Question re Meat Birds and Breeds

[BornToBake]

I would like to raise chickens for meat production and eggs. The only local farm here has the Sussex for sale, but only the hens. If I get a different breed for the male (for meat production), will this be a problem if they're not the same breed (i.e., if they male bird is not a Sussex)? Will they still be able to reproduce so that I can also have meat?

Also, is there a Dwarf variety of chicken that is good for meat AND eggs?

The local farm has Pekin Bantam, and several other varieties, but I don't know if any are more ideal than others for meat. Please help! Thank you.

EDIT: One last question. Is it okay to have two or three hens and one rooster? I read somewhere that a rooster needs about a dozen hens! Is this true?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I would like to raise chickens for meat production and eggs. The only local farm here has the Sussex for sale, but only the hens. If I get a different breed for the male (for meat production), will this be a problem if they're not the same breed (i.e., if they male bird is not a Sussex)? Will they still be able to reproduce so that I can also have meat?

Also, is there a Dwarf variety of chicken that is good for meat AND eggs?

The local farm has Pekin Bantam, and several other varieties, but I don't know if any are more ideal than others for meat. Please help! Thank you.

Of course you can mix breeds.

 

[nicalandia]

I would get a Dark cornish Rooster as sire or a Short Stocky Aseel Rooster to Cross to your Sussex hens. This Cross is terminal so don't expect to keep the pullets for laying.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Will they still be able to reproduce so that I can also have meat?

Yes, any rooster will mate with any hen. Breed is a man-made thing. To chickens they are just chickens.

Is it okay to have two or three hens and one rooster? I read somewhere that a rooster needs about a dozen hens! Is this true?

Some people passionately believe this. I do not. My typical laying/breeding flock is one rooster and 6 to 8 hens, well below those magic numbers so many people believe in. You can have the same problems in a flock with one rooster and 20 hens as you can in a flock with one rooster and 2 hens. You can have problems but that depends a lot more on the personality of the individuals and how much room they have than any ratio. One very important factor is age. The behaviors of immature cockerels and pullets can be a lot more disruptive than the behaviors of mature roosters and hens. With adolescents you are much more likely to have issues than if they are mature.