What Breed for meat and eggs in the deep south?

My Delawares love being free range birds down here in Franklin. So does my BR hen. My RSLs do quite well, but wouldn't make meat birds. There's a guy from the co-op who keeps Cochins as dual purpose birds. Orps seem to do well, too. You really aren't limited in your choices around here.

BTW, from your neighbor to the south.

 

I'm starting a flock of Delawares, myself (south central KY here - about 100 miles north of Nashville)). I also have some Light Brahmas right now with my BIG Delaware rooster. (I've ordered dellie pullet chicks, and am getting some brahma chicks too - to have two flocks of purebreds.)

I've been hatching out the Delaware over Brahma chicks, though, and they are some fat big chicks!!

I have a mixed flock of layers, - black australorp, oeg, barred rock, new hampshire red, etc... but they are all dark chickens, and they have a harder time in the really bad heat. I'm hoping the lighter colored chickens will do better in the heat.

I went with something that had some black in them, too, though, to make them not AS obvious to the hawks. Plus, I love the columbian pattern.

My Dellie roo weighs probably a good 9 pounds, and he is about a year old. The brahma girls, even though they are fluffier, aren't lightweights, either. The mix chicks from them are MUCH larger than the chicks from my mixed laying flock.

meri

 

I don't know that I'd recommend Buff Orps. My two girls pant the worst. Last summer I found my sweet hen laying in the coop when I got home from work. She suffered heat exhaustion. I brought her inside and fed her water with electrolytes and yogurt. She was fine the next day and I put her back in the coop.

I diligently spray the coop and the birds on hot days. My BR's and Americana's don't seem to be as effected by the heat.

Joan

 

I have several breeds here but for meat and eggs, I would recommend the Barred Rocks.

 

My RIR and barred rocks do great here but my RIR seem to be better layers than the rocks. The heat doesn't seem to bother them at all.

 

Im in South Florida and I have RIR, BR, BO and a few mixed breed and they all seem to thrive well here. I don't think you will have a problem. My BO's seem to be the biggest meat wise and they also lay well.