Breed Opinion Please!

[MrsDevlin]

I'm kinda starting over and it's been really hard to find the breed I really want to have (Coronation Sussex) without taking out a loan!

I really like the personality of our rooster and that they are a dual purpose bird. I have only 2 hens now 1 Leg Horn and 1 Black Sussex. The rooster hurt his foot last year and babied it so much that it has atrophied and he can't mount, or roost or properly groom himself. He won't put any weight on it.

So, my question is this. For a dual purpose flock if you couldn't have your first choice in breed what breed would you choose and why?

I'm kinda new posting on here so I apologize if this is the wrong topic...

 

[HS Pye]

Hi,

That's a pretty hard question. It'd either be the Rhode Island Red or the White Plymouth Rock.

White Plymouth
Pros:
Great beginner bird
Plenty of breast meat
Lays 200-250 medium eggs a year
Friendly & Curious
Hardy in hot and cold weather

Cons:
Can't think of any

RIR
Pros:
Lays in winter
250-300 eggs a year
Plenty of breast meat
Great Foragers
Protective cocks (known to killed dogs and other predators)

Cons:
Cocks tend to be very aggressive towards humans
I've heard of them not doing well in the heat, ours did just fine though :/


I guess it's a preference matter, I choose White Plymouth Rocks. Hope this helps.

HS Pye

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I used to have buff orpingtons, They are a decent sized bird, lay well, and are friendly. Some strains are very broody but that has been bred out of most hatchery strains.

**that is one thing to pay attention to, most hatchery birds are bred to lay and so are somewhat different from the ones you see in the show pictures.

 

[HS Pye]

**that is one thing to pay attention to, most hatchery birds are bred to lay and so are somewhat different from the ones you see in the show pictures.

Ditto

 

[3riverschick]

I'm kinda starting over and it's been really hard to find the breed I really want to have (Coronation Sussex) without taking out a loan!

I really like the personality of our rooster and that they are a dual purpose bird. I have only 2 hens now 1 Leg Horn and 1 Black Sussex. The rooster hurt his foot last year and babied it so much that it has atrophied and he can't mount, or roost or properly groom himself. He won't put any weight on it.

So, my question is this. For a dual purpose flock if you couldn't have your first choice in breed what breed would you choose and why?

I'm kinda new posting on here so I apologize if this is the wrong topic...

Have you checked at the breed Club? The American Sussex Breeders Association ?
http://americansussexbreeders.webs.com/membersdirectory.htm
Where do you live? It doesn't matter if your Coronation Sussex are also carrying the Light Sussex genes.
Or if your Light Sussex are also carrying Coronation genes. Both situations are called "split".
if you breed splits together you will get pure Light, Pure Coronations, and some splits. Select what color
you want and sell the rest on Craigslist. The only difference between Coronation Sussex and Light Sussex
is the Lavender gene in the Coronation and the Hackle Black gene in the Light. Otherwise they are exactly the same bird.

Buy some grown splits ( doesn't matter which color is split with which other color) from a quality breeder who is working on a color crossing project. Have them help you plan the 1st breeding. Then breed them this Spring and keep the color you want. This is good for the breeder because he/she gets to see more of what his/her strain is producing. Maybe you can get a discount on the birds if you agree to give them a stated number of chicks back from colors you don't want.