Advice needed!

[@migocontodos~]

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[wjallen05]

hmmmm... I am not sure now what to do...

so, because hens don't lay past 2 years, I'd like to a rooster to produce more hens thus produce more egg-laying-chickens for us, after ours "retire". I really don't want to have to find/order new chicks every year.

I am well aware that I won't make money selling chickens. But I figured I need to do something with the extra chicks as I can't keep them all. Wasn't trying to make a profit.

I have researched breeds like you wouldn't believe. I like the Buff Orpingtons a lot, and they are supposed to be very gentle.

I like the Red Stars because they are supposed to be one of the best egg layers. Also White Leghorns, and they supposably don't eat as much and are smaller than most breeds, and lay sooner/longer.

I'd also maybe like to raise Red Stars because I'll beable to tell the males from females (they are sex-link I believe). So then we kill male baby chicks?? I'm sure no one would want to buy them, and it wouldn't be worth it for us to raise them up.

So are Orpingtons not a good choice as a meat bird? My husband is the one that is dead-set on having our own meat birds. I also like the idea of knowing where our meat comes from.

 

[tiki244]

Maybe you could re examine your motives for having chickens. Do you love chickens? Like Miss Prissy said you will hardly be making money selling chickens. And even for your own meals they will be expensive meat. Maybe you want to buy freedom rangers or some other chick and just raise for meat and butcher. Then buy some buff orp chicks for eggs and see how much you like it and then go from there.

 

[wjallen05]

Thanks migo, you answered a few ?s for me.

And one more time... I'm sorry I wasn't more specific... but I really do know that I need a rooster to have baby chickens.

Not sure how the mixing breeds thing works... that stresses me out to think about... lol.

Is it possible to have a breed that the sex-link, the females are GREAT egg layers, and the males are good to eat/grow fast?

(are Barred Rocks good year-round egg layers?)

(oh yeah... and my concern with Leghorns is do they lay in cold weather?? that's another topic though..)

 

[tiki244]

OOPS I answered the first page and didnt see the second page. My leghorns layed year round

 

[wjallen05]

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Why I want chickens:

We live on a farm, love animals, raise diary goats, and I want to have my own fresh eggs.

Pretty much the only reason: EGGS.

The reason I want a Roo is because eventually my hens will stop laying. I do not want to start over with finding/ordering new chicks every year.

The reason I want to sell chicks is because if I raise them, I will have extras that I do not need.

The reason I want a good meat bird is, because if I raise them, I will have extra MALES that will not lay eggs, and therefore, we will not need them for anything. Might as well eat them.

 

[tiki244]

Barred rocks are a pretty good all around breed. I think you can tell them apart at day one. They used to be used for meat birds all the time.

 

[MissPrissy]

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They do lay past 2 years. The laying may slow to 5 a week instead of 7 but they will lay for several years. I even know of some that are 8 or 9 years old that lay 3 or 4 eggs a week. commercial egg producers get rid of them at 18 months because they have burned them out. A well cared for hen will lay several years.

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They won't lay before sometime around 18 weeks. A pullet is 4 to 5 months old before they begin to lay eggs. Some even take as long as 26 weeks to start laying.

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Now, you know the plight of hatcheries. a cockeral can be butchered at 8 - 10 weeks. It just won't be the meat to bone ratio of a grocery store chicken. They would work as fryers. You don't have to routinely kill them as chicks.

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If you just want meat birds why not order a cornish cross from a hatchery, grow it out 6 weeks and dispatch them? You will spend far more money trying to grow a dual purpose chicken and won't have near as much meat as the broader breasted broilers.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Don't go telling my 6 year old hens they aren't suppose to be laying eggs

 

[tiki244]

Iam sorry I just missed that there was a second page to r4ead so I mispoke plus I am really tired and not making much sense right now