help me pickbreeds please

[gypsyroseplus6]

I plan on going with two breeds. A good layer and a good meat bird. Must be cold hardy. Would also like them to be good brooders. Friendly is best but not nessisary. What breeds would you suggest?

 

[bugglesmommy]

Ameraucanas are good birds. They are blue egg layers. Delewares and Orpingtons also fit your bill.

 

[gypsyroseplus6]

Which ones are egg layers and what ones are meat?

 

[bugglesmommy]

All of the above are dual purpose birds. Delewares are more meaty then layer though out of those three. They are all docile breeds that will brood.

 

[bigT88]

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

that should help. i am in favor of orpingtons or black australorps

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

ok do you want one breed for laying and one breed for meat or do you want 2 breeds of dual purpose chickens? dual purpose chickens have better tasting meat but can be a bit tougher since they take longer to mature and most of the time have less meat than your typical meat bird. But birds breed for only meat have less flavorful meat and most of the time tender meat since you have to butcher at such a young age (8-10 weeks depending and the blood line) and birds breed for meat typical have more meat than a dual purpose chicken...now comparing Egg laying only chickens with dual purpose.....Egg layers are very skinny and have very little meat on them and the reason for this is very thing they eat goes into making eggs most egg layer only chickens will lay 250-300 eggs per year but are no good for meat when there egg cycle ends...dual purpose chickens are big meaty birds weighing anywhere from 6-12 lbs depending on the breed, they still lay a very good amount of eggs anywhere from 120-200 eggs per year again depending on the breed and at the end of there laying cycle which takes about 2-3 years to get to they will provide a good amount of meat but they can also be used for meat before the end of their laying cycle now you wont be able to butcher them as early as a meat only bird because they dont grow as fast.

 

[gypsyroseplus6]

Ameraucanas are good birds. They are blue egg layers. Delewares and Orpingtons also fit your bill.

ok do you want one breed for laying and one breed for meat or do you want 2 breeds of dual purpose chickens? dual purpose chickens have better tasting meat but can be a bit tougher since they take longer to mature and most of the time have less meat than your typical meat bird.  But birds breed for only meat have less flavorful meat and most of the time tender meat since you have to butcher at such a young age (8-10 weeks depending and the blood line) and birds breed for meat typical have more meat than a dual purpose chicken...now comparing Egg laying only chickens with dual purpose.....Egg layers are very skinny and have very little meat on them and the reason for this is very thing they eat goes into making eggs most egg layer only chickens will lay 250-300 eggs per year but are no good for meat when there egg cycle ends...dual purpose chickens are big meaty birds weighing anywhere from 6-12 lbs depending on the breed, they still lay a very good amount of eggs anywhere from 120-200 eggs per year again depending on the breed and at the end of there laying cycle which takes about 2-3 years to get to they will provide a good amount of meat but they can also be used for meat before the end of their laying cycle now you wont be able to butcher them as early as a meat only bird because they dont grow as fast.


 

I wanted a meat bird and a egg bird.

 

[BGMatt]

I plan on going with two breeds. A good layer and a good meat bird. Must be cold hardy. Would also like them to be good brooders. Friendly is best but not nessisary. What breeds would you suggest?

You could get both in one breed with a Dorking or Chantecler. However with two breeds I would still recommend Dorkings for meat (YellowHouseFarm on here has excellent ones, but like most good breeders is already sold out for the year, get on a waiting list) and maybe a rose comb mediterranean breed for a layer, leghorn, ancona etc. Do yourself a favor and avoid hatchery stock and get good stock from a breeder.

Edit: Would recommend the White variety of Dorking due to them having a rose comb.

Edit 2: Hamburgs of any variety are fantastic all weather layers as well. Mine layed year round and lots of eggs when I raised them, they lived up to the "everyday layer" nickname

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

ok...do you want meat and egg birds that the industry uses?...they are not very attractive but are very good at doing what they were breed for....for brown eggs the industry uses Red Sex-links and for white eggs white leghorns they lay very early 16-24 weeks and are very likely to get egg bound from their pelvis bone being to small egg layer only breeds do not lay as long as other breeds by their 10 month of laying they have slowed down dramatically and will start laying small eggs in fact the industry brings new pullets in 2 times per year because of this problem...and for meat they use Cornish crosses now Cornish crosses have to be butchers very early 8-10 weeks if they go any longer than they may start breaking their legs from all of the weight or have a heart attack or stroke.

 

[bugglesmommy]

I still say Orpington. They are also suppose to have great meat, and they are good layers. RIR may be a good choice to.

You do not HAVE to rule out dual purpose birds. They are more practical and can give you multiple products.

... " Dual purpose chickens, which provide both good eggs and good meat, are generally the best choice for homesteads, small farms, or backyard flocks. Dual purpose breeds also tend to be healthier, more self-sufficient, and better foragers than many more highly bred and specialized breeds."

Cornish are meat birds if you don't want a bird that can be good for either.

I am taking cold tolerant into account. Breeds like Leghorns are great layers but not cold tolerant.