Greetings All!
I've been looking at three breeds for use as both meat and eggs..... New Hampshire Reds, the Buff Orps, and the Brahmas.
all three breeds are listed as moderate layers = 3/wk.
all three claim to be over 7 lbs grown weight.
all three are cold-tolerant which is important as I cannot heat our coop, nor adequately insulate it at present. The ability to sucessfully survive nights in the single digits, and days that sometimes stay below freezing is important.
Of the three choices, Brahmas supposedly have the gentlest temperment, and with small kids around, this is a consideration. I've got (i think anyway), a NHR roo, two NHR hens laying, and an adolescent NHR as well. [As those two are the only ones that lay brown eggs, we get an egg apiece 5 or more days aweek]
I want to expand / replace the mixed flock we were given with all one breed, and be able to both harvest enough eggs for both home use and sale of excess, as well as butcher for table meat. A high fertility / viability rate for hatching is also an important consideration.
Comments, suggestions, alternatives are all gratefully heard.
Thanks,
Kathy
I've been looking at three breeds for use as both meat and eggs..... New Hampshire Reds, the Buff Orps, and the Brahmas.
all three breeds are listed as moderate layers = 3/wk.
all three claim to be over 7 lbs grown weight.
all three are cold-tolerant which is important as I cannot heat our coop, nor adequately insulate it at present. The ability to sucessfully survive nights in the single digits, and days that sometimes stay below freezing is important.
Of the three choices, Brahmas supposedly have the gentlest temperment, and with small kids around, this is a consideration. I've got (i think anyway), a NHR roo, two NHR hens laying, and an adolescent NHR as well. [As those two are the only ones that lay brown eggs, we get an egg apiece 5 or more days aweek]
I want to expand / replace the mixed flock we were given with all one breed, and be able to both harvest enough eggs for both home use and sale of excess, as well as butcher for table meat. A high fertility / viability rate for hatching is also an important consideration.
Comments, suggestions, alternatives are all gratefully heard.
Thanks,
Kathy