Egg production

[Duncan Cook]

Following our first (relatively) successful incubation, 7 out of 13 using a Janoel 24 we have caught "the bug".
This hatch were Australorps for meat and eggs and we are now considering next choice which brings me to my question, when looking to buy fertile eggs one of the features stressed is the number of eggs laid per year. As I understand it hens have a finite number of eggs which are there at hatching and then come forward one by one, given this and the fact that we are not commercial egg producers and so will not slaughter the flock after 2 years is it reasonable to assume that things even out and breeds that lay less in early years will do better in later years?

Hope I am not being too simple but it could make a difference to the breeds we choose.

Thanks

 

[LittleMissEmily]

When I had Australorps I found that they weren't heavy layers, early or late in life (some are still laying after 8 years with the lady I gave my last flock to when I had to move, but only like 2x per week, and they were only laying 3-4x per week when they were in their prime). They also never got over 4 lbs live weight for me, and they take so long to get to full size and laying age that I wouldn't raise them for meat at all.

Personally, I would suggest Buff Orpington's or Goldens. Big eggs (a lot double-yolked), usually 5-6 eggs per week, and they get really big (8-10lb live weight for mine). Plus, they're good-looking birds!! The gold and two buffs in the old flock still lay 4-5x per week, even though they're 7-8 years old.

 

[Duncan Cook]

Thanks, that's the sort of information we are looking for. No personal experience and consensus when searching the web (before we found BYC) seemed to indicate that Australorps were good for eggs and meat.
Our current flock are all 6 years old and were chosen by our Grandsons, 2 Plymouth Rocks, 1 Andalusian, 1 Gold Laced Wynadotte, 1 White Leghorn and a magnificent Andalusian rooster who is huge.

Of these the Leghorn is far and away the most prolific layer, the Wynadotte small brown eggs and spends a lot of time broody, the Plymouth Rocks have laid well but are falling off now, they are big birds so would be good for meat I guess, Andalusian a small bird generally lays every other day. The Rooster is also Andalusian but big and very gentle, he is marvelous with his girls.

Of course I don't know if this is general for these breeds or just true for our birds.

 

[aart]

If you're looking to really put some tender meat in the freezer, raise a batch of meat birds once or twice a year, butcher them, and be done with it. Especially if you want birds that can be cooked any other way than low and slow.

There really isn't a great breed that will give you both a prolific egg and a hefty meat harvest.
Any 'dual purpose' breed is going to fall short on one or the other.

I've harvested young cockerels(under 15 weeks) and older hens,
the former are great for crispy skin on the grill, the latter are great if you want to render luscious fat,
and both make killer broths/stocks/soups....but on both the meat is only fair, or you might think it terrible, unless you're used to the toothsome quality of homegrown birds.

JMO

 

[Duncan Cook]

The plan is to have two runs, one for layers and one for meat birds and yes the idea is to raise in batches and kill and process together.

 

[aart]

The plan is to have two runs, one for layers and one for meat birds and yes the idea is to raise in batches and kill and process together.

Oh, well, that sounds much different than your other posts.

 

[Duncan Cook]

Oh, well, that sounds much different than your other posts.

I have read back through my other posts and am not sure why you might think that. I admit I am new to hatching my own but I have kept chickens for eggs for some time now and have kept ducks for meat before. I see my layers every day and build a bond with them. Meat birds on the other hand will be well treated of course but I don't expect to build up any sort of relationship and they certainly won't be named, logic says separate runs.

There really isn't a great breed that will give you both a prolific egg and a hefty meat harvest.
Any 'dual purpose' breed is going to fall short on one or the other.

I take your point there, I was hoping to boost my ageing laying flock and so had thought that once new hatch could be sexed then girls could join the layers and boys go for meat. Maybe I am trying to do too much at once.

 

[LittleMissEmily]

Oh, when I was raising meat birds we always named them!!
Sunday Dinner, Chicken Fingers, Fried Chicken, BBQ Chicken.....

 

[aart]

Quote: You never mentioned straight up meat birds before, just dual purpose, is why I thought that.

Try different breeds until you find one that suits you. Any bird can be eaten, quality/quantity of meat will just differ.
I think it takes a few years to find the balance that suits your needs and goals.

My goal was to have eggs sales cover feed, bedding and growout costs, to replace layers by hatching my stock, and harvest the non productive(eggs) birds for meat.
After 20 months, I've pretty much realized that goal, just need to fine tune the timing on hatch vs harvest and population size in my limited facilities and figure out what to so with all that broth(biggest product of culling non productives), gonna take another year I think. But have found I want some meaties in the mix too, which will entail building another enclosure but that's more complicated as to storage/preservation for me.

 

[Duncan Cook]

Oh, when I was raising meat birds we always named them!!
Sunday Dinner, Chicken Fingers, Fried Chicken, BBQ Chicken.....

Love it, I'm going to pinch that response