Confused-----want a sustaining flock

Have you tried posting on the Florida thread in the social section yet?
There are many breeders in Florida with birds that thrive successfully local to you. These folks could not only advise you, but could be a resource of birds to fill your coop.

 

Try searching "dual purpose breeds" lots of threads should come up to help you find some ideas.

 

IMO there is nothing wrong with 'hybrid' dual purpose hatchery birds in a sustaining flock over true heritage breeds as most of these more modern dual purpose hybrids produce more eggs and produce more meat then most heritage breeds...

What you generally want to avoid when creating a self sustaining flock is the highly refined Cornish X meat bird breeds, that have short life expediencies and a high risk of health issues as they mature and they don't breed true...

Rhode Island Reds will fit your bill well...

 

A good dual purpose breed will provide eggs and meat for personal use. It would be better to start with good breeder stock than with hatchery stock. Hatchery stock are good egg layers, but are very lacking in the meat department. Being in Florida, I would contact cpartist on this site. She has some wonderful birds that would have what you're looking for.

You will have to formulate a breeding plan, and one of your two coops could be set up for breeding. This would give you a good supply of young cockerels and older hens for meat, and refill the laying house with pullets.

Hatchery chickens are not genetically altered. There are a lot of Hybrids at hatcheries, farms, and backyards alike. Any chicken can be eaten, but only the cornish x's have the plump breasts. Well bred, dual purpose birds have a good amount of meat, but not the super plump breasts.

Oh

 

You may want to read these threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/400344/bob-blosls-heritage-large-fowl-thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/849075/heritage-large-fowl-phase-ii/7570#post_16044484

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...roduction-eggs-and-or-meat/6020#post_16044426

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...esteading-heritage-poultry/3150#post_16045248

And maybe this thread if you decide you want to create your own sex links. The first post contains a lot of useful information.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

Hatchery birds have not been genetically altered, Cornish X included. They are the result of selective breeding programs, just like those with backyard breeder flocks. They just have different goals. Most people order hatchery chicks for layers, so they concentrate on egg laying abilities more so than meat. Private breeders tend to work on the whole package. That being said, a true dual purpose breed will have less meat and take more time to mature than a meat bird, and will lay fewer eggs than you'd get from a production type.

 

DELAWARE is a great ultimate purpose breed, and lay a nice size tinted egg, and process out with a very nice carcuss, for the table.

 

Excellent links and information - agree on all counts.

 

X2 on keesmom's post and Ol Grey Mare's comments; excellent links and information. )

 

Where did you hear that hatchery birds are genetically altered? This is false information. Even the Cornish cross meat birds are not genetically altered, they're simply a result of intense selective breeding.

Besides the excellent information provided above, you need to first be sure you'll be happy with eating a dual purpose cockerel. Get you hands on some free roosters from Craigslist or the feed store flier section. Butcher them and cook them and see if you like actually eating the meat. Lots of folks are not prepared for how a dp carcass looks, and the same cooking methods one uses on a CX don't always translate well to a more mature bird. Doesn't matter what breed they are, or how pretty they look, if no one in the family wants to eat the meat the birds are useless, and worse, freeloaders.