Dual purpose breeds...

[CowgirlMama]

I am planning on getting dual purpose breeds- Black Australorps, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds and either Golden Sex Links or Speckled Sussex. I also am planning to get some White Leghorns just to put in my freezer. Can I keep them all together? I know once they go outside, they will need different rations, but how big a deal is it if I mix a laying ration with a meat building ration? I am limited on space at this point, and don't have the room or finances to build two different pens/coops... HELP! Thanks

 

[Judy]

You can keep them all together, you can keep most any chickens together except certain games, but you don't want to get Leghorns for processing. They were bred for eggs only and have little meat on them. Dual purpose are better.

 

[CowgirlMama]

If I was going to buy some cockerels for meat, what breed would you suggest (other than Cornish)? Thanks for the info!

 

[Cowgirl71]

Quote:
The best dual purpose breeds for meat from hatcheries are White Rocks, New Hampshires, and Delawares, in that order.

 

[CowgirlMama]

Quote:
The best dual purpose breeds for meat from hatcheries are White Rocks, New Hampshires, and Delawares, in that order.

Thanks! What about breeds that are only raised for meat? I really want to get some cockerels to process late summer/early fall. Or am I better to get a dual purpose?

 

[flowerchild59]

I am raising dark cornish that I originally got in a brown egg layer assortment. They lay a pretty good sized light brown egg and they are solid when you pick them up. I am thinking about getting a delaware roo for my meat birds.

 

[SJ]

Yeah do yourself a favor and forget the leghorn for meat. If you want alot of eggs those girls are tough to beat.

As for duallies and meat I would recomend the NHR. Only because i have no expierennce with the rock and the NHR tend to have better availiblity and are somewhat less expensive then Delawares. I butchered and ate my NHR roo today. He dressed out at 7lbs.

He was hatched last June but I could have butched him at 21wks at and had a 5+lbs bird in the freezer. The NHR grows faster then a pure cornish but wont have the breast meat like one.
Aside price and availibity the same can be said for the Delaware as the NHR. They grow fast, get big and meaty, but have calmer quieter dispositions.
If you want a pure meat bird look into the red or black broiler. No experience myself with them but I hear good things. If thats a corinshX, Im not sure.

As to houseing and feeding, you should be able to keep them all together. I would recomend feeding them all, hens too, a high (+20%) protien ration until you stock the freezer. With duallies give them a good 20wks and you'll have meaty birds. Most of your hens wont be laying yet at that age so you can switch to a layer ration after your meat birds are meat. Granted this isnt the cheapest route to go because your laying flock doesn't required (it won't hurt) that kind of protein in their diet. I cant say you will get bigger hens that can lay bigger eggs because of the higher protein diet either. Maybe.

 

[SJ]

Quote:
Get them DELs you'll love em so much you won't want to eat one...until you do eat one. YUM!!!

 

[sheltonrea]

thanks for this. I am planning to start to raise a new breed. Will consider this one/.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

McMurray Hatchery has a good deal on an assortment of DP breeds of cockerels http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/all_heavies.html If you're going to be ordering cockerels for meat this might be a good deal for you, and then you can see which breeds you like best for future reference.