Question

Beour3rd

Chirping
6 Years
Aug 20, 2013
165
8
61
I am hoping to get a few views and inputs here.


first off, i am from northern ontario canada, it gets cold here.

second, i want two breeds of chickens. my requirements are fairly simple.

i want 12 hens for eggs and 4 for meat birds,

to this end i want two breeds of chickens who's eggs look different.

i also want the eggs-for-food type to be larger eggs.

and im cheap so im not looking for a fancy expensive type of chicken.

anyone have questions ask i will answer.

just finished my coop. making the run and will be getting the chickens soon.


oh and the rooster has to be able to fertilize both breeds.. as i will only have one.
 
Chickens that are hardy in the cold and good layers are:
Wyandottes
Easter Eggers
Australorp
White Leghorns ( their combs are very big so you can rub petroleum jelly on them to keep them from getting frostbite)
Delaware
Barred Rocks
Black and Red sex links
Rhode Island Reds
Buckeyes
Orpingtons ( they get broody quite often but are good layers)
 
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Orpingtons are lovely medium sized chickens! They have thick fluffy feathers which makes them great for colder climates. Also they are great egg producers. Their eggs are medium/large and light brown colored. Orpingtons are a very calm and friendly breed. Any breed of rooster can mate other breeds. I also recommend a buff orpington rooster because they are pretty docile.
 
docile is nice, i grew up with various animals but the girlfriend would probably get intimidated by an aggressive rooster.

any idea on meat birds as well? and thanks for the list and comments both of you.
 
and do some of these birds lay a different looking egg?

i need either the meat birds or the egg birds to have an egg i can recognize


or...
does anyone raise some for meat?

another system could be putting a mark on the eggs to keep for meat birds. or just moving them to an incubator? im curious whats the best system for this? ive not raised chickens in years beyond for eggs.
 
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When you are referring to meat birds, are you thinking Cornish Cross, which develop faster and larger than normal? They have to be butchered at 8 to 10 weeks. Generally, the broiler breads like this grow so abnormally large that they can not breed naturally, nor do they usually reach the point of laying. You will need something more natural.

The traditional meat birds were the classic dual purpose breeds. They will take longer to reach full size and will not be as large as the Cornish Cross. The popular alternative compromise is something like the Freedom Rangers, from my understanding. My heritage New Hampshires and heritage Black Copper Marans would both be excellent meaties, especially the roosters. The Marans will lay darker eggs, while the New Hampshires will lay cream ones.Both lay quite large eggs. Your summer temps are my winter temps, so I can't vouch for cold hardiness, but they sure thrived over our winter here!

The great thing about raising heritage dual purpose breeds is that you can control your flock size at will. Too many layers, slaughter some. Not enough, just let them keep hatching and growing. You don't have to order in chicks every year or have a freezer stuffed full from your latest batch.

Hope that helps.
 
thanks

that's very helpful. seems like they can both live in Ontario. and my coop is insulated so i think ill go with the blacks if i can find some around here.

and why i wanted two breeds was because i wanted to make sure i could keep track of things. let the chicks grow naturally. but from what ive been reading im better getting an incubator anyways.
 
heritage Black Copper Marans are the way i am leaning i think.

do the hens take care of the chicks or do i need an incubator?
 
That depends on your particular hens. When a hen goes broody, which means they have the instinctual desire to sit on eggs and hatch them, then the hen can take complete care of the chicks. The ability of a hen to become broody varies greatly depending on the individual breed, as well as the individual hen. Silkies are generally known to go broody quite often, and allegedly make excellent mothers. Others never go broody at all. If you are wanting additional chicks outside that period, which may or may not ever occur, you will need an incubator. Just make sure to get a good, high quality one. It may be more expensive at first, but with higher success rates, you will hatch out more chicks and the loss of eggs will be less expensive. If you can not find any locally, check with Boston Bryce or Desert Marcy. I have no idea if they ship at all, but I do know they breed some very nice heritage stock.
 

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