Chicken Math & Chicken Breeds

[BCGurrl]

I have a bit of a confusing math and breed problem....
Ideally I want to raise a dual purpose chicken for eggs and meat but also a broody breed that will help grow the flock organically.

Which breed would be the best for Canadian winters (average -4.6 -> -28.4) and summers (average +15 -> +35)?

How do i go about figuring out how many birds that I need?

We eat about 2-3 eggs a day some times more when my husband is home from work and a meal with chicken in about 3-4 times a week.

Would you just harvest a chicken or two a week or would you have your group of layers and raise meat bird separately?

How many Roosters are needed?

Thanks for taking the time to helping me figure this out

 

[chickenmama109]

what breed you want to go broody is silkies they go broody- hatch eggs very easy i dont have one but i heard they go broody easy good luck

 

[Mrs. K]

Have you eaten a dual purpose chicken, cause they are not quite like KFC. They are tasty, but... I think it would be best to do some meat birds, and some egg laying birds. You can turn over meat birds in 8 weeks. They do have to be harvested all at once, some people like that. These birds will be more like what you are used to.

However, I am a dual purpose bird keeper myself. Delaware is a very good breed of chicken for that purpose. They are mostly white, and I had trouble with predators, so I do not have any at this time.

Broody hens are wonderful. Buff Orpingtons have raised a lot of chicks for me, but they are not dependable. If you are serious about meat production, then you probably need an incubator. You have a lot more control, a lot more consistent hatch. In the olden days, people often went hungry, as getting a stable food production is harder than modern people think, surrounded by consistent and constant food supply.

I bake and cook often with eggs, generally speaking count up the number of people you are feeding, and add 2-3 more birds, and you should have enough eggs, kind of, sort of. For example if there are 4 people in you family, 6-7 hens should do you... except during the dark days of winter. Adding new pullets each year will help. Or freezing eggs when you have an excess.

My best advice, is start with a hen only flock. Get them up and laying, see how many eggs you really need, how many birds. Do not fill your coop to maximun capacity. Year 2, get more chicks, you have some experience, let roosters grow up in your flock, butcher the extra's, keep a breeding rooster.

Year 3, now begin to hatch out your own eggs. Try some meat birds, see what you like. Try breeding some meat birds, hatching with an incubator or with a broody hen.

Work into this hobby slowly. There is a learning curve, and most of us have made some colossal mistakes and are willing to share. I have learned a lot on this forum.

Mrs K

 

[BCGurrl]

Thank you so much Mrs. K
Your advice is exactly what I was looking for!

 

[Lostchicken]

I found out after I got my chickens that I have a predator problem. I lost chickens to them. I would also suggest a pen and a coop with a door you can lock so you can raise and eat the chickens and not the predators.