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Author Topic: What breed?  (Read 1216 times)

Russpig

  • Joined Aug 2017
What breed?
« on: December 23, 2020, 05:39:03 pm »
If you were to have only one breed of chicken what would it be taking the following into consideration?

For both eggs and meat

Ability to sit and hatch own eggs

Richmond

  • Joined Sep 2020
  • Norfolk
Re: What breed?
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2020, 08:19:57 pm »
Sussex - buff are slightly heavier than light you are looking for meat but both are good layers. And beware of hybrid versions of the light. A true Sussex is quite a solid square shaped bird without being fat, hybrids are lighter framed.
Cuckoo marans - will mature at slightly lighter table weights (cockerels) but still a good meal. Males more aggressive (to each other) approaching maturity than Sussex.
Broody wise I would go for Marans over Sussex but it is all down to strains. Some Sussex strains are very broody but I have had more success with using marans for hatching.
Check out breed standards of both and buy from reputable breeders.

Steph Hen

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Angus Scotland.
Re: What breed?
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2020, 07:36:23 am »
Very good suggestions.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What breed?
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2020, 09:57:00 am »
We invested in an incubator early on and have never regretted it - every year at least one batch of chickens hatched, also geese and this coming year hopefully ducks - it has paid for itself several times over already. As to raising meat birds, we have found that buying in a batch of meat birds at day old provides roast chicken for a couple of years, and then we eat the spare cockerels from the home-hatched egg layers as curries and stews (only taking legs and breasts off the birds). I have mainly Maran hens and they lay very well, but for a roasting bird are a bit scrawny (after you have gone to the effort of plucking and gutting...)


The only breed I have seen mentioned as a good all-rounder is the Ixworth, but I don't think there are many breeders around.

 

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