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Thanks. I appreciate the prompt and helpful replies to someone on the bottom rung of the ladder.

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Thanks. I appreciate the prompt and helpful replies to someone on the bottom rung of the ladder.
Whew--I finally got to the end of this thread. I'm new to BYC, have had chickens for eggs for a few years. Started with a few birds given to us and then bought pullets and then chicks. Want to start breeding our own. Feeling a bit daunted by the comments about hatchery chicks and confused by the advice to get good stock from a breeder, but lots of disagreement about who has good stock or even if it is readily available. (Same issue last year when we started raising rabbits for meat--we just ended up getting what we could find that was healthy and getting them off pellets and onto feeding mostly forage and hay, growing fodder this winter, already replaced starter does with best from the best does litters last summer)
This spring we need new chickens and this time I want to get ones that forage well, grow more of our own feed, and start breeding our own replacement stock instead of buying chicks every couple years. We keep chickens mostly for eggs but will eat the extra cockerels if we're hatching our own chicks.Won't expect them to be really meaty. No interest in showing. Enjoy all that grows on the farm but not attached to the hens being a particular color or "style". I'm not looking to sell eggs--just to produce our own eggs. I'm not looking for birds that could compete in a show or to be the fastest growers or record-breaking layers. Is it realistic to hope that over time, by selecting the ones that do best at foraging, coping with the cold and snow, laying the most consistently over the year I could have hens that would be well adapted to this place and our ways of housing & feeding?
I'll be buying hatchery chicks from a feedstore unless I can find someone in my area that has birds to sell from a backyard flock. Given my goals (and the opinions some hold about all hatchery chicks) does it matter if I start with a mix or with one breed? Any suggestions about what the breed(s) should be?
I'm not near as knowledgable as others on the heritage types and I definitly don't believe in a dual purpose breed. But if meat isn't a main priority and you want eggs my first thought is a hatchery black sex link. Straight run. They lay very well. Quick to mature. Are a larger chicken than the other sexlinks. So there is a little more meat on them than those other strains. Butcher The cockerels. And if you did want to dabble in breeding them. Than I'd suggest contacting one of these breeders of RIR or NH, purchas and have them ship you a brood cock or stag to cover the black hens.
The F1 will retain good laying ability and you should have a little more carcass weight
What would you pick if you wanted them to breed true?
You are right they both have their place. I've enjoyed the posts, discussion, and laying out of plans. This is the third best thread I've ever read on this site. The heritage types can't compete with the modern hybrid type which wouldn't take much to make them a breed. The heritage are fun to talk about reminisce about, and continue dabbling with for a hobby. Some may take it a little more serious than that which is cool. But if production from the standpoint of sheer numbers are the goal hatchery hybrids can't be beaten. I'm glad others do continue to breed them. I just don't myself go this route. Perhaps when I'm older and more time I'd go try this but it would be something a little more ornamental and pleasing to the eye. I'm quite the fan of bantam types As for the ISA BROWNS. these are the best layers of extra jumbo size eggs I've ever had. Too big. I'd have to give the cartons to the customers with the tops open. Plus by a year old the shell quality was poor. But I've since learned that this was probably a product of free rangingQuote:
Dead Rabbit, I've always been a proponent for heritage not hatchery. But in restrospect, I understand where you are coming from. My Blosl and XW White Plyouth pullets are over 8 months old and still NOT laying. I think maybe they won't be part of my egg business. Selling hatching eggs, yes, but buying ISA Brown pullets when it's time for me to get started. I will buy a good New Hampshire rooster to get some Golden Comets as well as a few Delawares. But both heritage and hatcher;y have a place and I'm going for them![]()
What would you pick if you wanted them to breed true?