Best dual purpose rooster?

[shadowbanned]

Hi, I am wanting to start a good dual purpose flock. The hens will be various dual purpose breeds like australorp, RIR, orpington, barred rock and jersey giant.

Now for the rooster.... I want the offspring to be good for meat. I was considering using a jersey giant for the rooster but I don't want the offspring to lose too much in egg production or consume so much feed either. I've thought about starting with a barred rock rooster and crossing it with one of the other breeds and then using one of them as the rooster. Then the offspring would be 1/4 jersey giant.

But then what about the future? They don't live forever. How would I get a new half and half rooster? Should I just let them all give me these hybrids and breed them when the original heritage breeds get old? Would that cause problems?

Am I over-thinking all of this? Lol

 

[nuthatched]

Overthinking it. Find a dual purpose bird with good manners.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Hatchery stock are not very dual purpose. They are smaller and thinner than their breed implies. They lay more eggs than breeder stock birds and that's what the hatchery market is for- egg layers. The other hatchery market is meat birds. They don't deal with dual purpose even though they sell the breeds they are not bred to standard. You can still eat them of course but lower your expectations.

If you want meatier birds that are well behaved, non aggressive cock birds, you should think about getting breeder stock. You'd be looking at 4-5 eggs per week and wider-heavier birds. I get around the all one variety flock by keeping blue. That provides three colors.

 

[shadowbanned]

Hatchery stock are not very dual purpose. They are smaller and thinner than their breed implies. They lay more eggs than breeder stock birds and that's what the hatchery market is for- egg layers. The other hatchery market is meat birds. They don't deal with dual purpose even though they sell the breeds they are not bred to standard. You can still eat them of course but lower your expectations.

If you want meatier birds that are well behaved, non aggressive cock birds, you should think about getting breeder stock. You'd be looking at 4-5 eggs per week and wider-heavier birds. I get around the all one variety flock by keeping blue. That provides three colors.

I did hear that about hatcheries. There is an American Bresse breeder I was thinking about visiting here....

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I’d recommend Brahmas, I’ve always found when crossing them the offspring are great layers, much better than the pure breed. They also retain a lot of the size and their growth can be sped up by crossing to rocks. The various crosses might mature at slightly different times, which I think is a pro for small duel-purpose flocks, but it depends on your processing schedule.

Other breeds you could use include the Bresse, for better tasting but slightly less meat and quicker growth, and they are still great layers.

Marans are also a nice option but you won’t get as much meat or eggs, but the meat is nice and their long bodies could cross with your other breeds to improve meat yield, but I doubt this is very predictable.

Cornish are great for meat crosses, probably the best going, but their egg yield is greatly reduced.

 

[shadowbanned]

I had brahmas once and they were sweet girls and big, but I need a clean leg bird. Snow and mud is too much here. I already have BCMs and Silkies to cater to, Lol

I want the dual purpose/ meat birds to be low maintenance. (Another selling point for our weather here. Everyone has snow/mud problems) I think I'm leaning towards the Bresse. Although, I'll be dishing out like $150 for a small starter flock....