trying to figure out which bird i want. pls help with info!!!

[elijahboy]

i first thought i would like delewares mainly because they are in danger
however i see they say to mix them with some other bird for good meat birds but that would not help in anyway to keeping true delewares right?
i am looking for a bird that will lay a few eggs a day as well as being a big enough meat bird to feed 4 people and a bird that taste good
i have totally given up on what they look like dont care after reading about breeds almost 8 hours a day for the past month i guess because there are some many different opinions

 

[Emzyyy]

dunno i don't eat my birds I like EE's though and they lay tons of eggs but my oppinon they're to pretty to eat.

 

[saddina]

If I'm understanding correctly, you want to help an at risk breed while eating the roosters/non breeders.

If so Delawares could be a good choice, they're large enough for dinner, lay eggs well enough, and you could breed the hens/roosters that are closest to the breed standard and cook the rest. The more common dual purpose birds would be the rhode island red, plymoth rocks, and orphingtons. They take a lil longer to get to full size then the cornish hybrid meat birds they sell at the markets, but taste more "chickeny"

Then do you want to breed them (and help restock the breed) or just buy them (even if you buy them to raise and eat instead of breeding them, you're adding to the demand that gets them breed and restocked).

Next you need to decide how many birds, if you're in a city there may already be a max, if not I would suggest 25 straight run, expecting that 13 will be roosters, and only 1-2 will stay, then once the hens are about 16-20 weeks old, breed the best 2-3 and either keep the rest as layers, or eat them as well.

You'll want to build in incubator to help hatch out the chicks from the hens you've selected, and once the new batch reach 16 weeks evaluate all the hens and roos pick the best few, process the rest.

 

[Judy]

If you are going to order from a hatchery, pick a few dual purpose breeds and see what you like. BA, BR, RIR, BO, NHR -- several other possibilities. We found the BR to be hard to pluck. BO's give large thighs and drumsticks. BA's are great.

I don't think trying to keep pure delawares would met your needs.

They all taste the same, really. It is definitely more a function of how old you let them get, than of what breed they are.

Only exception is if you go with Cornish X, the classic meat bird. That is a subject unto itself, and not something I am interested in. I want a flock that reproduces itself, not a bunch of genetically manipulated chicks that I have to buy every year.

We bought lots of dual purpose straight run chicks this year, as well as some hatchery roos, and sent the extra roos to freezer camp. Worked out fine. They are delicious, and the hens are laying like crazy.

If I were to order more hatchery birds, I would not order more Wyandottes. Mine are mean, and not very thrifty. Can't find anything wrong with the Australorps, for meat or eggs, or for personality, for that matter. I bought the EE's for blue eggs for the grandkids, which has been fun. The birds are OK, not friendly, and the "pullet" that turned out to be a roo was extremely mean. He is gone to the freezer.

If I buy any next year, they will be BO, NHR, or BA. Hope to be able to hatch enough with broodies to avoid this.

 

[Judy]

There will be no incubator here. I have one good broody/mama, and expect the new flock to produce a few more. It does not take many, as they don't care whose eggs they hatch, or whose chicks they raise.

I really do not plan on buying any more chicks. I expect the current population to produce and raise their own. I know this might not work out, and I expect I might need to get a few chicks now and then, to keep the genetic diversity going. But mostly I expect them to produce enough for us.

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

Dual Purpose is usually the way to go. You will not get "any" eggs if you go by the standard butchering period (6 month). A few, but not promised. If you are breeding them, it is a different story... keeping a few and butchering the others.
PM me if you either want to breed and butcher, like I said above. I'll give you hints, tips, and types to choose from.

I know of many delicious breeds, but none of them have been broilers or broiler types.

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

I agree with ddawn, for the most part!

 

[quercus21]

Here's a site that might help you out:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

We have 8 NHR, never eaten any just the Cornish X. We have a neighbor that comes and gets fertile eggs from us to hatch.

 

[elijahboy]

Quote:
please tell me what bo and ba are
thanks you so much and that what i think i might raise

 

[Judy]

Sorry. Buff Orpington and Black Australorp.