Author Topic: Best breed for meat or eggs (Read 3381 times)

DandG · « **on:** July 06, 2010, 07:14:41 pm »

Hi all,
We hope to get our first batch of chickens, but we are in a dilema . Ideally we would like to keep some for meat and a seperate lot for eggs. We have not a clue as what breeds to go for as our meat producers, so would love to hear your thoughts.

For eggs we was thinking of Blackrocks, Rhode Island Reds and Marans, we was going to get a mixed dozen to start with for egg production and was going to build an outside run of approx 4m x 3m and modify a 6 x 4 garden shed for the coop, would this be big enough?

Any help/thoughts we are all ears

Thanks in advance

Cheers
Denise & Geoff

jacob and Georgina · « **Reply #1 on:** July 06, 2010, 08:40:35 pm »

we have warren hybrid hens as a hybrid is better for laying and they will not go broody, they are widely available and cost around £5 each, as for a run i heard that approx 3 square feet per hen should be plently. if you have too many there will not be any grass left after a couple of months. How many hens are you thinking of keeping?

valr · « **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2010, 10:12:28 pm »

Seems like a very small space to me for a dozen large fowl...?

Rosemary · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2010, 11:14:40 pm »

The space is just about adequate but it will be bare in no time, so you might have to put down straw or bark and some "toys" to amuse them. Two runs would be better so that you can rest one. I would suggest you buy six hens and see how it goes. If you buy 12, which is the absolute maximum you can accommodate, in a couple of years you will have very few eggs and twelve elderly hens, unless you are prepared to cull them. Get six now and six next year, or 4, 4, and 4.

sheila · « **Reply #4 on:** July 08, 2010, 08:23:19 am »

I find Isa Warrens are best for eggs. They will lay 6 eggs per week and never go broody.They seem happiest in groups of five so I would just add a few each year as the original numbers dwindle. Good luck

DandG · « **Reply #5 on:** July 08, 2010, 11:24:35 am »

Sorry all for the delay in our response, we lost our internet, all sorted now. Thanks all for the sound advice, we would never want to cram them in, so looks like the best idea as one of you clever peeps suggest is to buy either 4 or 6 for the first year, then as we get used to looking after them gradually increase our birds. We will also take on the dual run and alternate them. So we will look at the Isa Warrens and really fancy blackrocks . If anyone can suggest a good dealer near to us (We are in Bwlchgwyn near Llangollen North Wales) please pm us. Thanks all again for your help, but still need suggestions on what breads for meat.