof boring featherwise. I don't think you can beat a golden laced wyandotte in looks. Silver laced run a close second. They will have a light brown egg. EE are always fun and colorful (predominantly green egg layers) and they can all look different. Get a variety of breeds. A colorful egg basket is fun and there are too many attractive birds out there to just have one.

You could get Buff Orpingtons or Black Australorps. Barnevelders? ( don't know if I spelled that right)

Percheron chick said:

I'm with the wife on this one. I like to stay away from single comb chickens in damp cold weather and let's face it they are kindof boring featherwise. I don't think you can beat a golden laced wyandotte in looks. Silver laced run a close second. They will have a light brown egg. EE are always fun and colorful (predominantly green egg layers) and they can all look different. Get a variety of breeds. A colorful egg basket is fun and there are too many attractive birds out there to just have one.

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x 2 The best way to get pretty chickens is to have a variety. Chickens always look great where there not one that's the same. As far as being dual purpose goes, you could do with any of the brahmas, orpingtons, Sussex, etc.

She likes the Barnevelders, and we were planning to spice it up with a couple EE. We like Orpingtons, but I read somewhere that their egg production is low.

DP birds are never going to be laying machines.

Percheron chick said:

DP birds are never going to be laying machines.  

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True. I think we'll get a variety of what she thinks looks good. If egg production isn't where we like it, we can always add more.

Thanks

Get a breed with a rose comb or pea comb . otherwise you will be battling frostbitten combs in winter.
There are several pretty breeds which fit that. Rhode Island Reds come in rise comb.
Ameraucanas come in pea comb. ( and lots of colors).
www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html
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Now here is a stunning breed with a rose comb, puts on meat quick, good winter layer.
I owned one once. great hen and visually stunning. Lays brown eggs.
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
However one caveat here. Buy this breed from a quality breeder, not a hatchery. The pattern is
difficult to get right and a determined breeder will sell you chicks which look correct. check
with the Wyandotte Club and find a good breeder.

You want to buy your birds from a northern breeder whose flock has become acclimatized to the cold weather. her is closed auction from a BLRW breed in central Maine. Check with him/her if you like the breed. maybe they have some available this year. This breeder has splash and reg. colored. You want the regular colored if you want that lovely pattern over the entire bird.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/304456/6-blue-laced-red-wyandottes-100-splash-laced-pics
here is the sellers BYC Profile page:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/1961/hoppy Notice 6yrs. on BYC, Over 5,000 posts. And a BYC Friend badge. Plus 9 positive ratings on sales/auctions. That's a good rep on BYC.
here is the BLRW thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/466415/blue-laced-red-wyandotte-thread
Here is the BLRW Splash thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/862013/blue-laced-red-wyandotte-splash-thread
Best,
Karen

nrossj said:

She likes the Barnevelders, and we were planning to spice it up with a couple EE. We like Orpingtons, but I read somewhere that their egg production is low.

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Barnevelders are very rare breed with a small gene pool and a very tough color to get correct. If you want them to look anything like the pics you see on the Net, you must buy from a breeder. http://www.barnevelderclub.us/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ders-lets-work-together-and-improve-the-breed
easter eggers are a real nice mutt chicken.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/667812/easter-eggers-club-of-america
However make sure you get that pea or rose comb.
Ameraucanas will also lay the colored eggs.
http://www.ameraucana.org/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...for-posting-pictures-and-discussing-our-birds
They come as blue eggs layers. if you cross a blue egg layer with brown egg layer you will get hens which lay green eggs. The depth of the green will depend on the depth of blue and brown in the parents. Darker begets darker.
Orpingtons are great layers. Single combs, no rose or pea combs in USA. By from a breeder and you will get production closer to what the breed is known for. They also put on meat well. here are pics of Dragonlady's Buff Orps. https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/120608/thedragonlady She is a very nice lady.
I think she is sold out for the year but her birds are top quality. Is she is sold out and you are interested, I am sure she could point you in the right direction for quality birds. This is the body type you want. Body type equals production virtues. Her birds lay great, grow out fast and put on great meat. That is why dual purpose breed is so right for you. A dual purpose that is well balanced will give you both the egg and meat virtues you are seeking. You will not find them at the hatcheries.
http://www.unitedorpingtonclub.com/
Wyandottes, in many lovely colors with combs for your climate:
http://www.wyandottebreedersofamerica.net/
Best,
Karen

nrossj said:

She likes the Barnevelders, and we were planning to spice it up with a couple EE. We like Orpingtons, but I read somewhere that their egg production is low.

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I think it also depends a little on what you plan to do with the eggs. We wanted fresh eggs and to be able to cull some birds and put them into the freezer. But we didn't want to be overrun with eggs. There's just the two of us here, and my son and his family (2 adults, an 8 year old and a 2 year old) and my daughter and her 9 year old son live close by. So hens that produce dozens and dozens of eggs didn't make much sense to us. Rather than getting egg laying machines we bought Buff Orpingtons, some EEs for the kids, Golden Laced Wyandottes, Cuckoo Marans (for the deeper brown eggs), Speckled Sussex, and Red Sex Links. It's a beautiful variety to look out and see, egg production is generally considered "moderate" for all, (and that is a generalization, so please don't blast me because somewhere there is one of those breeds who lays a egg a day 365 days per year! LOL) they are considered cold hardy, and we'll have a very colorful egg basket.

We plan to monitor egg production, keep those hens which supply us with enough eggs to satisfy our egg needs but not enough to seem overwhelming, and the rest will go in the freezer. A dual purpose bird probably won't be as efficient at converting food for them into food for us, won't be as heavily breasted as a meat bird, and won't lay like a RIR or Leghorn, but I think for our family and our situation we chose pretty well. Good luck, and don't forget to enjoy the unique experience of raising your own food while admiring your living lawn ornaments!