Best All-Around Chicken Breed?

[Trevorusn]

I believe the Jersey Giants are slow growers. Hopefully they will fill out with time.

Up to 2 years to fully grow out, hence why I'll wait before totally giving up on hatchery quality chicks. I am hoping they at least get somewhat near the APA 10lb standard, but can only wait and see. My cockerel on the other hand, even though we were told he also is a TSC (Hoover Hatchery) chick, has gotten quite heavy and tall for being only 7 months old.

 

[2102Simm]

Beetov-Hen is a brown leghorn 1 yr old hen

I'm so sorry I thought it was a roo because of the comb and wattle. Well either way she is gorgeous

 

[aliciaplus3]

Is this a giant form of RIR??? Even 2ft is massive!

I think thsts how high they are suggesting the roosting bars be 2 to 4 feet off the ground?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Which breed of chicken do you think is the all-around best?

The criteria would be (in no particular order):
-- A dual-purpose chicken for eggs and meat
-- A chicken that does not develop slowly
-- A chicken that can reproduce itself (go broody)
-- A chicken that forages well for food
-- A chicken that lays eggs well
-- A chicken that can tolerate cold and heat pretty well


A breed like a Leghorn would not qualify because they are on the small side to be a meat chicken and they rarely go broody.

It is also important to remember that many hatchery strains of a breed are less broody. Some broodiness is needed, but not overly broody.

I go for all those traits for my birds. My number 1. Favorite all-around chicken breeds are: Orpingtons, Australorps, Silkies, RIRs, Barred Rocks, Brahmas, EEs, & Cross breeds.

 

[cra8ychix]

The Houdan is *supposed* to be all of that, and getting them back to that is my personal goal.

I have a little chick that I hatched from a egg. He is adorable although I now need to find some little girls for him.

 

[cra8ychix]

Which breed of chicken do you think is the all-around best?

The criteria would be (in no particular order):
-- A dual-purpose chicken for eggs and meat
-- A chicken that does not develop slowly
-- A chicken that can reproduce itself (go broody)
-- A chicken that forages well for food
-- A chicken that lays eggs well
-- A chicken that can tolerate cold and heat pretty well


A breed like a Leghorn would not qualify because they are on the small side to be a meat chicken and they rarely go broody.

It is also important to remember that many hatchery strains of a breed are less broody. Some broodiness is needed, but not overly broody.

 

[cra8ychix]

Of course I like my RIR they lay nice big eggs and lay a lot of them. Also my Bared Rocks. I also like the fact they are a duel purpose bird and very docile. I do have others like we do I also find if you get them from a breeder they do seem to be a lot bigger than a hatchery bird. my favorite for a broody is my Silkies I always can count on them and also my little Serama’s. They are both excellent mamas and have raised many chicks for me.

 

[Beer can]

Turkens are a great dual-purpose chicken breed. Everything I have read says they do well in heat and cold, despite not having neck feathers, and they do go broody.

It is very difficult to not see the look of them, though. It is like buying a car with a missing door and just overlooking the missing door.

I am trying to be fair here.

Turkens do not lay as well as Leghorns. Turkens will lay about 200 eggs a year. I see 180 to 240 eggs a year. Maybe a really good laying Turken will lay as well as a poor laying Leghorn.

Based on my criteria, the Turken would be a good all-around chicken breed. They sure aren't pretty, though.

There are some breeds on the contenders list that lay eggs better than the Turken.

Don't go by the egg laying charts, its just a baseline. Most breeds coming from hatcheries lay much better than what is the 'norm' for breeds. I've had many breeds and they all lay pretty good. Coming from hatcheries I suspect they are usually crossed at some point with a little leghorn, why you will not get SOP birds from a hatchery. Pretty funny one of my best laying breeds was TSC 'Silkies', fastest I've ever had to lay, and laid great (not supposed to) and good size birds cockerels live weight were 5#s (way heavier than they are supposed to be). Horrible to process though super feathery, like tons of feathers little ones and lots of 'hair'. Even my silkie JG crosses and crosses with naked necks were ... you could stuff a pillow with each one lol. As far as egg laying its whatever they have been bred for, yrs ago Polish were great layers, not so much anymore because they breed them for poofy heads not laying, same with white faced black spanish bred for look not laying. I've had leghorns great layers (huge eggs, breed I've had the most double yolkers, 100grams +) and not too bad for meat IMHO. Production RIR's I had (15 of them) laid every bit as good if not better than any leghorn I've had. I was partial to JG's for awhile, lay great and huge birds, and they ain't hogs like reported, I found they actually eat less than most breeds, very calm and docile so not as much need for feed. But they do take a long time to get huge, and I've found just as big meaty as any other breed earlier, just do not reach their full potential.
Right now I'm breeding more for the meat aspects, crossed the white Naked Necks with Sandhill white Jersey Giants, going to cross them back to each other to get a homogeneous Naked Neck rooster to cross with CornishX .

 

[Beer can]

It is like buying a car with a missing door and just overlooking the missing door.

I always thought the same thing until I actually had some, now I think they are the cutest most awesomist chickens ever !! Lol! More like the dude running that UPS truck around with the doors open, thinking this is awesome, no one else can do this !!

 

[Bullitt]

Turkens are good chickens. I am glad you are happy with them.

Each person has to choose what he or she likes.

There is the novelty factor of having a breed of chicken that looks different than any other breed. People will ask, what kind of a chicken is that? When I was a kid I thought they were a cross between a chicken and a turkey. It turns out that other people thought that also, because that is how it got the name Turken.