Small flock spiral/clan mating logistics?

[NatJ]

To be honest, that's the ONLY part of the planning that is not going well. I want a dual purpose breed for meat and eggs that doesn't go insanely broody, has a good temperament, and will be healthy and sturdy. I'm thinking about Black Australorps. And Ameraucanas. And Dorkings. And Brabanters. And Speckled Sussex. See? I want ALL THE CHICKENS!

If you want to get birds from a hatchery, it's easy to solve: buy about 3 hens and 2 cockerels of each breed, raise them all as one flock, and see which you like best. When any bird becomes a problem, eat it. After the first year, order more of the one kind you liked best and eat all the rest. After that you'll be all set to hatch your own.

If you want to buy from breeders, then maybe you could start by looking at what is available in your area. If someone is raising them locally, then their birds are likely to do well in your climate, and seeing the birds in person could help you learn whether you like the breed. It is also much more convenient to drive a short distance and pick up the birds or eggs you are buying, instead of planning a long road trip or arranging for them to be mailed

All of the breeds you named sound like good ones for your purpose!

 

[Hermits Garden]

If you want to get birds from a hatchery, it's easy to solve: buy about 3 hens and 2 cockerels of each breed, raise them all as one flock, and see which you like best. When any bird becomes a problem, eat it. After the first year, order more of the one kind you liked best and eat all the rest. After that you'll be all set to hatch your own.

If you want to buy from breeders, then maybe you could start by looking at what is available in your area. If someone is raising them locally, then their birds are likely to do well in your climate, and seeing the birds in person could help you learn whether you like the breed. It is also much more convenient to drive a short distance and pick up the birds or eggs you are buying, instead of planning a long road trip or arranging for them to be mailed

All of the breeds you named sound like good ones for your purpose!

I'll likely buy hatchery birds, and this sounds like the best way to go! I know all birds are individuals, but getting several of each breed of interest would give me a lot of chicken dinners and a good idea of what I'm really looking for. And it would satisfy my desire to have a yard full of different chickens just once at least.

 

[Hermits Garden]

I have one cockerel with three pullets, all grew up together and are six months old. SO FAR it is working well! I'm aware this could change. I just have to wait and watch.

What breed do you have in this setup?

 

[NatJ]

I'll likely buy hatchery birds, and this sounds like the best way to go! I know all birds are individuals, but getting several of each breed of interest would give me a lot of chicken dinners and a good idea of what I'm really looking for. And it would satisfy my desire to have a yard full of different chickens just once at least.

I have found that even the "same" breed can be different if you buy them from a different source, so once you find the right one you should buy more from the same hatchery.

As for liking a variety of chickens--there are a few colors that can be interbred with good results. The most obvious are the blue colors (solid blue, or blue-laced-something.) You can have black, blue, and splash birds in the pens, but they are all the same breed. Or black laced red, blue laced red, splash laced red.

If the only one they have to please is you, then you could choose to work with something like Easter Eggers (any color of feathers, no defined physical standard--but you could breed to a specific physical standard that fits your own goals, and let them stay multi-colored.)

Or Turkens (naked necks). A specific standard exists, but hatchery birds often have a variety of feather colors while being semi-consistent on other traits.

Swedish Flower Hens and Icelandic chickens are two kinds that are known for coming in a variety of colors. Unfortunately, I don't think they would be good for your purposes, because they tend to be small, which isn't so convenient for meat.

Or you could pick one breed, and then buy an occasional pullet here and there that lays eggs of a different color to have some variety in your flock. With different colored eggs, you could easily tell which eggs to hatch and which to just eat. White egg layers are often small but lay well, and some are quite pretty, so they would be an obvious choice for eye-candy.

Um, I didn't mean this to get quite so long, but once I start thinking of ideas it's hard to stop

 

[Hermits Garden]

I've toyed with the idea of Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers together, and aim for a slightly heftier bird. Our weather is dry, but it gets pretty chilly at 7000 ft elevation in the winter, so I lean toward pea combs. Sounds like I'd have a project before I had a project!

 

[Sally PB]

What breed do you have in this setup?

Jan in the Pines: I have a BO cockerel and three BA pullets.

The cockerel was one of three (BO straight run, all cockerels; grrrr!) The other two had to be culled at about 4 months as they became very aggressive to both the pullets and to me. This guy seems to be turning out well. As I said, we'll see.

 

[Hermits Garden]

Jan in the Pines: I have a BO cockerel and three BA pullets.

The cockerel was one of three (BO straight run, all cockerels; grrrr!) The other two had to be culled at about 4 months as they became very aggressive to both the pullets and to me. This guy seems to be turning out well. As I said, we'll see.

Y'know--I do hear a lot about BO roosters being jerks. Odd for a breed that has the reputation of being "the golden retriever of chickens", isn't it?

I wonder if that's always been the way of it, or if, like actual golden retrievers, there has developed a division in the breed. Not that it has to do with showing with chickens, but there's a definite temperament difference between show goldens and family goldens. Hatcheries can't exactly cull for temperament, since their chicks go out the door on day one.

 

[Sally PB]

I heard they were the laid back, gentlest of birds. The two I culled weren't, so at first I wondered what had gone wrong. But recently, I have heard that sometimes they are real problems. So maybe like certain breeds of popular dogs, they have been pumped out of the hatcheries, quantity over quality.

Still sorry at least one of those two wasn't a pullet. Never buying straight again! Live and learn.

 

[NatJ]

Our weather is dry, but it gets pretty chilly at 7000 ft elevation in the winter, so I lean toward pea combs.

I like pea combs, too.

Two other pea comb breeds: Buckeye (looks almost like a Rhode Island Red but with pea comb), and hatchery-quality Standard Cornish. Not the hybrid "Cornish Cross" meat birds that grow so fast, and not the show-quality birds with an extremely wide shape. The hatchery version looks about like any other dual-purpose chicken, with a pea comb and pretty colors.

I've tried the Dark Cornish sold by McMurray Hatchery, and all three colors sold by Ideal Poultry (Dark, White Laced Red, and Buff.) I had one of each, and liked them all, but I think every one of them wanted to go broody at least once--so that may be too broody for you. The Darks started laying sooner, and laid at a higher rate than the other colors.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'll likely buy hatchery birds, and this sounds like the best way to go! I know all birds are individuals, but getting several of each breed of interest would give me a lot of chicken dinners and a good idea of what I'm really looking for. And it would satisfy my desire to have a yard full of different chickens just once at least.

I'm gonna go out on limb here.. and suggest Wyandotte as a breed to consider for being dual purpose, fast growing and excellent tasting cockerels , with plenty of genetic specimens available and SOO many amazing looking varieties! Rose comb is still cold hardy, lay a fair amount of eggs and JUST broody enough IF YOU select accordingly. Oh and did I say HARDY??? Long lived, calm.. gee, the list goes on and on..

But one giant truth.. is nothing is ever the same in person as it is on paper.. and you already got down the individual thing both person and chicken wise.

For me.. Orps are WAY too slow for food. Swedish flower were meh, and not nearly as hardy as what I expected for being touted as land race.

Rock and EE, I tend to love. SS are beautiful but were hit and miss for me.

Marans, were fairly acceptable dp birds.. with good personalities.. My favorite rooster yet. I love straight combs. I think I might not prefer feathered shanks or feet though I never experienced ANY hardiness issues despite living in the PNW and free range on wet pasture EVEN for Silkies... which BTW, are perfectly edible too!

Ameraucana are fantastic birds, I have had a giant boy so big wouldn't fit in my cone named High Tower. Pick a breed you like and select for qualities YOU desire. I find the beard to be a drawback for open water dishes or wet feeding.

Leghorn and White faced black Spanish were really fun birds but not a good recommendation for your set up. Even though not DP, they're still perfectly good on the table.. and come to find out.. these are the ones that they like to use as "fryer".. harvest youngish since they won't get too much bigger anyways.. If you're raising what YOU truly love then maybe it's okay to get a little less meat, especially if it means more eggs?? You do YOU!

Any of the birds we are talking about will be MUCH different than the chicken carcasses found in the market.. which are often injected with brine and being Cornish Cross are very young meaning.. tender and soft or aka flavorless and mushy... which I suspect you already know, but including the following link in case you didn't know they will also cook differently according to what age you harvest, but it will also vary according to breed..
https://www.peninsulapoultrybreeders.com/cooking.html

Bielefelder, I currently keep.. I almost can't say enough good things about them. Growth rate was very acceptable meat wise. They're beautiful, auto sexing, good foragers, calm demeanor.. Waiting to see if they're slow maturing to lay or if I have nest hiders.. which I do, but not for long. Thus far I'm unimpressed with egg production quantity, but the size and quality are good.

Including all my print comparison tables for many of the breeds that exist..
Chicken Chart

pickachicken

Breeds of Chickens

Sorry, my thought are very rarely in order so one more that I saw mentioned.. Turken.. also very good birds.. surprisingly cold hardy. Ugly as ever and yet so cool.. I mean their head doesn't look anything like a turkey or change from blue to red and white.. but still good eats and personalities! I was just wondering why they were making me think about Las Vegas.. then it dawned on me.. Showgirls, LOL!

From google..