The Best Chickens to Make a Profit With

[Sadness Child]

I am looking for one bantam breed and one standard breed of chicken that I can make at least enough money to the point that the chickens can "self sustain" themselves.
I have always had a mixed flock of chickens, but I have found it difficult to sell their chicks that I hatch. I will have to rely on broody hens to hatch my eggs for the time being until I can get a reliable incubator. I have room to house around 8 bantams comfortably, and enough room to house about 15-18 standards comfortably. If I reverse that I could house 25-30 bantams comfortably, and about 6-7 standards comfortably. I would love for some advice from anybody who has experience in this area of chicken keeping, but I would also love chicken breed ideas from people who have personal experience with their favorite or most "profitable" breeds.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Barred rocks or Dominiques. Silkies are very broody and self sustainable but dont lay many eggs

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Bantams only? I would chose cochins if it were me.

 

[Sadness Child]

Barred rocks or Dominiques and silkies are very broody

Yes I agree with this very much.

I am on the ropes in between Silkies or Dutch Bantams for the bantam.
I have never had experience with Silkies, but I have a Dutch Bantam who has been hatching out eggs for me and she is the best chickens I have ever had.

 

[Sadness Child]

Bantams only? I would chose cochins if it were me.

I will have 2 separate flocks, one bantam flock, and one standard flock.

 

[nuthatched]

I break even on the feed bill with eggs.
But if I were to breed for profit, I'd choose cochins, sebrights, Dutch or seramas. Silkies are kinda passe, they're pretty easy to find.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Well, cochins still for bantams. They're big for bantams but very popular. Very broody as well.

For standards I'm in Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers but they're not very broody. (I say that but I had 3 broody birds this year...) If I were picking something broody I'd raise Australorps, but Idk how well they'd sell. I'd also consider white Plymouth Rocks.

 

[Sadness Child]

I break even on the feed bill with eggs.
But if I were to breed for profit, I'd choose cochins, sebrights, Dutch or seramas. Silkies are kinda passe, they're pretty easy to find.

Thank You.

I will mention that I live in New Mexico so I would like to stay away from the chickens that are made for cold weather like the Cochin.

 

[NatJ]

You could consider an autosexing breed for the large breed, if you want to sell sexed chicks. (That would probably mean selling the pullets for twice as much, and not being able to sell the cockerels at all.)

Autosexing breeds include Cream Legbar, Bielefelder, Barred Rock, Dominique.
For each of those, some flocks produce color-sexable chicks, and some do not--you would have to check that you get the right kind.

It sounds like you're planning to use bantams as broodies, but I couldn't tell if you would need the large breed to be broody as well. I don't think the autosexing ones tend to be very broody.

 

[Sadness Child]

You could consider an autosexing breed for the large breed, if you want to sell sexed chicks. (That would probably mean selling the pullets for twice as much, and not being able to sell the cockerels at all.)

Autosexing breeds include Cream Legbar, Bielefelder, Barred Rock, Dominique.
For each of those, some flocks produce color-sexable chicks, and some do not--you would have to check that you get the right kind.

It sounds like you're planning to use bantams as broodies, but I couldn't tell if you would need the large breed to be broody as well. I don't think the autosexing ones tend to be very broody.

I had originally planned on having the bantams broody, and hatch their eggs and the standard's eggs.