New member from MO

Glad you joined us!

Feel free to ask lots of questions! We're all here to help.

For plenty of information, I would be sure to check out the Learning Center: Learning Center Articles

 

Welcome to BYC! We're glad to have you.

Be sure to check out the Learning Center for lots of information on chicken raising: Learning Center Articles

The breeds section will help you decide on a good breed: Chicken Breeds

And, if you can't find the answers you need, feel free to ask on any of the forums! We'll all be happy to help.

 

Hi and welcome! I have 2 barred rocks, 2 black sexlinks, 1 black australorp, and 1 mix breed hen. They give me 2 - 2 1/2 dozen eggs a week. They are not great for meat birds but we do eat the extra roosters. The 2 BSLs are my best layers at 5-6 eggs a week per hen. My BRs give me about 4-5 a week per hen, so does my mix breed girl. Don't have any experience with the meat birds yet but I'm considering Dixie Rainbows for that. McMurray Hatchery calls them Pioneers. I have read that they are decent layers and good meat chickens. Guess I'll find out next spring.

 

Welcome to BYC!

 

So glad you joined us.

 

Welcome to BYC, Chris! Glad you decided to join our flock. If you are not strictly set on standard breeds, the best layers and meat birds are hybrids. For laying, I would suggest Black Sex Links, which are hardy and friendly, egg laying machines. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of breeds and hybrids), and they have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 eggs per hen per year. For meat birds, Cornish cross is the way to go. With their amazing growth rate, they are really for butchering at 8 weeks. In fact, if you wait much past that, they begin to develop all kinds of health problems due to their abnormal growth rate. If you prefer dual purpose breeds which will breed true, I would recommend Black Australorps. Black Australorps are extremely hardy, calm and gentle (my children, and now my granddaughter, made lap pets of them), and they are the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. In addition, they have enough meat on them for good eating. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Whatever breed or hybrid you decide to get, good luck with your flock.

 

Hello and Welcome To BYC!

 

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.