Keeping two breeds and one type of rooster?

[digitS']

1. . . . goal . . . ? I'd say having fresh eggs for breakfast 11 months a year with no shortage other than the laying hen's month off for molting, ever.

2. . . . purebred farmers? Surely, there are no such creatures.

3. . . . people finicky . . . ? You jest, of course! People can be "finicky" about the darndest sorts of things. Some people are even beyond quirky about what they will and won't eat!

4. Do all the eggs taste the same anyway? Personally, I think that the laying hen's diet creates the greatest difference in taste. Fresh green food makes for especially nice eggs.

Steve

 

[Fancypants4569]

Sounds like your just in it for the egg's, and if that is the case and you are just wanting farm fresh egg's, you dont even need to have a rooster...You only need the roo if you are wanting fertile eggs for hatching baby chicks....and whether your new at this or an old pro at chickens, Id hang our with ya because: if your new at it, I can teach you, if your a pro, I can learn from you". Thats why we're all here, right?

 

[Akane]

Like said if your goal is eggs you don't even have to have a roo. They can be useful beyond fertile eggs but then it becomes more important to have a good roo than to have any particular breed. If you don't care about hatching pure bred chicks or selling pure bred eggs it really doesn't matter what you have for a roo. It could even be a banty or no roo at all.

There are the occasional people who get upset over breed mixing. I had an argument in chat with someone. Most though mix breeds commonly unless they have something special. Even breeders of rare breeds often have a mutt pen where they put chickens they don't want to include in breeding flocks but hate to get rid of.

The chicken an egg comes from does not impact taste or nutrition. Neither does egg shell color although some people are weird and want certain color eggs. Having a roo and fertile eggs also doesn't impact taste or nutrition but some people are also weird about eating fertile eggs. The only thing that really impacts taste is diet. The reason eggs from various breeds on farms taste different from the eggs sold in stores is because of diet and usually less stress on the birds. Not because of breed.

 

[Chinachik]

I have just ordered two Partridge Cochins, a Swedish flower hen and a speckeled Sussex. If I understand what I have read the Cochin rooster takes a little time to mature, is supposed to be friendly and wonderful eye candy for the flock and their keepers. If he happens to have chicks by these lovely hens I can't wait to see what they will look like. I have two Delawares and 1 dominique hen now. I am sure these ladies would like to have a roo also. I was worried about them mixing but this has been a great thread to help those of us who would like to eventually have chicks from their hens. Fertile eggs really don't taste any different but if you are eating them you do need to make sure you take them the first day they are laid, The longer you wait the more red you have in the yolk.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you are just getting started, I recommend just hens first. Chickens take some experience, and roosters take a lot of experience. A lot of roosters are rotten.

There are many aspects to this hobby and you don't have to do them all at once. Start with hens and getting eggs. Then pray for a broody hen... or get chicks from a source and integrate them into the flock, maybe one of those will be a rooster, you and the old girls get him raised up...

Mixing pure bred birds, or crosses, so fun to see what you get when you hatch - NOTHING is more fun than a broody hen with chicks. BUT when you hatch - well there will be more roosters - then you can take a stab at meat on your table from your own work.

For me, this is a life long hobby, no need to do it all this year.

Mrs K