Raising for egg laying and meat

[Mrs. K]

Really, I am in favor of the meat birds and layers. I did my first batch of meat Cornish cross birds. I did 15. Started at 5:15 in the morning, and was done by 10. My advice would be not to do a years worth, but raise them up a couple times a year. You do need fridge space for a couple of days, then freeze them.

You do need too separate set ups, they are too much completion for layers. I fed mine wet feed twice a day. They were active and alert. And taste fantastic.

 

[Mrs. K]

The use old layers and extra Roos for soups and casseroles.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... My wife and I have been picking around the idea of raising a new flock for egg production and meat.... I have a few questions.

1. What would be a good duel purpose chicken to raise? We live In michigan so winter can be rough.
2. I have read about the cross breeds ready in only a few weeks but is there a good time to butcher a duel purpose chicken?
3. We would like to keep a cycle going and raise our own chicks. Is there any issues with mating chickens with the same rooster?
4. We would have a incubator but how long do we keep the eggs with the hen?
5. Is there a diffrenec in meat from a rooster and a hen?

The best thing that I can say about a dual purpose chicken is that it is neither a fish nor a fowl. But as I have said on numerous occasions those chickens will become your property so do with them as you see fit. Dual purpose breeds will require a larger commitment in a physical plant because of the greater number of birds that you must keep to overcome the lower egg production of dual purpose breeds. This is apparent when both eating your flock's eggs as well as when gathering enough fresh eggs to hatch and produce eating birds or replacement layers. Expect only 1/2 as many eggs from a duel purpose flock as a layer flock will produce.

White feathered birds make a better carcass because the pin feathers are not as noticable. Now if you, your wife, or some other family member enjoys standing over a gas range and singing the pin feathers off the carcass then this is a non-problem. However some thought needs to go into it beforehand because this may be something that no one in your household has thought about.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!
Here's another very similar discussion:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/desert-chickens.1256601/