Production Reds, Rhode Island Red or Black Stars

2801 Views 8 Replies 7 Participants Last post by mitchell3006, Feb 21, 2016

kev

Discussion Starter · Feb 11, 2016 (Edited)

The local feed store has Buff Orpington, Black Sex Links (Black Stars) and Production Reds.

Are production reds just as good as rhode island reds? I want egg production and am not too concerned about a meat chicken. It would be nice to have a dual purpose chicken for butchering, but I already have Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks and Dominickers.

My girlfriend wants some Buff Orpington chicks. I thought about getting her maybe 8 buffs and maybe 4 more chicks of another breed to make an even dozen.

The Buff Orpington will make a nice dual purpose bird when it is grown. What I need is quality egg production as I already have mainly dual purpose chickens.

For egg production, how do you think the black star (black sex link) compares to the production red?

Here are the chicks I got in spring 2015. Some were killed by predators, some died from the summer heat, and my exwife took some in the divorce.

I would like to replace the chicks I lost.

EDIT

Another feed store has Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks.

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mitchell3006

· #9 · Feb 21, 2016

For efficiency you want the most egg weight in return for feed weight input. The leghorns are unbeatable. On the downside they are skinny, bony meat birds best used to flavor soup. They don't have enough meat for dual-purpose use. The other downside for egg sales is the white shell. Folks want fresh eggs to be brown shelled. They think they taste different. All eggs, white, brown, green, or other are the same inside. I raise mostly brow shell types because they sell better for direct purchase. I also raise games. They are hard to beat for foraging and production. Shells are cream color. The roosters can be a handful though. All are fun to keep.

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