Which breed should I choose?

[NoviceFarmer]

Hi all!
This is my first summer raising chicks...I want meat and eggs, and friendly birds since I have small kids who will pretend they are pets I'm wondering whether it is better to have dual meat/egg birds or seperate breeds, and what breeds people recommend for good "pets". Thanks!!

 

[DavidKerk]

If you want meat in a very short amount of time then you should probably do separate breeds. The following breeds produce a good amount of eggs and are quite friendly: Orpingtons, New Hampshires, Rhode Island Reds, and Wyandottes. The roosters from these breeds produce a good amount of meat although they don't grow very fast.

 

[Mehjr10]

For the Meat side I like the Cornish X rocks, they are fast growing and eat well. I did a batch of black broilers and they were good also it just takes longer for them to get to the desired weight.

For the eggs my most productive hens are my White Leghorns, I have 5 of them and i will have 5 eggs just about every day, very rarely do I get just four from the group. I have production reds, red sex links, barred rocks which have all laid well and all the hen and all but one roo of that type are good to go.. I have one roo a Barred Rock, that you have to keep an Eye one Some days he get a feather up his vent and can be grumpy, but he keeps them safe, he will not let a strange animal get next to his group he will defend them.

My best roosters around the kids are my Salmon Fav, Buff Brahma, and Rhode Island Red.

Good Luck and welcome to BYC.

 

[PharmGirl]

Buff Orpingtons are incredible I had 4 hens and a Rhode Island Red rooster who could be a little tempermental but over all wonderful roo. Good luck and I hope your kids have fun with them.