Your experience with "dual purpose" birds

If you want birds for Christmas dinner order meaties. Less than 3 month-old hatchery run dual-purpose hens will not make a meal let alone a holiday feast.

Of what you've got on the list the Rocks will make the best meat. The Orps and RIR will run the race for best layers but you may as well butcher half of each -- or all of whichever breed you like least -- because while the EEs won't make the best layers, they're relatively worthless for meat.
 
Thanks all! Methinks I had the wrong information! I've called the hatchery and changed my order. I'm going to get 15 Cornish, 5 Buff Orpington and 5 RIR. That way I'll have the meat and the layers.
 
A dual purpose bird is one bird the is good for both laying eggs and meat. Most dual purpose are not great at either of those things. I look for a dual purpose that I can eat the roos, and keep the hens for laying. As the roos tend to be larger anyway.
 
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i think you will be extremely pleased with your decision!
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good luck and have fun!
 
If you like dark meat, try a Marans. They are very tasty. I am also growing a faverolle to see how they taste. They are a French favorite. Not fond of Orps. EE's are all right. Marans are the best by far for me.
 
BOs will eat you out of house and home and will not be a daily layer. If you want a true dual purpose breed that you can count on, the RIRs are great and you should add Black Aussies to your list. Take it from someone who culls stringently for laying... my Aussies have stood the test of time for four years now, the White Rocks for three, the New Hamps for three.

The BOs I killed after the first year for no steady lay, for being too docile(having bare backs) and for eating the most. Now, THAT is the breed you will want to kill for eating!
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Save your White Rocks for laying...they are steady layers , hardy and you can eat them in the end, as they are big gals.
 
My grandparents kept RIR's for meat, and a few for eggs as well. this was back in the 50s and 60s. I remember my uncle had a hen (maybe a descendant of the others, maybe not) that brooded a clutch in an old milk bucket. That was my first memory of chickens. I must have been about 3 at the time. Ahh the memories.
 
The White Rocks are good layers themselves. As far as for meat chickens you will have to wait longer for them to grow off, but make
fine roasting chickens or make some very fine chicken and dumplings.
We have a pen of approximately 12 to 13 roosters now waiting for them to get bigger. We are currently feeding a 20% protein chick
starter/grower and they are doing so much better and growing better. In a few weeks we will put them on corn chops to add a little fat to them to make them a littler jucier.
 

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