What Breeds Do You Raise and Why?

[Sir Birdaholic]

I raise my chickens for calmness & beauty. That's why I raise Red Shouldered Yokohamas & Salmon Faverolles.

 

[TK Poultry]

Ameraucanas- Their dispostion and all around look just attracks me for some odd reason. I just can't resist them!

Calls- They are adorable and do I have to say anything else? lol I just like the look of them!

 

[iPreach]

i have more of a question than an answer...i am totally new to this, but i want eggs and meat...so i am looking at the barred rock...is this where i should be looking for a breed or should i be looking at a different one? also, do i just eat the roosters and keep the hens...plus keep a few roos for continued breeding...i am so lost...

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Different people have different methods, but usually yes, it is that you keep the hens until they're done, then it is the stewpot. Extra roosters are for eating, good ones for keeping. Also, extra hens are good for selling too.

Barred Rocks are a good dual purpose breed, but only from good quality lines (not hatchery) There are a decent number of breeders here who have really good dual purpose Barred Rocks.

 

[draye]

Quote:
Depends on what you are wanting and how many you are wanting. Barred Rocks should be good for both meat and eggs, but they will take longer to grow out and usually not a fryer either. How many hens are you wanting to keep and maintain? As far as eating the roosters and keeping the hens, keep how many ever hens you want, and you should keep at least one rooster per 10 to 12 hens. I have around 15 hens to my 1 rooster, but they are young so shlud be able to handle that many, guess I'll know when I start trying to hatch them.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Partridge cochins

Mixed color cochins (until I get a blue or splash rooster)

EE hybrid mixes (soon)

DH really likes cochins, their appearance and mellow personality. I just want more layers.

 

[cubalaya]

Quote:
get some delawares. eat the extra roosters. keep the hens that look to standard. sell the rest.

 

[Mahonri]

I have:

2 FBCM hens and 11 chicks (5 of which I'm sure are roos) I like the dark eggs.
2 w/bw Maran chicks. 1roo,1pullet one of them came from a FBCM egg!

3 BBL polish hens and 1 roo. I love the look and the cream colored eggs.
I also have two mixed hens... 1 WCBlueXBBL and 1 FBCMX(WCBlueXBBL) great looking birds

16 total Blue/Splash/Wheaten Ameraucanas. Love the blue eggs, 2 of that total are roos I also have about 8 chicks in the brooder and sadly 5 or 6 look like roos.

1 leghorn... she's my Layer!

1 Blue EE hen... great layer I also have a 5 or 6 EE chicks

6 Icelandic chicks sexes and colors yet to be determined. I love the way they look and what great foragers they are, they'll get the run of the yard eventually.

 

[easttxchick]

Quote:
I have a small flock of these as well(Rusty's are much typier than mine) for the same reasons-there is a long history for these little guys and I hate to see it end.
I also have a few EE, BR, BA, PR and White Rocks as layers, 2 breeder pair of Black Sumatras(preservation) and a flock of Call Ducks(because they are just adorable) and a trio of Norwegian Jaerhons(just because they are so pretty).

 

[Judy]

Meat and eggs, so I like dual purpose large fowl. Well, the EE's were for blue eggs for the grandkids, I don't want any more of those, and the leghorn was a mistake. I like to raise replacements with broodies and so far have had one or two much of the time, but if I need a broody breed I will buy Kraienkoppes again. I like the BO for meat because they have larger dark meat areas and we are a dark meat eating bunch. There are several breeds I don't have which would be as good as those I have, like Delaware, NHR, and others. For friendliness the SS and BO and BA have been the best; my best roo was a BA. Will have to get some new blood in here this spring, to get another pure breed roo (well, as pure as hatchery gets.) Maybe I'll finally hunt down a real breeder.