Best chicken for the apocalypse?

[LindaB220]

You do not want anything that requires a surplus of grain. The big eating big birds would suddenly become unpopular.

I will stick with my Catalanas.

Well, that is certainly something to think about. In theory, when SHTF we don't consider some of these points. I know that I will need to plant things that they can forage for. Mulberries is high in protein,different types of forage plants. Comfrey, mangle beets etc come to mind. It's tough coming up with things that you can't pop to the store and pick up. Lot's to think about.

 

[randyreese]

I also wonder about the weight as the size is gimornous for a chicken. I have never seen a chicken that size but would love to get a start from someone.

 

[Baybrio]

Well, that is certainly something to think about. In theory, when SHTF we don't consider some of these points. I know that I will need to plant things that they can forage for. Mulberries is high in protein,different types of forage plants. Comfrey, mangle beets etc come to mind. It's tough coming up with things that you can't pop to the store and pick up. Lot's to think about.

I grew mangles, NOTHING would eat them. Not the chickens, turkeys, cattle or horses. I didn't try the dogs. Of course if that's all there was things would be different.

 

[LindaB220]

I grew mangles, NOTHING would eat them. Not the chickens, turkeys, cattle or horses. I didn't try the dogs. Of course if that's all there was things would be different.

Well, that's a disappointment. I bought a pound of the seeds.

I think I'll put them in the freezer for fall planting and see if zipping in the food processor and adding to my fermented feed will help. Oh well.

 

[LindaB220]

I also wonder about the weight as the size is gimornous for a chicken. I have never seen a chicken that size but would love to get a start from someone.

randy, If I were you I'd start with something a little smaller. White Rocks are terrific and get your foot in the door growing for size. Have you checked out the Langshan?

 

[Baybrio]

Up here in the cold north I try for breeds with small combs and have had good success with Buckeye and Chantecler in the very cold weather. Of course they are not the laying machines a hybrid type egg layer is. I've not had any trouble with either breed in the hot humid summer. My birds have an unheated shed and I don't use lights to increase egg production, I didn't get eggs for about a month when the temps were below zero days, but my youngest hen is three years old. Now I'm getting about 5 eggs a week from every hen and the pullets hatched late in the fall are starting to lay really well.

And don't forget the freedom ranger type meat birds. Other threads talk about raising and breeding them.

I saw a show on TV where a prepper family had Silkies! They said they laid well and were small enough to pack up and take with them. I may not know the best chicken, but I wouldn't guess it would be a silkie (no offense to silkie lovers but I don't think they are even rain proof).

My first chickens were Faverolles, loved them but all but one hen and a rooster was taken by a flying predator. I thought, that's it you can't raise chickens unless you keep them completely penned 24/7, and I didn't want chickens unless they could collect bugs from the livestock paddocks. But I kept trying - not one Buckeye taken by a flying predator - this is getting better. Then, Chantecler, ok these are surviving.

I'm having a great time trying different breeds. I read and read, make a breed pick and try raising some. I find some I like some not so much. Just personal preference, and what fits in at my farm. We are so fortunate in America to have great breeds like the Dominique to start with.

A couple of folks talked about keeping your purebred flock from becoming inbred - PLEASE keep breeding your birds. You are awesome! I've found I'm a complete failure at keeping records and organizing chickens into proper breeding groups. If I was responsible for keeping a breed going it would be extinct in about two years.

 

[laughingdog]

dominique can be easy to get especially as chicks, didn't mean to put them in that group if accidentally led anyone to think i ment that or mentioned them in wrong spot.
in order of easy great free ranging deep country folk, these are all common best totally free ranging in no confinment at all and able to actually "freee range" no pens or fences, not hardly fed and not watered: OEG, American game, Americana, most backyard game breeds.., Dominique, heritage rhode island red, leghorn, austrolorp. It actually ranges really cold here but I'm reffering to up north country folk from deep woods ect when lived there. was told you want to cut the wattle and lobes on first freezing night of those with large protrusions (heals better and bleeds and hurts them immensely less than doing in spring ect. game cocks are bred to leghorn hens to increase best qualities of both for one super ranger layer brooder ect, but game blood stronger andyoull eventually have to cross a leghorn cock to your hens to get production back to leghorn wants. most of these birds steady layers for four to eight years on average, maybe laying large ect, but most laying average of med eggs realistically. Pruduction birds are mostly rhode island red breed cocks bred to leghorn breed hens, but seem hatcheries ect have made somehow to only lay great supposed for six months to two years on average, then need to stew cause totally spent. none of all production hybrid types i had did anything in same conditions and as young, under six to eight maybe ten months, as my game with them did in meat eggs and foraging weeds and pests, as games leghorns and bantam ameruacana non complete standard (though most those don't breed true anyway). Oh yes the production nirds are crap at disease resistance as well, and had several diseases they either brought in, wild birds brought in, orwas in soil of area they were in. ill not say all what as cdc would come burn property to ash and salt and lime or whater for various stuff, our govs want weak immune deficient short worth commercial hobbies that's they can control you better through, not disease bred resilient strong stock for long haul (look up movie "earthlings" and other movies like, not PETA terrorist stuff, as hadn't believed until seen happen to neighbors), but the bantam Americana had only one old one die and. not sure how old but she was ancient when got her so maybe unrelated death, but they thrived and ate at carcasses that dogs hadn't finished parts off of, or organs tossed to scovys that chooks took from. rest showed sickneses for day, to week maybe, but kept laying and id lock up with water feed and poultry drench and acv, and since seeming immune (except lead hen who never got sick at all, and allstill 100% fertile and hatches are great even with bator major trouble doing almost and as great egg hatching ect as OEG and American game eggs ect). There would be no getting to vet, or just ordering new stock or having things shipped. the good in most would not come out when then needed most by most unless lucky and they are smart enough to band together you and not just kill you to go get rest of what can from you. you will be cut off possibly and feeding grain maybe to few dozen chooks counting new chicks and hopeful replacement layers and great roo out of to carry genes, maybe all you can keep, keeping larger flocks hidden from hungry animals and people that have run out of food would be great problem with huge dualing dozen/s of roos crowing. my birds are friendly to me but attack or fly off away safely from strangers. i had my bantams in big rabbit cage hidden in apt complex and no one heard them when weren't right by open Windows with someone close, then they didn't believe me there were chickens in there. so concealment maybe an issue too. bows from high ground around property or trenches n ditch/drainage tunnels are great defense areas, but if horde of worst people. group up, as they tend to losers alone that they are, are better avioded notice from or sounding to you to be out numbered and gunned by having huge noisy roosters and guns. When a large chook tooken or killed its a huge loss and more resourses to replace, were a smaller compact meaty birds gets it (hasn't happened except that one yet), youhave two to four or five other hens still alive taking place that'd be same size as large lost bird. smaller birds games and general bantam sizes) are better less impact birds on land (dutch however are exceptions as are very loud and tear everything apart), and harder to catch shoot or track home to you. in about forty below odd nights this winter here, i had alive chooks, frozen eggs, in a all open bottom wire rabbit cage with clear plastic sheeting on top and sides, wood against front and back to block heavy wind. the bantam Americana came out ok and just went about foraging in snow and brush. like no prob, but others in decent coops with bedding ect,had frozen breath on, frostbite all over, and some dead frozen solid to perches, and wouldn't go out to forage and stayed sickly thinning for days till i broke their necks. do i actaully believe in or hope for a sudden apocalypse and i want to show how i can shine through.. no, but its a great concept to show some you need to think about real self reliance and adaptability. I've lived homeless in city and deep back woods country before for two weeks each at time with just clothes on back, tissues, and a pocket knife, and can scrounge up (which is actually a lot, but may suddenly not be events pending). Its all a great fun idea anyway though huh? suppose you could mix leghorn, game and silkie, then really cold resilient layer and forager with built in snowshoes (silkie leghorn crosses known to produce webbed feet). lol. my OEG and AG were great meat birds, layers of med eggs daily, foraged for own food except fed crushed cheapest dog food and dried crushed shells back to for cold weather. they laied and roosted in stacked plastc large dog houses, with cardboard boxes with dried grass in them. I did keep a low watt light on at night so they had bugs attracted and had ability to defend selves and young ect. All my roosters learned to get along fine all being rescues "gamer" roosters even, hens were another story.. lol but brooms broke breaking squables up. the games raised almost all of own young, me having thir houses in pen they could easily come and go from, most hens being feral oddly when caught with collie dogs (a border pitt mix with three legs, and a rough collie later after that),herding and retrieving abilities and tamed easiest as adults that were feral some for years or generations still so much better than hatchery hatchlings, but some who tried at times to steal or confiscate (local cock "gamer" law enforcment even), even in night couldn't catch and one guy when they had chicks was almost spurred to death by syd tayler he (ah clucky you are missed!). lol. most top breeds people needing and some saying about besides Dominique, are all layer game, and maybe meat breed (which are game to game crosses anyway), yes even rhode island red. my game cocks when easily tamed became favefriends of neighbors young children and got carried like dolls daily by one boy (i think he put up with cause boy fed him kitty food, cereal, and spaghettioos or whater), but that roo one day did jump up and kick in the head, hat off, and knock wind out of when hit chest (breaking a toe almost off, and some nails and a lot of skin) when a guy friend of ma walked up and playfully grabbed hard and shook the boy, tearing the man's hat shirt coat some and breaking glasses bad. i had to rehome that roo as law said was dangerous and was just protect his home and flock as he saw boy was ( farmer neighbor snapped that roo up quick that'd be gentle an alarm and attack others for flock and fam, but roo never walked as great and think it had a hairline fracture that hadn't healed right were i couldn't feel, along with to that was just hanging on by piece of skin. had a hen get taken in plain sight one night that her (OEG and an AG, used to both roost out on top of houses. next night the OEG flew back into roost in her spot coveresd in dried blood feathers missing but no wounds just sore tired and cranky. the AG and her then both went into dog house and hadn't perched out at night after that. To me that shows smarts.

 

[Dave from Maine]

I have been keeping chickens in Maine for 15 years. There is no electricity in my coop so there is no supplemental light or heat in the winter. One year I ran an extension cord for lights and got frozen eggs all winter. The breeds I have experience with are Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Red Leghorn, Dominique, New Hampshire Red, Silver Spangled Hamburg, Auracana, Golden Comet and different colored Polish. There is one of these breeds that consistently lays later in the Fall and earlier in the Spring. That breed is New Hampshire Red. The only exception was one Barred Rock hen. The New Hampshires stop laying in late October and start in early March.

Concerning bigger breeds needing more feed, if you are keeping small flock to provide for yourself and your family that shouldn't be much of an issue. If your plan is to keep a large flock to trade with your neighbors it is different. Letting my birds forage for a couple hours after work is enough to cut the feed bill by half. Cutting back on the pellets might make them more aggressive foragers with more time out of the coop. I would consider growing, gathering and storing feed in late summer and fall to use through the winter. My birds favorite place to forage is a pile of half rotted wood chips. It's loaded with earthworms, grubs and insects. The chickens will scratch there for hours until they are full or bored. One possibility of winter forage might be a chip pile in a greenhouse enclosure to keep it from freezing solid.

 

[Sylvester017]

The wandering, starving, hordes? Black powder when out of the other kind.

There are individuals who have survival plans predicated on taking from others; some of them are currently doing exactly that as a way of living.

The individuals who have survival plans predicated on taking from others of which some are currently doing exactly that as a way of living must be - umm - Politicians?

 

[The Yakima Kid]

The individuals who have survival plans predicated on taking from others of which some are currently doing exactly that as a way of living must be - umm - Politicians?

A friend of mine was discussing his survival plans and his neighbor said his survival plan was to take supplies from anyone he could steal from. It seems that "gang culture" has its version of survivalists, too. Politicians qualify as well - they're just another subtype of gangster.