Best dual purpose breed for sustainability

[schellie69]

My DH and I where talking about this today and his granddad and grandma kept a farm yard mix and had great egg layers, good foragers, hens that hatched their own eggs and great meat birds. I think sometimes have a few different breeds and mixing them gives you the best of all of them. I have a barn yard mix hen that has given me an egg a day since she started laying. I am going to try this with my flock and see what I get when I hatch some eggs this summer.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
OEGBs are great birds, here are mine today

 

[chickenman98]

We have buff chanteclers and they meet your requirements except for color, and you can get them in partridge

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Quote:
Glad I could help.

I love Speckled Sussex, beautiful birds and I'll be adding some to my flock as soon as I can find some good quality ones that aren't miles away or getting eggs next spring. 240-260 eggs per year sounds very good, I don't think the Light Sussex I had years ago would have laid that many. However the Silver Sussex pullet I have now has laid me an egg every day since she started laying a month ago and it's autumn here with no artificial lighting. I am very impressed with her and am setting eggs hoping her daughters will lay as well.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

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240 - 260 is great, not fairly well. But I doubt a standard bred one would lay that, maybe 220 at highest (guess) even that would be really good for a dual purpose breed. 240 - 260 would be from a production bred bird, but it would not give you as much meat.
Their are Dual purpose laying around 200 eggs a year and give a nice amount of meat.
Their are eggs laying breeds that lay 240+ eggs a year and not much meat but still make good fryers.
Their are meat breeds that give a lot of meat and a very poor egg layer. ect
Sorry if I sound mean or anything,
punky

No, you don't sound mean. As I said, that's just what I've read. I don't claim to know from experience.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

Quote:
Glad I could help.

I love Speckled Sussex, beautiful birds and I'll be adding some to my flock as soon as I can find some good quality ones that aren't miles away or getting eggs next spring. 240-260 eggs per year sounds very good, I don't think the Light Sussex I had years ago would have laid that many. However the Silver Sussex pullet I have now has laid me an egg every day since she started laying a month ago and it's autumn here with no artificial lighting. I am very impressed with her and am setting eggs hoping her daughters will lay as well.

The Silver Sussex is beautiful. It's great to know she has been laying so well. I have some shipped Speckled Sussex hatching eggs in the incubator at the moment, so if any hatch, I hope to have some experience with those in the next few months.

 

[Arielle]

Dear OP,

Wondered what breed you did decide on. Did you keep your bantams or did you trade them in for another breed?

 

[phasianidae]

OP,

How are things going?

 

[Dywnarc]

If survivial sustainably is your goal. Keep the chicken flock small and go with ducks. WHy so caught up on chickens?

Better foragers, Nice meat, egg prodcution as high as chickens, and many breeds are great brooders.

My ducks rarely eat the food I provide for them. They seam to do very well roaming arround eating slugs snails and grass.

Feed sorce in a survial situation is your main concern.

 

[Arielle]

If survivial sustainably is your goal. Keep the chicken flock small and go with ducks. WHy so caught up on chickens?

Better foragers, Nice meat, egg prodcution as high as chickens, and many breeds are great brooders.

My ducks rarely eat the food I provide for them. They seam to do very well roaming arround eating slugs snails and grass.

Feed sorce in a survial situation is your main concern.

In the 2 year since this thread was started, I have learned a few things. ANd I totally agree with your last statement.

I realized this last spring, and have moved to increase sustainability. IT is hard work to move from wooded land to grass/pasture. I have been looking at older grains like sorghum, especially as there is a variety that is good for BOTH seeds and leaves. I haven't taken the plunge yet to buy seed as the land needs more work first.

I have far greater respect for our ancestors that colonized this land, arriving with just tools, seeds and ambition. CLearly they depended on hunting for meat while shelter and protective walls went up around their buildings. Wow!