[Emma]

What is the best breed to get for laying and the best breed to get for table birds???

[CameronS]

Light Sussex are a good multi use bird

[Emma]

i have been told that it is not good to use a chicken as a multi purpose bird, ie if i was to use it till it has finished its laying and then sell it as a table bird. Is it true???

[CameronS]

i think it means that, when a bird stops laying, or slows down, it will be older and the meat will be more tough,
but if the bird is younger then i see no problem, we quite often eat exess males, or aggressive females ie feather pluckers get eaten, as i don't have enough space to separate them.

[Emma]

Whats the best age for a bird to go to slaughter?

[whitby_sam]

Warren Hens (or your average brown hen/ex-bat) are one of the best layers, they are incredibly friendly, tame and curious too so very entertaining to watch. I'm not sure how good they are for the table but ours are most certainly large birds. I'm planning on isolating a few of our Warrens along with our biggest Maran boy so I can hatch some super-chooks that will be great layers and very large for the table.

I'll let you know how they turn out!

Age for slaughter varies, some as early as 16 weeks (so before Point Of Lay) and some can still be good later on. I'd have no issues with eating a 2-year-old layer except that at 2 years old there's still a few years of laying left. Meat birds are fed differently, raised differently (ie not allowed to free range) and generally treated differently to layers so it all depends on whether you have space to raise 2 different lots.

Meat birds are generally confined to a run so that they don't develop the same muscle tone of a free range bird. Free range meat is tougher and more stringy but ideal for slow-cooking and curries, this tends to affect the breast more than the legs and wings and is still perfectly palatable.

There are a lot more people on here who know a lot more than me so don't take this as gospel, this is my opinion and not in any way tried and tested.

[Emma]

Thanks for the help guy's, espessialy whitby sam . . . Well i have got my chicken coop now it comes in a few days. . . But i am still really worried about what breed to get and if there is any good local suppliers in my area (Minehead, Somerset) . Does anyone know of any good suppliers in my area??? I am concentrating on laying hens . . . Cheers 

[langdon]

nothing got to do with the post been written, but more got to do with
the feather plucking thing.
we got one or two of these nasty chucks.
do you find that it sorts the problem out e.g. others dont then take over feather plucking?
is it a habit that only some will have and others wont
langdon

[chickenfeed]

it happens from time to time i have only come across it with hybrids myself if left untreated they can kill one another some times a anti peck spray may work if not you may well have to use beak bumpers.

[Castle Farm]

I breed utility breeds which means the birds utilize the feed given in egg or meat production.

When I started keeping birds in the early 60's there were breeds around then that were used for table and eggs, namely Rhode Island Red,Light or White Sussex,Plymouth rock and the farmers favorite cross a Rhode Island Red cock on a Light Sussex hen.

The resulting chicks from a RIR X LS were sexable at hatch and the cocks were usually culled or reared on seperately to the young pullets for the table.

We have become accustomed to seeing big breasted meat breeds in supermarkets, but before the early 60's only a few were available to farmers as breeding just for meat was thought inpractical.

Back then cockerels were sold at around 12-16 weeks and they weighed about 2-3 lb max as spring chicken.At the other end of the scale birds that had been caponised were reaching around 8lbs and were a luxury item.Over 12 months and up there were stags and they were boilers as were 'spent' hens.

Nowadays you will not get a light Sussex worth running on because practically all the really good strains have been lost.Same goes for RIR.There may be a few New Hampshire Reds about but very difficult to find.

These breeds have been lost through bad breeding practices and exhibition breeders.

Indian Game crosses.

These are your only option if your looking for a decent Jordon (a bird with a big breast) and that needs thinking through before you start.

Indian Game don't lay loads of eggs like other pure heavy breeds,so your looking about 120-150 eggs a year if you can stop them going broody.

The cross needs to be to a good heavyweight layer.

Nearly all the heavy breeds now..RIR,LS Plymouth Rock are much poorer layers, down to breeding for colour and feathers..not egg numbers.So you need a good strain or you will end up with mediocer birds and waste time and money...Whatever breed you choose unless it's a commercial tablebird your looking at 6 months before it's big enough.

I have tried them all in my time and the best by far is an Australorp Cock on Indian Game hens.

Australorps hold the unbeaten world egg laying record of 364 eggs in 365 days.(Australian Goverment trials).They are big birds (Adult cock about 12lbs) and calm and placid.



Mated to Indian Game you get these.


Welsh Black Fowl. These dress out at 6 months around 7lbs and the pullets will lay 280-300 eggs a year for at least 4 years.

Mated brother to sister you get these. (Welsh Black x Welsh Black).



and mating the cock back to Indian Game you get.

Improved Indian Game.

These lay even better than than pure Indians and are half as big again.

You simply choose the biggest cockerel and eat the other males.The pullets will lay loads of eggs,sit and rear your next generation.

More info on my Web page www.castlefarmeggs.co.uk