looking for a quadruple threat (meat, eggs, cold hardy, mothering)

[dancingbear]

Serina, if you post over in the Breeds/Genetics section of BYC, you can probably find a Delaware (or whatever other breed you decide on) breeder. Seriousbill breeds Delawares.

To find breeders outside of BYC, you can google "(breedname) breeders association" and contact the club president, and ask if they can help you find a breeder in your area. http://www.feathersite.com/ also lists the Breeder's club contact info for all or most of the breeds featured on the site.

Breeder birds are not cheap. Some breeders will refuse to sell fertile eggs. One breeder refused to sell me any birds or eggs at all, unless I promised I would show them. I can't afford the show circuit, and told him so, and had to find another breeder. (He was kind of a jerk about it, and seemed to be under the impression that this was merely a hobby for me, and stated that I could easily afford travel, lodging, entrance fees, and other related show expenses "out of my egg money". How he thought he could presume all that when he's never even met me, I don't know.)

Fortunately, there are other breeders who are very helpful. You could probably get some club presidents to e-mail you a copy of breed standards, maybe even with photos or at least illustrations, so you can get familiar with what your desired breed is actually supposed to look like.

 

[Eggseronious]

Meat, eggs, cold hardy, and mothering. You just described the Dominique!

 

[ghillie]

I vote for the Speckled Sussex....

 

[dancingbear]

Dominique, Speckled Sussex, and New Hampshire reds are all good choices, too, IMO. And if there's a nearby breeder with one of those, (who would sell you some eggs or chicks) you could certainly have a nice flock.

Another thing, that another member mentions now and then, is if you get good stock of 2 different dual purp. breeds, and cross them, you'll get a bigger, meatier, faster growing bird, than if you keep them purebred. It's a phenomenon called hybrid vigor. Breed "A" hen X Breed "B" roo, doesn't turn out the same as Breed "B" hen X Breed "A" roo, however. They'll turn out better crossed one way than the other.

Once you know which does what, you can keep one roo of each, -or two each, to make sure you have a back-up if one dies- a bunch of hens of the preferred mother breed, just a couple of the preferred father breed. Then you can keep pure strains of each, segregate roos (with a few hens for company) as needed for breeding. If you have the space, of course.