What rooster breed?

[hencrazy]

This may seem like a dumb question, but I'm trying to decide what breed of rooster I should use to breed to my ee hens. I ended up with some ee's that are very well built (muscular) and also lay some huge eggs everyday. I would like to hatch some eggs from them so I could butcher some and keep some for egg production. Since most ee's I've seen are not built like these girls I really don't want to breed to an ee roo. Any ideas? I would like them to do well in the winter since I do not heat my coops.

 

[GraceAK]

If you want lots of eggs and to be able to butcher them.... i would say a White Rock rooster. They are pretty much the ultimate dual purpose bird. They are also good in cold weather. Well, my hen is.... A sussex would be good too.

 

[Minniechickmama]

There are a few of the dual purpose breeds you could use. EEs are pretty much mutts anyway. You should end up with about half girls and half boys, so you should have both eggs and meat from the offspring. Good luck.

 

[weaveagarden]

I agree that you could use many of the dual purpose breeds. I am a bit partial to Delawares, which are a cross of Barred Rock and New Hampshire. They are a particularly beautiful bird too. You would be getting these traits: Early maturing, great layers of large brown eggs, White feathers for a clean carcass, Yellow skin, Friendly and Docile, and bears some confinement. Now, which traits would actually transfer to the offspring, I don't know. But that is the direction I would go.

But I also have to say that I have gotten some very hearty EE Roos from McMurray Hatchery recently. Large, and very vigorous. Used as meat chickens, and nice quality meat if butured prior to full maturity.... Say 12-14 weeks or so. Not as large as Cornish Rocks.... But better flavor and meat consistency. I don't like a soft meated chicken.

 

[Lensters]

I like the idea of a White Rock (or any Plymouth Rock). A Delaware wouldn't be bad either. The New Hampshire isn't going to give you a good meat quantity that you seem to want. The other good choice would be a variety of Orpington. Do you care what these offspring look like or do you just want meat and eggs? I had a Barred Rock x EE rooster that was just huge and he had big, long, but not so deep breast meat.