THE all purpose chicken

[sassychicken79]

65 eggs a week sounds fabulous to this chicken mama! That sounds like a lot for 2 people though unless you are going to gift them to friends or neighbors. We will soon have 9 laying hens and I am looking forward to all those wonderful eggs as the 3 laying now are not enough for a family of 4. EGGGGGGGGGGGSSSS!!!!

 

[texas75563]

Bielefelders are large birds laying around 220 eggs a year. They will go broody. I took a bielefelder and a rhodebar hen out of the coop yesterday. Both have been broody for over a month.
I let my birds out for an hour or 2 in the evenings. I have too many predators around to let them out unless I am there to watch them.
Bielefelders seem to forage well when they are out.

 

[FluffyFarm]

I agree with the Jersey Giants - my Roo is over 20 lbs and was by 1 year old. we feed only organic and free range. The jersey hang together and that makes for a large looking prey base. I have not lost a bird to a hawk since getting my Roo, who also has a lovely friendly personality. The kids pick him up and carry him around and he is ok about it unless one of the girls calls out for him. Astrolops (sp) are much more interesting birds personality wise - but the Jersey have meat, large eggs. Have been great layers for me. I also like the RIR. Interesting personalities, fun to watch and alert. Not sure who went brooder with my hens as it was a mixed flock.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

So, I am looking for THE all purpose chicken, and I am open to suggestions. I will post exactly what I am looking for, and if you guys could, if you could post each category on a scale of 1/10 of where your bird rates, that would be awesome, so I can find the all purpose bird for me!

I live in Washington so...
_/10 1.Cold Resistant
_/10 2.Egg Production
_/10 3.Meat Bird
_/10 4.Forging Skills
_/10 5.Disease Resistant
_/10 6.Broodiness
_/10 7.Temperate
_/10 8.Color variety
_/10 9. Predator Resistance
_/10 10. Reproduction

I think those are basically it. So if you guys could provide those details. I have been looking through the reviews for breed, but I really feel it'd be nice to have them rated in each category, so I can find what categories are most important for us and use those.

Also, we are thinking about getting ducks, so if you guys have experience and would like to do the same thing with different duck breeds that would be much appreciated. Although I think we've already decided on Muscovies for those, but we are more than open to opinions. Also, turkeys. But those are still just in the consideration process on if we are going to get them or not.

Thank you all in advance!

Wow! You have gotten some really great advice and breeds I never heard of before. I went thru the same scenario choosing my chickens. I settled on two well know "tried and true" breeds. I have three RIR's and three Barred Plymouth Rocks. I have raised them from "fuzz butts", and been with then every day now Since March 13th and they look forward to treat time around 6 pm. I can hold two of them and they seem to like it, one is a RIR and the other a BPR. I keep them in a chicken tractor which has double layer cage wire and fence wire. We have large predators in the area (cougars,coyotes, wild dogs, maybe a black bear) as well as all the small ones(skunks,possums, raccoons, etc). Both breeds are know good layers and become sizeable chickens. They are friendly and like there people, and I grew up in Ohio and we had them in that colder climate. I am now in Oklahoma and it gets pretty cold here too. I will provide them with a brooder light or something this winter. I am not sure how to handle the water for them yet. I use a bucket with poultry nipples and they seem to love it. Anyway, I like the RIR's and BPR's.



Best of luck!!

 

[Shellz]

Wow! You have gotten some really great advice and breeds I never heard of before. I went thru the same scenario choosing my chickens. I settled on two well know "tried and true" breeds. I have three RIR's and three Barred Plymouth Rocks. I have raised them from "fuzz butts", and been with then every day now Since March 13th and they look forward to treat time around 6 pm. I can hold two of them and they seem to like it, one is a RIR and the other a BPR. I keep them in a chicken tractor which has double layer cage wire and fence wire. We have large predators in the area (cougars,coyotes, wild dogs, maybe a black bear) as well as all the small ones(skunks,possums, raccoons, etc). Both breeds are know good layers and become sizeable chickens. They are friendly and like there people, and I grew up in Ohio and we had them in that colder climate. I am now in Oklahoma and it gets pretty cold here too. I will provide them with a brooder light or something this winter. I am not sure how to handle the water for them yet. I use a bucket with poultry nipples and they seem to love it. Anyway, I like the RIR's and BPR's. Best of luck!!

Nice set up. Its great when you find what works for you. If you have a rooster in there, you can create sex-linked chicks too.

 

[DeannaMari]

Thank you guys all for your advice. I think we're going to do some more research, and see what we want/need v.s. what we can supplement other ways. Maybe 2 or 3 of a mixed flock would be better for us anyway. But I'm going to do some research, we've decided to wait at least an other year because we don't think we're ready yet.

 

[Shellz]

Thank you guys all for your advice. I think we're going to do some more research, and see what we want/need v.s. what we can supplement other ways. Maybe 2 or 3 of a mixed flock would be better for us anyway. But I'm going to do some research, we've decided to wait at least an other year because we don't think we're ready yet.

Best of luck!

 

[olderoo]

What you're asking for is a tall order.
Fortunately, the market poultry men of a century ago solved this problem for you.

The solution is simple, which probably means it will be rejected in favor of more complicated or lurid options. But, here it is:

Keep A buff or white bird, a Rock, Orpington or Wyandotte specifically.
Of these, the Buff Orpington is probably the most plentiful and lowest cost.

A couple of points.

1. Utility bred chickens come naturally to most of the traits you want. It's their raison de etre'.
They also breed more true in succeeding generations, if you do your part.
For this reason, avoid production laying breeds.

2. Disease prevention and predator protection are almost wholly up to YOU.
Keep them clean, dry, ventilated, well fed on grain and green feeds, AND UNCONGESTED in their coops and runs and you will do more to abate disease than they can.
As for predators - everything likes a chicken dinner. Its up to YOU to protect them. Start with the dog and assume no creature is your friend.

3. Docility is one trait that you cannot demand nor nail down. Often, your tolerance is more important than their nature.

4. Broodiness is an individual thing with hens. Some live for it, others won't care.

5. Eating chickens are •young• chickens. The older a bird, the less palatable it is at the table.
12-16 weeks is standard for fryers, 15-20 for broilers. We won't even discuss capons.
Any bird older than 20 weeks which has been running with the flock is generally considered stew meat.

6. White and light plumed birds (buff) have a creamier hued, more appealing carcass. They lack the dark pin feathers and smudging common with black and dark and earthen tone birds.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

65 eggs a week sounds fabulous to this chicken mama! That sounds like a lot for 2 people though unless you are going to gift them to friends or neighbors. We will soon have 9 laying hens and I am looking forward to all those wonderful eggs as the 3 laying now are not enough for a family of 4. EGGGGGGGGGGGSSSS!!!!

Don't forget I also said that 2 eggs per week could also be all you get at other times of the year. That is like .2 (1/5) egg per day, a skimpy omelet if ever there was one, especially once this omelet is divided 4 ways.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

Thanks. Nope no roo yet, but considering it and some sort of free range set up. Would a fixed roo (capon) defend the hens like a regular roo? I thought he might be less noisy and aggressive to humans and not wear out the hens. lol