What breed of rooster to get chicks do I need?

[Davaroo]

Quote:
It is a lot, I know. It can hardly be covered in a few posts on BYC, either.

But, you're lucky - all you really need to know can be found in that link I gave you.

As for meat birds, unless you want to go with distinct meat breeds, stick to one of the dual purpose chickens. Your sex links are a fair choice. Oh.... and expect them to be a little scrawnier than what you'll find in the grocery store.

 

[Mahonri]

He's an eggspert.

 

[chickenjen]

He's an eggspert.

I see that!

It is a lot, I know. It can hardly be covered in a few posts on BYC, either.

But, you're lucky - all you really need to know can be found in that link I gave you.

And I will be referencing it after a thorough read. Thank you SO much!

As for meat birds, unless you want to go with distinct meat breeds, stick to one of the dual purpose chickens. Your sex links are a fair choice.

Oh good. Then I will just start breeding more of them for the dual purpose. I figured I might need a few breeding hens and a rooster anyhow... was not sure but now I know more closely what I think I am headed towards.

Oh.... and expect them to be a little scrawnier than what you'll find in the grocery store.

I just bought some at the local store today. I think they are 1 lb breasts! Smaller would be good! Even though the dogs love the left overs, my budget does not.

You have already answered so many of my questions I had. I am going to read that link you gave through a few times.

 

[Davaroo]

As for meat birds, unless you want to go with distinct meat breeds, stick to one of the dual purpose chickens. Your sex links are a fair choice....Oh good. Then I will just start breeding more of them for the dual purpose. I figured I might need a few breeding hens and a rooster anyhow... was not sure but now I know more closely what I think I am headed towards.

Were you to go to a specific dual purpose bird for both meat and eggs, it is generally recommended that you raise white or buff varieties. This gives a creamy skin color and light, or white, pin feathers. The end result is a more appealing carcass for the table.

Traditional breeds that have been used for this purpose are the white or buff Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks. Both are good, brown-egg layers and offer a decent sized eating bird in the 3-4 lb class. The Wys are quite stocky of body and were once very desirable for this reason. Delawares are also worth considering.

You may want to think about letting your sex links "play out," over the next few seasons and just replace them with something else along these lines. In the end you could be in for less hassle.​

 

[chickenjen]

The end result is a more appealing carcass for the table.

Now I know dark feathers on the table will make people think I dropped their dinner in the compost pile before serving, I personally prefer featherless presentations!

Well, the reason I am looking at dual purpose is because I am tired of hearing the complaints about store bought chicken. But... I am tired of store bought eggs. I think the end result that no one but me wants to admit in this house is that we are all tired of store bought food quality. So Mom is here trying to run this family into sustainable living.

We ended up with more sex links than I really expected. I really thought we might be lucky to end up with 10 of the 20 between excited small children and 2 dogs. I also was concerned about predators but we came out with 15 survivors. So we are going to end up with way more eggs than we need. What I was thinking is beyond me. But if need, I know plenty of good local people that will gladly provide wonderful homes if I screw up and end up with too many chickens!

I just don't want to be buying chicks every spring just to puff up. Logic to me says get a couple of good hens and a rooster and raise my own. I think I might have a small issue with shipping animals. Just does not seem "natural", ya know? But I understand it is safe and they almost always arrive just fine, etc. Just seems odd to me.

I am going to have to do some serious thinking on this one.

Thank you for all your help!

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Now I know dark feathers on the table will make people think I dropped their dinner in the compost pile before serving, I personally prefer featherless presentations!

Once you remove the main feathers from a chicken, you are left with a bare-skinned carcass peppered here and there with a few (and sometimes more) of what are called 'pinfeathers.'

These are small, hairlike feathers that cling stubbornly within their follicles in the skin. They can be plucked out one at a time with tenacious effort, but there are often a few that go unseen. These seem to appear "out of nowhere" once the bird gets to the table.

With dark feathered birds, this is more pronounced. Now, some people see these little feathers as a sign of a "natural, farm-fresh" bird, while others find them a little too close to nature when they appear on the dinner entree.

But, white or buff feathered birds have pinfeathers that are almost invisible against the creamy white skin such birds possess. If one or two goes unseen in processing, it is hardly noticed. This is why white feathered-white skinned birds have became favored in the the market, and remain so to this day.

 

[mstricer]

I'm thinking our sussex would be good for meat and egg laying (the egg laying is questionable other then their eggs are huge) My sussex are the fattest chicken I own. My Black Giant Jeresy is the best and rooster to the girls and is friendly towards people. My EE roo is sweet but horny (am I aloud to say that here) as heck and hard on the girls.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
We know what you mean.

Make no mistake - ANY bird can be a meat bird. You feed it until you want to stop doing so and then you kill and eat it. With that said, it behooves you to get the most bang for your buck.

The English have been eating birds like the Sussex for a very long time. I have an old book or two from Britain and that breed is specifically mentioned. So there is precedent. The Jersey Giants were also genetically manipulated with that purpose in mind, I believe.

The beauty of all this is you can do what you want. There is no one, single best and variations abound on the theme. I've always though it better to have birds that didn't require special treatment, and could pay you back... until that fateful day when they make the ultimate sacrifice for their masters.

 

[chickenjen]

The beauty of all this is you can do what you want. There is no one, single best and variations abound on the theme.

And I think that is the answer I was hoping for all along. We want to also enjoy the process and not stress ourselves sick trying to figure out what (if there is one) the magic formula to the whole raising and breeding chickens. However, the information about hybrids and how breeding them again can result in differences or loss of characteristics is very helpful as well so that we don't make a choice that ends in a undesirable way (IE, a chicken with no meat on its bones or that never lays eggs).

I do see your point about the feathers now. Thank you.

Right now I think I am still enjoying the new "daily hunt" for eggs as we are slowly growing in the daily count of found eggs.​

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
And I think that is the answer I was hoping for all along. We want to also enjoy the process and not stress ourselves sick trying to figure out what (if there is one) the magic formula to the whole raising and breeding chickens. However, the information about hybrids and how breeding them again can result in differences or loss of characteristics is very helpful as well so that we don't make a choice that ends in a undesirable way (IE, a chicken with no meat on its bones or that never lays eggs).

I do see your point about the feathers now. Thank you.

Right now I think I am still enjoying the new "daily hunt" for eggs as we are slowly growing in the daily count of found eggs.

Good girl!