Best recession/depression chicken breed(s)?

[silkiechicken]

When my mom was growing up in china, they had a few chickens. She said they were plain mutts, hatched their own chicks, and they'd sometimes be able to get eggs from them. She said they didn't lay much though vs the ones have now and always were "ugly." They fed them rice hulls and a "mash" made from what humans didn't eat. However, she also said, per clutch of chicks hatched, most would die. They were kept in wooden cages inside the home to be safe from preds and let out during the day.

 

[onthespot]

imagine if you took your good (best) birds you have right now and fed them rice hulls, I would guess they would barely lay and a lot of chicks would die too. Not dissn your mom, just saying, there is no way around the equation of there has to be SOME protein and mineral input to get good eggs and healthy chicks out. Good foragers in good habitat will take care of a lot of that themselves, but still.... they can't do it ALL by themselves.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, I was trying to point out that if we have the ability to feed our birds the proper diet, it should be done. If you do it, do it right basically. Nothing is free and cutting back on what goes in will reduce what comes out. Get efficient birds and feed them right.

Back in china, about 50 years ago, they didn't feed their birds well, they had to forage, and that was the result. Bad production, weak birds, losses of chicks. They didn't know any better and had no access to food for small animals such as chickens. They barely had food for themselves.

If we know better here, have access to good nutrition for the birds, and can see by example though the past where birds did not do well on minimal food, I don't see why we should be subjecting our birds to those conditions.

 

[DollDoctor]

I have been trying to decide between Buckeyes, Delawares and Chanteclers for my first flock and after reading this thread I am really leaning toward the Delawares. The one thing that concerns me is the comb - I have read that to be really cold hardy they should have a pea or rose comb, which the Delawares don't. So how hardy are they - OK for northern New England, or will frostbite be a problem? I want my birdies to be able to go outside every day or nearly every day.

 

[cubalaya]

WHAT ABOUT KEY WEST CHICKENS?

 

[seriousbill]

Quote:
The single comb can be a problem for the Dels in extremely cold weather. When the temp here drops below 10 F at night, I put my roosters in the garage to avoid frostbitten combs. You might want to go with the Buckeyes instead. From what I hear, they are very cold hardy, great foragers, and pretty good layers.

 

[digitS']

Quote:
There are a lot of different issues involved in any agricultural activity. There's the human cultural issues, also

.

I can't help believing that if you have good egg producers, wonderful - go with that. The feed conversion ratio is better. It's better to get the protein without killing the protein producer. That would be kinda like killing the milk cow.

But, you gotta work with what you've got.

Steve

 

[Trollkiller]

Quote:
I agree that we should care for our animals to the best of our abilities and there is no excuse for mistreating an animal.

I don't see anything wrong with requiring a chicken to forage for its food, assuming the chicken is able and assuming that your property will support them.

I would be willing to bet that the food that a chicken can find for themselves is more nutritionally sound than commercial feed.

I am in no way considering placing a bird in an unfit environment.

 

[Trollkiller]

Quote:
I don't think you can buy those, if you know of a way of getting them legally let me know.

 

[LocoPollo]

I have some game hens and a rooster, and they pretty much fend for themselves, and are wonderful mothers. They lay ok, but not stellar, and they are small so the meat is modest. But, they don't need a lot of care. Everything is a tradeoff.