Best chicken for the apocalypse?

[foothillsco]

Why the recent increase in zombie or apocalyptic movies and books? For some, it would be an improvement in life, from a financial point of view or the point of view of how we spend our time if chasing money is very important.

Take me for example: blue collar worker, haven't saved enough for retirement, in my 40's, I can't afford to get hurt even though I have health insurance. Sometimes, you just realize that life is harder than you wish it really were.

If I didn't have to restore homes that caught on fire, imagine what I could do without worrying about money and just had to deal with this pesky zombie horde down the street...

On another note, people have been saying the end is near since, well, the beginning.

 

[foothillsco]

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.

I'm sure there is something worth reading in that wall of text but I didn't bother trying. Punctuation is your friend, friend.

 

[Sylvester017]

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).

From Sylvester017 - Until we had Silkies I thought that they would not be a good prepper breed for all their froo-froo appearance. We considered them only as family pets at the beginning but have been pleasantly surprised at their usefulness as layers and broodies. They are good yard foragers and just as predator savvy as the LF sounding the barnyard alarms. The alpha matriarch of our mixed flock is our oldest Silkie and lets her flockmates know she's in charge. Silkies are hardy in all sorts of weather and love to go splashing in the rain with the LF. Drenched to the skin in rain yet by roost time they've preened and dried out enough to be cozy and warm for the night - especially if two or three pile up together in a nestbox. They pile together when cold and sleep apart on warm nights. Smart little buggers! Smaller breeds seem to fare heatwaves better than heavier LF. And Silkie pullet eggs are layed 5 to 6 per week at 1.25 to 1.5 oz - my Buff Leghorn pullet only layed 1.75 oz so these little bantams lay big eggs for their diminutive size. My 3-year-old matriarch Silkie lays 4-5 eggs/week. They are easy to manage, won't keep escaping over your fence (they don't fly well yet have excellent jumping skills) and brood their own young (or other breeds' young). Much hardier and easier on the feed bill than any large dual-purpose breeds that have huge appetites. Though I wouldn't call them docile they are easy to pick up and they get used to human handling quite easily especially when feeding them treats just like any other breed.

Dominique would be the maximum LF I'd care to have that would be an excellent forager, economical on the feed bill, and raise its own young - plus Doms have a very human and flock friendly personality. Unless I had a family of half a dozen children I don't see the need for having to care for exceptionally large breeds for eggs or meat. Can't be very self-sufficient if the majority of feed is used to supply larger animal appetites.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

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.

Hi -

Were you saying the Barred Rock didn't lay at all in the winter, or laid about as much as the NH?

 

[ChristyinGA]

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.

I don't believe the picture being posted here of a "Legacy" is accurate, as the person is very obviously holding the chicken out so that it is closer to the camera, thereby causing it to look huge. Hard to judge how big it actually is, but I believe the photo is deceptive.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I don't believe the picture being posted here of a "Legacy" is accurate, as the person is very obviously holding the chicken out so that it is closer to the camera, thereby causing it to look huge. Hard to judge how big it actually is, but I believe the photo is deceptive.

There's definitely a ton of forced perspective going on. I'm surprised when people don't pick up on it.

 

[laughingdog]

Sorry about txt wall etc.. I'm legally blind trying to look at my phone, and auto correct been messing things up, among other things with it, n know just need new phone.

 

[Kavellion]

I have had most of the breeds I would just say RIR they lay well meat is good, roosters are big enough to chase most predators. Buff Orp also now one of those roosters is just plain scary when they get big and go after something people included. Buff orp more likely to go broody which is actually better in an apocalypse. So eh maybe I just talked myself into Orpington.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I have had most of the breeds I would just say RIR they lay well meat is good, roosters are big enough to chase most predators. Buff Orp also now one of those roosters is just plain scary when they get big and go after something people included. Buff orp more likely to go broody which is actually better in an apocalypse. So eh maybe I just talked myself into Orpington.

I'll bring up an issue raised earlier - have you considered foraging ability when there is no feed store and you are growing and grinding your own grains? Where will you get the pre-mix? Would it work better to plant some garden plants that attract insects, and let the biddies find their own feed? Maybe maggots on bits of rotting meat?

I have enough issues wondering what I will use for toilet paper and will I be able to have enough water pressure from a wind mill to run the bidet?

 

[LindaB220]

I'll bring up an issue raised earlier - have you considered foraging ability when there is no feed store and you are growing and grinding your own grains? Where will you get the pre-mix? Would it work better to plant some garden plants that attract insects, and let the biddies find their own feed? Maybe maggots on bits of rotting meat?

I have enough issues wondering what I will use for toilet paper and will I be able to have enough water pressure from a wind mill to run the bidet?

Not the maggot thing. It has been proved to be dangerous.