Dual purpose breed choice

[puddleglumWI]

Hello all,

New to the forum, and am looking for some ideas for a dual purpose breed. I am interested in eggs more than meat, but would like a breed that has reasonable potential as a meat bird. I hope to raise some chicks to sell, add to the flock, and butcher. I will be moving to the family farm this spring, and will have about 3-4 acres of farmyard that I can work with. I plan to use poultry netting and a mobile coop, at least in the summer, maybe with a permanent stationary coop for the winter. I am pretty new, and have been reading a lot, so I want to put out a few ideas I have, and welcome any critique of my ideas, or suggestions you may have for me.

A few breeds I have some interest in, and thoughts I have about them:

1. Bielfelder. There is a breeder about two hours from me that says they have Bielfelders that are laying 300+ eggs per year, which would be great. The chicks are autosexing, and the males get big, so they have some potential for meat. But I have read they take quite a while to fill out.

2. Delaware. They were originally meant to be decent layers and grow a little faster for roasters. I would probably need to find a decent breeder to get these qualities. I could have a Delaware rooster and just raise Delawares, or I could keep a New Hampshire rooster with Delaware hens to get red sex link chicks, and hopefully keep decent growth and laying in the offspring.

3. American Bresse. While I am not interested in all the fru-fru feeding routines to produce the finest meat in the world I read about, these seem like they are a decent layer, grow quickly, and are good foragers. That checks boxes for me, and I am sure they still would be good eating even if they don't get the fancy finishing before butchering.

4. Barred Rocks. This would be the cheapest option, as I could probably get decent layers from a hatchery and Rocks shouldn't be the most terrible meat birds. I could keep an Australorp or New Hampshire rooster to give the offspring a little more size, and they would have black sex link chicks. I am guessing they would be a little slower to fill out, however.

Just a few of my initial thoughts. Appreciate any feedback.

Thanks,
-pg

 

[Egghead_Jr]

To attempt to contact people, some of whom are breeders and others hatchery type. You know by how many breeds they have. I'd not purchase anything from someone with more than 4 or 5 poultry types.

https://www.poultryimprovement.org/statesContent.cfm

Above is a link to NPIP by state. Click your state or one near you.

Know the breed code, google search "NPIP code (breed)". If using google or chrome your find function is in the three dots on tool bar top right of screen. Click find, type the breed code in search function. Every place that breed is listed in the NPIP list in your state will highlight. Each person made public their address and name and some even provide a phone number.

 

[Molpet]

If I was starting over I would try these particular New Hampshire
https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/shop/product/new-hampshire-gmo-free-chicken/

 

[Ridgerunner]

In my opinion the quality of stock you start with is much more important than breed. You can get good or bad specimens with any of those breeds. What makes a good specimen will vary depending on what your goals are. Some people are obsessed by size. Some of us not so much. That's just differences in people and circumstances.

You talk about making sex links and about adding to your flock. You cannot use sex links to make sex links. So the sex link thing will work for the first generation but not the second. One way around that is to maintain a breeding flock, bringing in new stock when you need to, and butcher or sell all of the chicks. You could maintain separate flocks to produce roosters and layers but that may be too complicated for you, it would be for me.

You emphasize egg laying. Hatchery stock will not be that big but they tend to lay really well. You might be happy with those. Something else I could see working is to get something like large meat type roosters like those New Hampshires probably are and cross them with hatchery stock hens that lay well, maybe Delawares, to get sex link chicks. Masbe not the best of both worlds but not a bad compromise.

 

[bigz1983]

I think you should just get barred rocks and breed for the traits you want.

 

[CNJ]

Hello all,

New to the forum, and am looking for some ideas for a dual purpose breed. I am interested in eggs more than meat, but would like a breed that has reasonable potential as a meat bird. I hope to raise some chicks to sell, add to the flock, and butcher. I will be moving to the family farm this spring, and will have about 3-4 acres of farmyard that I can work with. I plan to use poultry netting and a mobile coop, at least in the summer, maybe with a permanent stationary coop for the winter. I am pretty new, and have been reading a lot, so I want to put out a few ideas I have, and welcome any critique of my ideas, or suggestions you may have for me.

A few breeds I have some interest in, and thoughts I have about them:

1. Bielfelder. There is a breeder about two hours from me that says they have Bielfelders that are laying 300+ eggs per year, which would be great. The chicks are autosexing, and the males get big, so they have some potential for meat. But I have read they take quite a while to fill out.

2. Delaware. They were originally meant to be decent layers and grow a little faster for roasters. I would probably need to find a decent breeder to get these qualities. I could have a Delaware rooster and just raise Delawares, or I could keep a New Hampshire rooster with Delaware hens to get red sex link chicks, and hopefully keep decent growth and laying in the offspring.

3. American Bresse. While I am not interested in all the fru-fru feeding routines to produce the finest meat in the world I read about, these seem like they are a decent layer, grow quickly, and are good foragers. That checks boxes for me, and I am sure they still would be good eating even if they don't get the fancy finishing before butchering.

4. Barred Rocks. This would be the cheapest option, as I could probably get decent layers from a hatchery and Rocks shouldn't be the most terrible meat birds. I could keep an Australorp or New Hampshire rooster to give the offspring a little more size, and they would have black sex link chicks. I am guessing they would be a little slower to fill out, however.

Just a few of my initial thoughts. Appreciate any feedback.

Thanks,
-pg

You are missing Black Maran chickens on your list. They lay very dark brown eggs that fill a niche market need. In addition, I didn't see Henry Knoll's New Hampshire chickens on your list either? New Hampshire chickens are good layers and mature faster than other dual purpose breeds. They were fine tuned for meat........
https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/shop/product/new-hampshire-gmo-free-chicken/

I think Breese chickens are over rated and flaunted as the best tasting chicken in the world, but that's not true, its a promotional gimmick. I have a freezer full full of Breese chickens and they taste like chicken to me..........

However, the Barbeziuex chicken is another story, to me its the best tasting chicken in the world. There is no comparison, its hands down the best. The meat is like a cross between a duck and chicken. The down side is they take over a year to reach mature weight..........

 

[imacowgirl2]

How are the New Hampshire roosters? Do they have the same reputation as RIR for being more prone to being human agressive than some other breeds?

My Freedom Ranger NH roosters are some of the most laid back roosters in my flock. I have leghorn, australorp, buff Orpington roosters in addition to my NH Roos - when they were all in the same bachelor pad, the NH were lowest on the totem pole until they got bigger than everyone - now they are middle of the pecking order - they are above the buff Orpington and I’ve seen them go after him occasionally. As far as I can tell the australorp and leghorns are 1,2,3 in the pecking order but pretty much leave the NH alone and the NH leave them alone.

One of our NH had to be doctored in a crate for over a month — he pecked me once during that time but it was when I had been reading my arm right in front of him multiple times to refill containers.

The only time I thought one of my NH might come at me was right after I had put him in with hens, and I slipped on some mud and started falling, causing my foot to quickly come towards him as I caught my balance (he was standing only a couple feet away at the time)…he jumped like he might attack but didn’t and quickly went back to minding his own business.

That being said…it all depends on the individual. Australorp are supposed to be pretty good, and mine is such a jerk to people that he is headed to freezer camp soon because he will attack you any chance he gets.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I haven't raised these myself but wanted to post this since you memtioned Delawares:

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/delaware-broiler.html

Egg lays and bred to be meaty

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Bielfelder don't lay 300 eggs per year. Though they do lay over 200 which is like New Hampshire and excellent for dual purpose birds.

You should think more on your goals and needs before choosing a breed. Many are good and there are many variations to consider. For instance winter laying. That's important if you want eggs all year round. Cost of feed and size of birds is a consideration with rising feed costs. To maintain a large body the birds consume more food. Medium sized dual purpose birds may be more attractive to you if planning to keep many birds.

People have been asking and hatcheries are finally making available meatier non standard birds like the aforementioned Knoll New Hampshire and that meatier Delaware. These are good options if you want sustainable meat. No doubt about it.

Personally I'm a sucker for standard bred birds. I think people can search somewhat locally, within a day drive, and find several options of good stock to obtain. Quick search of your area and Faverolle are available. I know they seem a fancy breed but if that person has good stock it's a utility bird that lays in winter. They lay just under 200 per year, medium compact carcass with fast fleshing. Then you've got Bielfelder near you too. And there are more to consider. Take your time, ask questions of breeders, get photos and really think about the birds and your goals.

A flock of quality standard bred birds have a majesty of their own. And many still have utility value. Early fleshing, not confused with early growth, is a great quality for culling excess cockerels for the freezer. Winter laying has become more important to me as we are eating store bought eggs currently.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

BTW, it's a misnomer that Deleware were the meat breed of their day. They were born of the meat industry but not used in it. The large framed Barred Plymouth was crossed with the faster fleshing New Hampshire to make broilers for the meat industry. This cross results in white sports now and then. Those sports were taken and bred to make the Deleware breed. It was not used nor would it compare with the hybrid vigor of Plymouth/Hamshire the meat industry was producing. Broilers from dual purpose birds are culled at 12 weeks of age.

Deleware if bred to standard and utility are exactly the same as New Hamshire but different feathers. The problem with them is the rarity today of a quality standard bred line.