How many??

[Lilredriding]

Hello all!
I am just starting to think about getting in to meat Chickens. I have raised several types of chickens in my time from japs, couchins, Yokohamas, and several mixed breeds for eggs and simple enjoyment but this is my first endevour into meat chickens. I really REALLY want to stay away from the cornishX as I'm looking for a sustainable meat breed and not looking to order chicks every season. With that information I know that I cannot expect as fast of a production and I am okay with that.

First what are some good suggestions on meat breeds, duel purpose is fine but I already have egg layers and am really looking for better meat producers. I have been told the NHR and Delawares were good. What age can they begin to be butchered? Im not expecting anything like cornishx cause I know they can't be beat but would still like a decent time like around 6 months so if anyone has any good breed ideas that would be awesome! I want chickens that can raise their own young, of course they will be separated from the group but prefer to have the mothers brood.

And for the main question, how many chickens to feed my family for a year, assuming I am breeding all year long. For argument sake we can go with the NHR as my breed. I would like to keep a number of breeding stock that does not get butchered each year, but instead is just used to lay and rear chicks. My question is how many of the breeding stock do I need to produce enough full grown chickens in one year (estimate that my family eats a chicken a week, so 52 chickens). Should I keep 20 hens divided by 2-3 roosters in order to reach that number or could I get by with around 10 hens, 1 rooster?

 

[cmchickens]

Have you considered Buff Orpingtons? They are great broodies in my experience. They dress out real nice in 5 or 6 months. If you're looking to raise enough birds for a year, relying only on broody hens, I'd say you'd want 20 hens or more to start. Even in a breed very likely to go broody, not all birds will set. I would get 20 or more, keep the ones who go broody often, butcher the other. Of course broodies don't lay so you'll need some birds who aren't setting to get your hatching eggs. One hen can raise about a maximum of 12 chicks in a clutch. It will take 4-5 clutches a year to raise your table birds for the year.

 

[Stiggy]

Personally I would be wary of some of the heavy breeds like Orpingtons because they take so long to 'beef up' to an edible standard, they really are just fluff as well. Having said that the meat birds crossed with large birds like a Plymouth rock ( what we did last year over out cobb bird hens) worked really well as they bulked up faster than a rock but didn't suddenly cark it as meat birds often do. the males grew quicker and thus could be eaten first, they also got to 4-5.5 kg processed. As I said earlier the Orpingtons, sussex and cochins take ages to get to size so unless you want to waste feed and time is on your side then I wouldn't bother