Not counting the new pullets I am keeping which are not at point of lay, I only have 6 hens between 1 and 2 years old. The remaining 26 hens are 3-6 years old. The laying duration varies greatly from hen to hen. I have some 3 and 4 year olds that lay pretty good (still laying now) & some are poor layers as they age. One very productive 3 year old hen (90-92 eggs this year, my best older bird), I have 7 growing chicks from her paired with a 4 year old rooster -- this should produce some good birds (it looks like a 4 pullet/ 3 cockerels from the 7 hatched in June (on the Summer Soltice) -- so still young).
Occasionally, you get a cockerel that dresses out at 4-5 lbs and also you will get the occasional small one also (2.5 - 3 lbs) -- I call those midgets. I figure that at the cost of free range, organic chicken these days ($3.50 - $6.00 per lb depending on the brand and where you buy), that is still expensive meat. We give an occasional bird to a friend (when they beg), but other than that, they serve as our chicken. We have stopped buying commercial chicken. Personally, I like them split & grilled on charcoal heat. We have eaten them, of course, fried, baked, coq-au-vin, roasted, etc.
Like you, my reason for keeping/ breeding Buckeyes is for my own personal meat and eggs. I only go to a show or two a year & my purpose is to get the Buckeye in the public eye, for fellowship with other Buckeye breeders & to get feedback from the judge (if he is one who knows the breed or esp. if he breeds Buckeyes too). I do not consider my goals include winning shows. I select for body type above all else along with rate of growth. After all, as Buckeye Breeder, Don Schrider, often says, "you can't eat color."
Let me know if you have any questions.
