Best Multi-Purpose Breeds for Self-Sustaining Flock--Please post your list!

[FenDruadin]

What are your favorite breeds for a self-sustaining, multi-purpose flock?

Mandatory Qualities:

Enough meat to make good meat birds
Enough eggs to make good egg layers
Enough broody tendency to raise their own young, but not so much they don't lay well too

Would-Be-Nice Qualities (in order of importance):

Gentle and easy to handle
Cool-looking eggs
Pretty (lol)
Produce twice as many hens as roosters (ha! As long as we're dreaming, right...? Not that this matters nearly as much in a multi-purpose flock, since roosters become dinner...)

All joking aside, currently I have a mixed flock of silkies and various egg-laying breeds that I purchased. But I'm thinking about starting a new flock and seeing if we can make our egg & meat production self-sustaining.

Post your breed suggestions here. Pics are awesome too. Of course. Always.

 

[AraucanaAnnie]

Plymouth rocks!! I get 2 eggs each day from my 2 girls and the roosters are good meat birds. Mine are young, but they're supposed to be good broodies. If the barred variety isn't interesting enough, they come in partridge, buff, Colombian, blue... The only thing is that their eggs at brown.

 

[FenDruadin]

Cool! Just looked them up, and they come in a great variety of colors. I love color genetics, so BONUS for me. My middle son, however, just really wants some "normal colored" chickens. Apparently, his mother's hankering for unique breeds & colors just does not impress him. lol.

 

[3riverschick]

Sussex. Come in a lovely variety of colors. A true dual purpose fowl. Created as a meat bird plus egg layer. Do not get hatchery birds. They will dissapoint. Buy from a breeder. Many strains to choose from. visit http://www.feathersite.com and choose: Sussex. There is a national Club with breeders directory and a notable number of Susssex lists here on BYC. My avatar is a Light Sussex pullet.
Karen

 

[FenDruadin]

Beautiful birds! I don't see a breeder near me... or even in my state... Wonder if I could order eggs from a BYC member...

 

[NYREDS]

Any breed in the American Class. That's exactly what they were developed for.