Hello all,
First, we apologize if we selected the wrong forum to start this thread.
We're newbies, and after reading books, magazines and other chix websites, we've found this site. We're very happy in doing so because both of us belong to forums for other hobbies and have had a great time e-meeting people, and most important, learning and sharing info thru them and hoping for the same here.
After buying our little 8-acre ranch 3 years ago, we've been slowly homesteading. First garden, then wood/sugar lot, now livestock. Starting where most homesteaders do, we're embarking on raising chickens for both meat, eggs, and that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you look out at your little "farm".
We've settled (nervously) on the breeds we chose to raise, but could use final comments from those in the know on whether the choices are wise. Comments and opinions would be kindly received. Okay, we'll start.
For meat breeds, the choice was rather simple. Rock Cornish crosses. I gather these produce meat fastest, and with best feed:weight conversion. We plan on growing 20 of these, staight run, with all being slaughtered when they at about 8 weeks or so, possibly keeping 1 or 2 to finish off as broilers.
Q: Would this breed be right for meat only?
Next, for layers, the choice was quite convoluted and perplexing, as there are so many! Reds or Orps? Heavy or light? White or brown? UGH!!! We plan on raising 20 of these as well. Since we live in the northern Catskill mountains of NY, at ~2500', it can an does get cold. While the coop will be both insulated and heated, -15*F and 3'+ of snow can and does happen. So cold hardy is essential.
While leghorns are great egg-layers, they are not really docile and don't deal with extreme cold all that well from what we've read. Brown layers seemed right for the conditions, can be eaten when culled, and brown eggs just look more "farm-raised". Choosing brown over white was the only easy part. From there it got tricky, as each breed as distinct qualities. Wynandottes? Orps? Reds? Rocks? All one breed, or a selection?
Since we will have the Rock/Cornish X's for just meat, year-round egg production becomes the most important quality. Since we are mail ordering from a place that allows multiples of 5, as long as the minimum # is ordered, we figured we'd spice it up and not settle on one breed, giving us the chance to see what works best for us. Our breakdown (and reason) is like this:
5 Silver Lace Wyandottes (a NY breed with great cold weather traits)
5 Buff Orpingtons (docile, good layer and okay with cold)
5 Black Australoprs (docile, lotsa eggs and we like the looks of an all-black chicken)
5 R.I. Reds (prolly the best all-round. Lotsa eggs, decent meat and cold hardy)
Q: Anyone see problems with the choices? Are the breeds okay to mix together (don't see why not?) Should we stay all one breed, say Reds or Wyandottes?
Maybe we're just looking for the clearance from ground control before we take the plunge. Maybe one breed would be smarter? As we said above, the choice has been challenging.
Thoughts?
Sincerely,
First, we apologize if we selected the wrong forum to start this thread.
We're newbies, and after reading books, magazines and other chix websites, we've found this site. We're very happy in doing so because both of us belong to forums for other hobbies and have had a great time e-meeting people, and most important, learning and sharing info thru them and hoping for the same here.
After buying our little 8-acre ranch 3 years ago, we've been slowly homesteading. First garden, then wood/sugar lot, now livestock. Starting where most homesteaders do, we're embarking on raising chickens for both meat, eggs, and that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you look out at your little "farm".
We've settled (nervously) on the breeds we chose to raise, but could use final comments from those in the know on whether the choices are wise. Comments and opinions would be kindly received. Okay, we'll start.
For meat breeds, the choice was rather simple. Rock Cornish crosses. I gather these produce meat fastest, and with best feed:weight conversion. We plan on growing 20 of these, staight run, with all being slaughtered when they at about 8 weeks or so, possibly keeping 1 or 2 to finish off as broilers.
Q: Would this breed be right for meat only?
Next, for layers, the choice was quite convoluted and perplexing, as there are so many! Reds or Orps? Heavy or light? White or brown? UGH!!! We plan on raising 20 of these as well. Since we live in the northern Catskill mountains of NY, at ~2500', it can an does get cold. While the coop will be both insulated and heated, -15*F and 3'+ of snow can and does happen. So cold hardy is essential.
While leghorns are great egg-layers, they are not really docile and don't deal with extreme cold all that well from what we've read. Brown layers seemed right for the conditions, can be eaten when culled, and brown eggs just look more "farm-raised". Choosing brown over white was the only easy part. From there it got tricky, as each breed as distinct qualities. Wynandottes? Orps? Reds? Rocks? All one breed, or a selection?
Since we will have the Rock/Cornish X's for just meat, year-round egg production becomes the most important quality. Since we are mail ordering from a place that allows multiples of 5, as long as the minimum # is ordered, we figured we'd spice it up and not settle on one breed, giving us the chance to see what works best for us. Our breakdown (and reason) is like this:
5 Silver Lace Wyandottes (a NY breed with great cold weather traits)
5 Buff Orpingtons (docile, good layer and okay with cold)
5 Black Australoprs (docile, lotsa eggs and we like the looks of an all-black chicken)
5 R.I. Reds (prolly the best all-round. Lotsa eggs, decent meat and cold hardy)
Q: Anyone see problems with the choices? Are the breeds okay to mix together (don't see why not?) Should we stay all one breed, say Reds or Wyandottes?
Maybe we're just looking for the clearance from ground control before we take the plunge. Maybe one breed would be smarter? As we said above, the choice has been challenging.
Thoughts?
Sincerely,
Last edited:
