WiderHorizons
In the Brooder
- Apr 27, 2019
- 27
- 50
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Hello everyone! 
I'm planning/dreaming of my own flock of chickens. I have no chickens, I have no experience with chickens, but I've been lurking for a while and have read quite a lot.
My goal is a self-sustaining and truly dual purpose flock. Somewhat older hens that are good and successful mothers. Pullets/young hens that lay a good sized egg - at least as big as a 'large' egg from the grocery store - and fairly often. Cockerels that reach at least 5 pounds (more meat, not bone) in 6 months on a diet that's mostly/entirely forage. Roosters that are fertile, gentle, and protective of their flocks. In general, chickens that are good foragers, know how to hide from hawks, and rarely, if ever, get sick.
I don't think that's too much to ask.
Based on breed description, Buff Orpingtons sound like they'd be perfect. Jersey Giants might be a good fit, too, but they might be less likely to brood and too slow growing (though if they produced a fabulous carcass at the end it might be worth it). I liked the sound of Brahmas really well but the feathered feet are a problem, especially here (snow and ice and clay mud), and that's apparently a dominant gene. I would love to get something with a pea or rose comb, but none of those breeds are big (except the Brahma), and I would be afraid of losing the broodiness via crossbreeding.
In all of my researching I have come across several problems.
1. Hatchery stock is often bred more to egg production than meat, even in the 'dual-purpose' breeds. These breeds are therefore often underweight.
2. Hatchery stock is not very likely to sit well, if at all, because this is considered detrimental to egg production.
3. Often dual-purpose breeds are not only physically too small, they also don't produce enough eggs or very large eggs.
4. The genetics tied to broodiness are complicated: you can't just cross two pretty broody breeds and get more broody hens.
5. Breeders are often no better than hatcheries. Sometimes, yes. Most of the time, no. Because birds.
6. Lots of other people have wanted to know the same things, but generally the details in the reviews are very scant.
So WHERE anyone got birds that fit the above criteria is very important, because everyone has their own strain of each breed.
Therefore, my question is:
Of those two breeds, can anyone who has had them tell me/the world as much as they can about how they performed, along with where they came from?
If the Buffs/Giants from one hatchery tend to be too small, that would be important. If those from another won't sit at all, or are terrible mothers, that's important. And if there's another breed that would suit better, that would be good to know. I'd love to know anything any breeders could tell me about how to get/preserve these genetics in a flock over time - like what external characteristics would point to a good meaty chicken underneath.
I have no desire to show anything and no particular allegiance to any breed.
Thank you in advance for reading and for any help!
I'm planning/dreaming of my own flock of chickens. I have no chickens, I have no experience with chickens, but I've been lurking for a while and have read quite a lot.
My goal is a self-sustaining and truly dual purpose flock. Somewhat older hens that are good and successful mothers. Pullets/young hens that lay a good sized egg - at least as big as a 'large' egg from the grocery store - and fairly often. Cockerels that reach at least 5 pounds (more meat, not bone) in 6 months on a diet that's mostly/entirely forage. Roosters that are fertile, gentle, and protective of their flocks. In general, chickens that are good foragers, know how to hide from hawks, and rarely, if ever, get sick.
I don't think that's too much to ask.
Based on breed description, Buff Orpingtons sound like they'd be perfect. Jersey Giants might be a good fit, too, but they might be less likely to brood and too slow growing (though if they produced a fabulous carcass at the end it might be worth it). I liked the sound of Brahmas really well but the feathered feet are a problem, especially here (snow and ice and clay mud), and that's apparently a dominant gene. I would love to get something with a pea or rose comb, but none of those breeds are big (except the Brahma), and I would be afraid of losing the broodiness via crossbreeding.
In all of my researching I have come across several problems.
1. Hatchery stock is often bred more to egg production than meat, even in the 'dual-purpose' breeds. These breeds are therefore often underweight.
2. Hatchery stock is not very likely to sit well, if at all, because this is considered detrimental to egg production.
3. Often dual-purpose breeds are not only physically too small, they also don't produce enough eggs or very large eggs.
4. The genetics tied to broodiness are complicated: you can't just cross two pretty broody breeds and get more broody hens.
5. Breeders are often no better than hatcheries. Sometimes, yes. Most of the time, no. Because birds.
6. Lots of other people have wanted to know the same things, but generally the details in the reviews are very scant.
So WHERE anyone got birds that fit the above criteria is very important, because everyone has their own strain of each breed.
Therefore, my question is:
Of those two breeds, can anyone who has had them tell me/the world as much as they can about how they performed, along with where they came from?
If the Buffs/Giants from one hatchery tend to be too small, that would be important. If those from another won't sit at all, or are terrible mothers, that's important. And if there's another breed that would suit better, that would be good to know. I'd love to know anything any breeders could tell me about how to get/preserve these genetics in a flock over time - like what external characteristics would point to a good meaty chicken underneath.
I have no desire to show anything and no particular allegiance to any breed.
Thank you in advance for reading and for any help!
