Breed Selection

[BirdieBuddie]

Hello, I am running a medium scale small farm pastured egg operation. My goal is to make my chicken breeding hobby sustainable through egg sales. These are the breeds I want to work with: Welsummer, Isbar, Ameraucana, and Bielefelder. I've read all I can find on them on the internet, however I want to confirm that i'm not making a major mistake to compromise egg production. My ideal production is 250 eggs per bird, is this achievable with these breeds assuming I select based on production? Have I severely undercut myself? Do any of you know of pitfalls to these breeds? Behavior or health issues common to the lines? Any information specific to the breeds listed would be great.
Also, Im aware that birds who lay colored eggs lay significantly less then white egg layers, and that the darker the bloom the less eggs produced per bird. I am also aware of the importance of diet when it comes to amount of eggs laid. I am not looking for diet advice, or to be convinced out of rainbow colored eggs. I am looking for information on behavior and genetic capabilities of these breeds!!!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Are you selling for eating or hatching? That makes a BIG difference in my advice to you.

If for eating, I'd go with higher producers as it is hard to make a profit on eggs unless you have access to lots of free range that actually cuts down on the bagged feed. It also depends on what your market will give for pasture raised eggs for eating. In my area, $7 is top price for pasture raised eggs. I can at best get $5 a dozen, then we had a glut and I had to drop my prices to $4 per dozen.

If you are selling for breed hatching, then yes, going to more exclusive breeds with high quality in mind for standard, health, and production is the way to go.

In my area, $5 an egg is common for Black Copper Marans and Cream Legbar. If you have a top quality line of a rarer, but desired breed, you can get up to $7 an egg.

Welsummer are nice birds, productive, and have a desirable egg color. They are also good free rangers.

I personally would stay away from the Isbar unless you know you have access to a good line. Isbar have suffered from too much in-breeding producing weak chicks that die in shell or hatch poorly or remain unthrifty. I got a lot of splayed leg and unthrifty birds from several attempts. I gave up on them as I simply could not get beyond the hatching problems. I've read that is a big problem in a number of Isbar lines.

Ameraucana have been developed enough that you get hardy birds that free range and produce decent egg volumes. The pea comb and muff makes a nice marker for the line so you can tell who carries Ameraucana blood should you decide to breed Easter Eggers. Be very, very careful where you get your Ameraucana from as you don't want Easter Eggers. Easter Eggers are diluted lines, hybrids, that do not breed true. With the hybrid, you won't know if the hens carry one or both blue shell genes. Blue shell is dominant, so you can get a blue layer with only 1 gene, but the next generation will breed 50/50 for blue as the parent only had 1 gene. Starting a line with a hybrid makes your work twice as hard and unpredictable.

If you breed with a true Ameraucana, you know you've got solid blue genes to work with and predictability. Only buy Ameraucana from an established, respected breeder. Check with the Ameraucana Breeding Society first to make sure you understand the recognized standards for both adults and chicks.

I am not familiar with Bielfelder as I've not had them yet. I know they are more rare which can mean hatching eggs will sell for a good price. It can also mean that they will have breed problems as they are too inbred for good results. Inbreeding in itself is not evil, as the best way to improve a line is to line breed. However, if you don't have good genetics, it is also the quickest way to ruin a breed line.

So if you want to sell eggs for eating, I'd go to good rangers that are egg prolific. Your Red Sexlinks and Black Sexlinks, Barred Rocks, do very well for that. Leghorns, being flighty, are prolific and predator savvy. You will need prolific, good keepers, to be able to make a profit in the eggs for consumption market.

If however you are selling hatching eggs, you can focus on more exclusive lines. Of those stated, I personally would focus on the Welsummer and Ameraucana, getting really good lines of each. The Welsummer, if maintained properly, is auto-sexing. The Ameraucana is highly desired and produces the coveted blue eggs. Bred together, they produce olive eggers which eggs and chicks are sought after for back yard keepers.

Then look to healthy lines of coveted breeds staying away from any designer types that are too small in number to be carefully managed.

Most importantly scout what is popular in your area. Who wants what? What breeds are desired? Having ain't selling. You can't make a profit unless someone wants them.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[BirdieBuddie]

This was a wonderful reply. I will be producing eggs mostly for food, but some for hatching. Really hatching eggs would be just for me as I develop my lines. My long term goal is food production though, as I run a market garden and meat operation. What breeds would you suggest for me then when it comes to a lighter but still brown or tinted egg color? I prefer dual purpose because I eat my birds and I like working on breeds that don't get enough attention. I also prefer a small comb. I've looked through just about every breed google and the major hatcheries will offer, and I just can't find what im looking for. What do you think of Dominique's? Speckled Sussex?

Oh! Also, eggs in my area go for around $4.00 per dozen and I grow the majority of my own feed. I ferment feed and use chicken powered compost (which ends up being a major part of their diets). I also use maggot farms which the chickens self harvest from for protein. Free feed egg shell and oyster shell is provided for calcium. Feed costs arnt a huge issue for me, the issue is just not cheating myself whilst being reasonable haha.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

For your stated goals, dual purpose, meat and eggs, light to medium tint, homestead breed that needs attention....

Buckeye!

Awesome breed. Cocks come to table nicely around 16 to 18 weeks depending on how fed. Good meat! If you get a start from a good line, decent enough egg layer of medium tint. A beautiful, and coveted, all American breed that needs more support.

My second choice for neglected but awesome dual purpose is New Hampshire. Sadly the breed has been diluted with production reds, but good line New Hampshire would nicely fit your goals and you would keep a piece of American heritage alive. Cocks come to table a bit later, closer to 22 to 24 weeks, but hens lay well, extra large light to medium tint eggs.

My final choice would be Rhodebar. Autosexing is a nice feature, and I was impressed with both cocks and pullets in meat and eggs. Again, a light to medium tint in eggs.

Either of those breeds would produce a fine homestead breed to be proud of and work toward.

Good luck towards your goals.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Oh...caught your comb remark...of those the Buckeye has the small comb you desire.

Again, if you want egg production for commercial purpose, it is hard to beat the sex links or a Rhode Island Red...ie Production Red.

RIR also come in rose comb that would fit your comb size. I personally do not find them as dual purpose, but I have only worked with the commercial layer quality. The heritage type carry more body weight. However RIR do lay a medium tint.

I've not had Speckled Sussex, though I have heard complaint that they tend to lay more medium size of egg, but a lighter tint.

For some reason I was not impressed by the Dominiques when I looked at them, but I cannot remember why.

California Greys are a white layer that are amazing and unique birds...I have been really impressed with mine, but they are single comb.

 

[Conan]

I have a four year old Welsummer who still lays three eggs a week in the middle of Winter, plus she is large (would be good to eat at a younger age) and blends in nicely with the landscape so hawks can't spot her easily. She lays a range of dark brown freckled eggs to light brown as her cycle goes along. As mentioned above, she is an excellent forager. Eats very little feed.
I've coveted Ameracaunas though never been lucky enough to have them. I settle for the EEs and I love them. No experience with the other two varieties mentioned. I have two speckled sussex chicks currently with two EEs and I hope they live up to their reps. How many chickens are you hoping to acquire?

 

[Mrs. K]

I have tried the bielfelder, and was not that impressed with egg laying, but he did put meat on my birds.

If you do meat production, and egg production for sale, it is really better to do meat birds and egg birds. Dual purpose birds are less in both departments. Less eggs than egg laying birds, and less meat than meat birds. They are all right if you are like me, buy most of my chicken meat, and like a bit of color in my eggs. I produce eggs for my family.

But for sales - you need some egg laying breeds. They lay, and lay a lot of eggs most economically and consistently. I love having some canned chicken from my dual purpose roosters, but for real table eating birds, I think I am going to try some meat birds this year.

However, do remember it is not an all of nothing deal. You can have egg layers with dual purpose birds if you want. For meat birds, I think you need a separate set up.

Mrs K

 

[lazy gardener]

This was a wonderful reply. I will be producing eggs mostly for food, but some for hatching. Really hatching eggs would be just for me as I develop my lines. My long term goal is food production though, as I run a market garden and meat operation. What breeds would you suggest for me then when it comes to a lighter but still brown or tinted egg color? I prefer dual purpose because I eat my birds and I like working on breeds that don't get enough attention. I also prefer a small comb. I've looked through just about every breed google and the major hatcheries will offer, and I just can't find what im looking for. What do you think of Dominique's? Speckled Sussex?

Oh! Also, eggs in my area go for around $4.00 per dozen and I grow the majority of my own feed. I ferment feed and use chicken powered compost (which ends up being a major part of their diets). I also use maggot farms which the chickens self harvest from for protein. Free feed egg shell and oyster shell is provided for calcium. Feed costs arnt a huge issue for me, the issue is just not cheating myself whilst being reasonable haha.

Thoughts on your goals, and breed choices. It sounds like you want to offer a colorful egg basket to your customers, prefer a small combed bird, want good productivity and a decent carcass for the table.

Rose comb leg horn would be a great white egg layer while retaining the small comb. They come in a variety of colors.

Dominique is a great ranger, I've found their eggs to be a nice lt. brown, or even have a pinkish tint. But, their egg size is a bit smaller than what your market customers might prefer.

Ameraucana will give you the guaranteed blue egg gene you are looking for, while EE are more apt to carry blue AND brown genes. You could get blue, aqua, olive, green, or no blue egg genes at all. I prefer the productivity and personality of the EE over the Ameraucana.

Buck Eye: I added those last spring. Found them to be slow to grow out and come on line to produce, but they are very mellow in temperament, and I love their deep mahogany color.

Pioneer aka Dixie Rainbow: Marketed as a free range style meat bird which grows out in 12 weeks, but also makes a decent layer. My experience is: they make GREAT layers. I held one Pioneer back from the freezer several years ago. She was my first pullet to start laying that season, and was my most prolific layer. Her eggs were huge. But, given their size, the shell quality was not as good as what you typically find in a smaller egg. Her feather quality was not the best, either. Most likely b/c she put so much of her protein reserves into those eggs! Her genes are still present in my flock.

I'm sure you know that Pea comb and rose comb are dominant over single comb. And Pea x Rose = Walnut. I love the tiny little walnuts on my girls.

As you breed forward with your flock, you might want to breed to produce sex links. Put a good Buck Eye, EE or Am over a barred hen, and you will get a fine crop of black sex links which will have a small comb and produce Aqua, blue, green, olive, or brown eggs, depending on what roo you choose. You can also produce your own red sex links by choosing different hens. For more info, read the "sex linked information" thread. There are some great tables in the first post.

 

[BirdieBuddie]

Your suggestions are extremely helpful. I really like the look of the birds you've suggested and I hope that my research proves just as good results when it comes to production!!! I am a bit worried about the aggressive temperament of the New Hampshire though, as my flock is mixed. Would you be worried about bullying going too far?

 

[BirdieBuddie]

I am planning to raise Red Rangers on the side for market, however Im not a big chicken meat fan myself. I just don't want to be culling layer hens and find a stringy poorly muscled bird under all of that fluff, it makes the egg production not worth it for me. I have been debating going out of my way to create my own hybrids, however first I would like to start by improving existing breeds. Thank you for all of your tips! The details in these comments are amazing and extremely useful