Author Topic: Utility chickens (Read 5405 times)

SussexRanger · « **on:** November 10, 2010, 08:04:36 pm »

Hello, just joined the forum! Whats everyones favourite utility chicken breed? Im a fan of Sussex and Welsummers.

I have kept hens for 8 years now, such a joy to keep, i have 15 chickens and 2 pet ducks. I still have 2 black rock layers from my first 6 hens. Unfortunately I cant keep cockrel as not worth annoying the neighbours! But i like to buy in eggs each year and hatch 20-40 chicks each year, i sell the girls/keep a few and tend to eat some of the boys! Hopefully i can keep my own utility lines one day, id love some laying ducks aswell but dont really have the space for them.

What does everyone else keep poultry wise?

Thanks Rich

Rosemary · « **Reply #1 on:** November 10, 2010, 09:48:52 pm »

Hi and welcome from crisp, cold Carnoustie

Currently, 2 Cream Crested Legbars, one White Leghorn, one Copper Black Maran, 2 Bluebelles, 2 Speckledy, about 10 middle aged Black Rocks, a few Warrens, 14 Warren pullets and a Copper Black Maran cockerel called Hector - about 38 at the last count.

faith0504 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 10, 2010, 09:52:24 pm »

hi and welcome from starry moray

we have 4 bluebelles and 1 ex battery hoping to get 6 black rocks very soon

SussexRanger · « **Reply #3 on:** November 10, 2010, 09:53:26 pm »

Wicked sounds like your going to get plenty of eggs! Well atleast in the spring anyway! How much land do you have Rosemary? Sounds like a good choice faith, i love black rocks got 4 and there such good layers for hybrids, keep going longer than others i feel aswell.

faith0504 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 10, 2010, 10:04:51 pm »

all my girls are still laying getting 5 eggs a day bless em. we also have 3 dogs and 4 horses, well 1 horse and 3 ponies

HappyHippy · « **Reply #5 on:** November 10, 2010, 10:27:44 pm »

Hello

I've got a Rhode Island Red, a warren, 2 cuckoo marans and a light sussex cockerel - the maran's are a new addition and I'm blown away by their lovely dark eggs

Hoping to expand their run soon and add a couple of buff orphingtons to the mix and anything else that takes my fancy

sam.t · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2010, 06:47:18 am »

:wave:hi and welcome
i have 26 warrens, 4 pale lemon brahmas, 4 white silkies, 3 red bearded silkies, 4 black silkies, 5 black orps and 1 buff orp but will be expanding in the spring also have 8 turkeys(wont see christmas) and 2

still getting about 21 eggs a day from warrens and red and white sikies still laying( orps and black silkies not come into lay yet only 19 weeks old)

BlueDaisy · « **Reply #7 on:** November 11, 2010, 08:01:20 am »

I've got a rhode island red, a cream legbar, 2 light sussex, 2 marans, 2 buff orps, 2 blue orps, a jubilee orp and 5 speckled sussex boys (for eating) and a speckled sussex girl. Currently getting one egg every other day!
Also just filled up the incy with some crele and partridge orpingtons and 6 hubbard and 6 ixworth eggs. That's going to be a utility experiment!

chickenfeed · « **Reply #8 on:** November 11, 2010, 08:03:39 am »

:wave:hello

we have atm a mix of blackrocks, goldline's redco's, RIR, marans (about 30 ish) then a breeding pen of brown leghorns. we hatch between 100 & 150 ish chicks a year and sell most of these at poultry sales and auctions.

my parents have been breeding utility light sussex for 30 ish years and have recently brought in som utility RIR to start breeding them (i hatch them all here and then they rear them to pol)

who knows what we will have here next its usually a spur of the moment thing.

Daveravey · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2010, 01:06:04 pm »

I have 3 Calder Rangers, 4 Black Rocks & 2 Buff Sussex left after slimming down a wee bit for the winter.

My Black Rocks are far from friendly & tend to take more than a passing interest in my fingers, nose or whatever they can grab a hold of... hense they are gonna move onto new pastures asap & to be honest, i find my Calders better layers than the Rocks.

Gonna have some more Calders & Buff Sussex in the spring

darkbrowneggs · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2010, 03:22:42 pm »

Hi Rich from wet and windy Worcestershire

I keep the traditional English Cuckoo Marans, which were imported into this country in the 1920's as a utility bird, mainly for its meat, but of course it does lay lovely dark brown eggs, so you get the best of both worlds.

My young cockerels get to around 6lbs in 20weeks without any special feeding, though I have been reading that you can eat them at around 12-14 weeks when they are supposed to dress out at about 2.5 lbs.

The flesh is fine textured and white, and as I don't feed mine on fatteners rations it is pretty well fat free, and (I think) delicious. It is supposed to be one of the breeds favoured by the French chefs for quality and flavour.

All the best
Sue
www.darkbrowneggs.info

SussexRanger · « **Reply #11 on:** November 15, 2010, 03:21:46 pm »

Nice to hear what everyone keeps

I love your passion for the Cucko Marans Darkbrowneggs. There the kind of breed i would keep if i could keep cockrels! Lots of lovely brown eggs and boys are allright size for eating. I have plenty of space to keep a breeding flock of say 10 hens and 2 cockrels but lack the neighbours to keep cockrels! So im quite happy keeping my own hens and hatching bought in eggs. Ive currently got 7 hens, 6 hybrids, 2 of which are way too old too lay anything really (but still do lay the odd one, which is impressive as there 8 year old black rocks!) the other 4 lay well, and 1 also have a polish that lays well too. I have 2 white orp x light sussex pullets growing on in a shed atm which will be in with the laying hens in the spring i hatched them myself earlier in the year and are doing great, so with them laying in the spring + the other 7 birds, will be PLENTY of eggs for my family and our neighbour. Im cutting right back on what i keep, to save money as i think everyone knows how addictive chickens are and for less work. If anyone in Sussex wants 6 pekin bantams or a pair of call ducks! give me a bell!

Rich