Crossing dual purpose breeds?

[Fenika]

Wow, those are some gorgeous sex links!

Thanks everyone for the advice. I do worry about Delawares and predators. Right now it looks like I'll be pasture raising my birds (with a smaller and larger pasture) and getting a LGD. But I guess I can take a chance and see.

Are Big Name Hatchery birds really that bad? I always thought they were well bred and less likely to have disease problems?? Color me ignorant though

 

[Lotsapaints]

I was disappointed with my hatchery Dels they were way smaller and really not "pure" the breeder ones are way better and I've seen some from another hatchery that are looking pretty good same with New Hampshires I think for a long term project of having self sustaining chickens you end up way ahead buying better stock from a breeder with the same goals....I didn't buy my Dels to show I bought them to lay eggs and raise up replacements with males big enough to eat of course now I might want to show but I have the barn just need to fix up the paint job and they are good eating and the hens lay more eggs than I can eat so I have some to sell. Go over to the Heritage breeds thread and check it out there are some nice birds

 

[Fenika]

Thanks, Paints.

I will definitely look into a breeder. Maybe I'll find one with several of the breeds I want. I've got time to look, particularly since breeders won't have chicks as soon as a hatchery.

Any other advice or experiences are welcome

 

[kathyinmo]

Where are you located?

 

[Fenika]

I'm in NC (but traveling for training atm)

 

[kathyinmo]

If you decide on Delawares ..... check with Beth. She is near you. joletabey is her user ID here on BYC.

 

[Mahonri]

can you hear me now? :

Here is my suggestion. Barred rock hens and Rhode island red hens. Then a Rhode island red rooster. The offspring are black sex links from the barred rocks. The little roos will have dots on heads and pullets not. They are also awesome dual purpose and really early egg layers. At least the ones I have had.

My thoughts exactly but I would add a few Delaware hens, simply for their JUMBO eggs.
Black Sex links in my experience are the very best layers. I had one that went over three months without missing one day.​

 

[Fenika]

Thanks Kathy and Mahonri.

I'll go read up on the Delaware thread (funny enough, I'm from Delaware originally), but does anyone reading have experience pasture raising them? I'm planning on having my chickens out with the LGD by day in a small 'pasture' and locked into a run and coop by night.

When I'm around, the birds can hang out with me at the barn and garden

 

[kathyinmo]

Delawares sound perfect for you! They love to forage! They also love humans and will jump up into your lap.

 

[Lesalynn]

I'm also into raising DP chickens. All the breeds mentioned here so far will work very well for that, in my opinion. However, I have one to add to the list. The first rooster I had was a Columbian Wyandotte. I crossed him with some RIR, BR, PR, BL, and one EE. I hatched out 4 different batches. We have processed cockerels off the first two batches already. I began to realize that when he was crossed with the BR the cocks were colored like the Columbian, and the pullets were all black. So far, any we have cooked up have been absolutely delicious. Our first batch are just now 23 weeks old, so we haven't gotten any eggs from the pullets just yet. I have been greatly impressed with the size, personality and temperament of all the young we got using that rooster and our various hens. He died over the summer, and I have made up my mind that I will be getting another Columbian. Nearly every one of the pullets from him are so tame they will come right up to me and wait to be picked up. They are just beautiful. I'll post a few picks, just so you can see the size and variety of colors from these mixes.
Here are some of the cockerels from the first batch:

Here's a couple of pics showing the first 2 batches mixed in with the moms. Believe it or not, the moms are the ones closest to me in the corner. That giant-looking cockerel on the left?...Well he's one of Columbo's first babies. Only 23 weeks old. All those spread out in the back and on the sides are his siblings, 23 week olds and 20 week olds:

The rooster you see in the corner was given to us after Columbo died. I hatched out 5 chicks from him just to see what they'll be like. They're in the brooder.
The rooster in my avatar is the dad of all the ones outside.