Best dual breed?

[Hawkesy]

Hey folks, trying to choose my next breed of chicks to hatch but I'm slightly indecisive. Someone suggested to breed dual purpose birds so that others will take/buy my unwanted roosters for meat (which I think is a very good point).

I was wondering if anyone has a preference in dual birds or even preferred heritage breeds that could be used for meat? A reasonable level of egg production would be preferred although it does not necessarily need to be high, thank you!

 

[Michael OShay]

Given your criteria, I would suggest Australorps which are a heritage dual purpose breed. Australorps are extremely hardy in both heat and cold, and very calm and gentle (my children and granddaughter made lap pets of them). I've raised Aussies were summer temperatures frequently reached 117-118 F (sometimes more), and where winter temperatures dropped to minus 30 F, and in both climate extremes they did just fine. They are decent foragers, and have enough meat of them to make decent meat birds, and they are the best layers of the standard brown egg laying breeds. An Australorp holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days, and while none of mine have ever reached that level of productivity (and likely never will), I've still had a few of them lay over 300 eggs in a year. Whatever dual purpose breed you decide to get, good luck with your flock.

 

[Hawkesy]

Given your criteria, I would suggest Australorps which are a heritage dual purpose breed. Australorps are extremely hardy in both heat and cold, and very calm and gentle (my children and granddaughter made lap pets of them).  I've raised Aussies were summer temperatures frequently reached 117-118 F (sometimes more), and where winter temperatures dropped to minus 30 F, and in both climate extremes they did just fine. They are decent foragers, and have enough meat of them to make decent meat birds, and they are the best layers of the standard brown egg laying breeds. An Australorp holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days, and while none of mine have ever reached that level of productivity (and likely never will), I've still had a few of them lay over 300 eggs in a year. Whatever dual purpose breed you decide to get, good luck with your flock.

I guess australorps are a sensible call as people know what they are getting with a common breed like that. I might look at branching out and go for some more uncommon breeds to vary the selection as I'll be keeping the pullets.

Is there a sex link bird that is particularly good for dual?

 

[Ifish]

I guess australorps are a sensible call as people know what they are getting with a common breed like that. I might look at branching out and go for some more uncommon breeds to vary the selection as I'll be keeping the pullets.

Is there a sex link bird that is particularly good for dual?

Dominiques are a good dual purpose breed when gotten from a good line. They can be sexed at a day old.

http://www.dominiquechicken.com/sexing_dominique_chicks.html

We went with New Hampshires for their dual purpose qualities. Around 5-6 weeks it was easy to sex the birds. The males comb was larger and red by that point, and their shanks were thicker.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Being in Scotland you may be able to get your hands on some Bielefelder. For auto sexlink breeds that's the best dual purpose. Also called Uber chicken for both it's size and German origin. Cockbirds can reach 12 lbs and hens lay about 200 per year. So not a prized layer but good dual purpose and auto sexed at hatch. There are other auto sexing breeds but wont be as large and lay about the same. Cream Legbar is a blue/green egg laying auto sexing breed for instance.

 

[Hawkesy]

Being in Scotland you may be able to get your hands on some Bielefelder. For auto sexlink breeds that's the best dual purpose. Also called Uber chicken for both it's size and German origin. Cockbirds can reach 12 lbs and hens lay about 200 per year. So not a prized layer but good dual purpose and auto sexed at hatch. There are other auto sexing breeds but wont be as large and lay about the same. Cream Legbar is a blue/green egg laying auto sexing breed for instance.

I'll have a look and see what I can find, I'm lucky as the area I live in has many good breeders. I'll most likely be buying the eggs locally so it'll all depend on what's available. I was offered buff orpringtons and brahmas, do you think they'd be suitable?

 

[Toddrick]

Sussex would be good I bet, especially in Britain. I hear Buff Orpingtons are a lot bigger and meatier there than in the States too.

 

[Hawkesy]

Sussex would be good I bet, especially in Britain. I hear Buff Orpingtons are a lot bigger and meatier there than in the States too.

I've got some Sussex x rhode islands in just now which are sex links. The buffs I've seen over here are huge. Was offered a pair at £50 but I would genuinely have had to built/bought a new coop as the large ones are around 3 times the size as a regular bird.

 

[Michael OShay]

Is there a sex link bird that is particularly good for dual?

Sex Links tend to run a little little than most of the dual purpose birds, but they can make decent meat birds. If you decide to go with sex links, I would go with Black Sex Links (Black Stars) which are produced by crossing RIR roosters with Barred Rock hens. Not only can the chicks be sexed by color at hatching (male chicks have a white spot on top of their black heads and females lack the white spot), but they are egg laying machines, outlaying either parent breed. It's one of the interesting quirks of hybridization. As they mature females are black with some reddish or copper colored feathers in the neck area and males are barred. Not only are Black Sex Links very friendly and hardy, but I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds and hybrids), and they have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 large, brown eggs per hen per year.

 

[newwestchick]

I really like the Light Sussex, although the hatchery near me breeds for production genes not for showing them so that may make a difference. They beat out the barred rock and RSL I have at laying (6 eggs for 7 days by 22 weeks) and the Roos were over 5 lbs (dressed) at 16 weeks.
Whatever you choose I'm sure you'll adore them!