Good allround bird

[wv countryboy]

What hertiage breed would be the best for eggs and meat and would be able to reproduce and has good mothering traits. I thinking about the partridge rock?

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

I have heard that Delaware and Speckled Sussex are both good heritage breeds, but I only have a Delaware, and she is still young, so I don't know that from experience myself.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I have Partridge Rocks from a hatchery and they are not growing nearly as fast as my other breeds. Plus they are a bit on the aggressive side, but that's probably just the bloodline, I hope.

Wyandottes and Orpingtons are good dual purpose breeds. A lot of this is personal preference though, these are what I prefer.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd recommend the Delaware and Dominique, both American heritage breeds. The Sussex is also a good choice but it is an English heritage breed, not American.

 

[sandspoultry]

Buff Orpington are large birds, large to jumbo sized eggs, good year round layers, good mothers and sitters, great table birds.

The Sussex lay a smaller egg and don't lay that well in the winter, same with Dark Cornish but the DC is a really good meat bird.

Our fav breed would be the Cuckoo Marans (french heritage bird) very calm natured bird, great layers, good sitters and mothers and by far the best tasting table bird.

See our website for pics as to what they look like

Steve in NC

 

[katkat92]

I love buff orps, and they're so friendly!

 

[Cetawin]

I love my dominique. She totally rocks.

 

[dancingbear]

Delawares should be good, but they aren't a broody breed. You can always keep some broody type hens around just to hatch eggs for you. You'd just have to isolate a few of your best Dels for a few days to collect eggs for hatching, when one of the broodies has "the settin' spell" upon her. When I isolate for egg collecting, once I get the eggs for the day, I let them out with the rest of the flock. I take them off the roosts at night and stick them back in the iso pen at night, until I have as many eggs as I want.

 

[Mahonri]

Buff Orp or Partridge Rock.