Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[jvls1942]

One thing I have noticed from other groups is : people want to raise dual purpose chickens,, then they are disappointed because the eggs are not all
jumbos and the chickens do not dress out at 8 pounds.. You cannot have both..

If you want 8 pound dressed weight, get meat chickens bred for that.. and for large eggs, get egg layers bred for that, but don't expect to get a lot of meat off your egg layers when they are done laying..

I raise Delawares, Barred Rocks and some Buff Orpingtons. I also occasionally like a few White Rock hens..

I used to get cornishXrock pullets.. they would dress out to 5 or 6 pounds and they fit into our freezer bags better than the long legged roosters did..

now we just cut the roosters into pieces . takes up less freezer space..

It might be just my imagination, but I think the pullets are more tender..

I do not keep records of how much one type of bird eats more than another.. conversion to meat/eggs..

these birds are for my consumption, I am willing to spend a little more for the quality of meat I end up eating..

If I was raising thousands of birds for sale, then a few pennies per bird would make a difference..

just bite the bullet, raising your own meat is more expensive than buying meat from the store..

........jiminwisc.......

 

[ajlynco]

JVLS- Nothing wrong w/brown eggers, I'm gettin' 3 BRs and 3 RIRs to go along w/ a few white egg layers. I have some friends that want some eggs when I get em layin'. I just want to offer brown or white.

Quote:

 

[scottcaddy]

Quote:

LOL! what about a few green or blue eggs also, makes for a pretty box.

Thanks Scott

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:

LOL! what about a few green or blue eggs also, makes for a pretty box.

Thanks Scott

I have a regular egg customer who thinks it is great when I put blue eggs into the carton.. His small son gets them for breakfast and he thinks they are a special treat.. just for kicks, I gave him a dozen quail eggs for Christmas..

 

[ajlynco]

I'm just gettin started and thought I'd get 6-8 laying hens of various breeds that are good layers. I'm gonna learn Chickenology 101 w/these first birds. Hopefully, using the knowledge gleaned from my fellow BYCrs, I'll expand/refine my hendom in a year or so. Thought I'd start with good layers first and graduate to DPs later. I really like BRs and RIRs, they're cold hardy and I think they'll make excellent DPs, but eggs are my priorty now.

 

[Tracydr]

Merry Christmas everyone!
I have a couple of Hamburgs. Good layers but the eggs are kind of small and the hens are very spooky. I prefer my silver leghorns and Sicilian Buttercups, still flighty but not as nearly as spooky. For sheer egg laying of white eggs I'd probably go with one of the hybrids such as California White, however, white is not good color for free ranging. They are an " eat-me" flag for predators.
Anybody have Hamburgs that aren't spooky? Such pretty birds and great foragers. I'd like to keep them on my list of good foraging birds for when I get property but I'm concerned they would become completely feral.
Is it true Hamburgs are related distantly Dorkings are on my wish list, I plan to try them for a meat bird/heritage breed when we move.

 

[ajlynco]

I live in town at the present so they'll only get to 'free range' a couple of supervised hrs. in the afternoon.I'm counting the days until I can move to where I have some elbow room and can develop a bigger flock.
Quote:

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:

Color shouldn't be a factor, then. If you're limited in number, I'd go with one of the original hybrids that you listed, although I don't know which of those is really better. I suspect the California or Ideal brand are pretty equivalent.
The colored leghorns don't lay quite as well as the whites and the eggs aren't quite as big. But, they are so pretty and much more predator proof in a free-range situation.
My silver leghorns remind me of a large version of my OEGB hens. A wild-type color with gray-silver back and rusty/tab colored chest. Very pretty in a subtle way.
Currently, I'm testing some different breeds out for heat tolerance, hardiness and just to see if I like them. I chose good foraging breeds since I will be moving to acreage in a year. Although I don't currently free-range, when I move, the breeds that make the cut will be breeds that need to be able to forage and take care of themselves. Not that I'll set them loose and expect them to be wild but they won't be in a little pen, either.

 

[jvls1942]

I am being left in the dust.. what do people mean by good foraging chickens? all of my chickens go aboout their business every day and pick at whatever catches their fancy..

If you are thinking that you can just let a chicken loose and she will pick up all she needs to eat,, eeaaah, I don;t think so.. If you want eggs, she will need to be fed something other than forage.
If you want them to put on a few pounds, you will have to feed them a little extra, also..

foraging helps somewhat on the feed bill, but it is not that much that it is going to make or break you..

 

[BWKatz]

Quote:
That depends on how big a flock you have. I only have 10 but my feed bill is still cut in half when they forage. also depends on where you live and what they have to forage on. I have a large pasture with several grasses and clover and all kinds of bugs.
ETA: My 9 hens are still laying 6-8 eggs/day.