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What would you consider to be the best overall chicken for a self-sustaining homestead?
Lets not limit ourselves to a single breed of chicken. Instead, lets throw out several breeds and discuss the merits of each one.
Traits I would look for:
Good layers
Broody
Good forager
Good meat bird for butchering
Able to tolerate heat and cold
My current flock:
4 – Rhode Island Reds
2 – Silver Laced Wyandotte
2 – Barred Rocks
2 – Australorps
2 – Black Jersey Giants
1 – Speckled Sussex
Looking to add:
Dominique / Dominicker
My observations:
The rhode island reds seem a little on the skinny side, while the barred rocks and the Australorps look like they have fuller breast.
The jersey giants look like they are going to be huge when butchered, but they seem to be rather slow in developing.
I will not know for sure what ones are the better meat chicken until I butcher some of them, then I can do a side-by-side comparison.
My Speckled Sussex loves to forage.
The Barred Rocks seem a little spoiled as they will hang around the back door waiting for scraps.
Jersey Giants may not be the best layers, but they lay a rather large egg. If you want something close to a turkey, the Jersey giant would be my first pick.
Lets not limit ourselves to a single breed of chicken. Instead, lets throw out several breeds and discuss the merits of each one.
Traits I would look for:
Good layers
Broody
Good forager
Good meat bird for butchering
Able to tolerate heat and cold
My current flock:
4 – Rhode Island Reds
2 – Silver Laced Wyandotte
2 – Barred Rocks
2 – Australorps
2 – Black Jersey Giants
1 – Speckled Sussex
Looking to add:
Dominique / Dominicker
My observations:
The rhode island reds seem a little on the skinny side, while the barred rocks and the Australorps look like they have fuller breast.
The jersey giants look like they are going to be huge when butchered, but they seem to be rather slow in developing.
I will not know for sure what ones are the better meat chicken until I butcher some of them, then I can do a side-by-side comparison.
My Speckled Sussex loves to forage.
The Barred Rocks seem a little spoiled as they will hang around the back door waiting for scraps.
Jersey Giants may not be the best layers, but they lay a rather large egg. If you want something close to a turkey, the Jersey giant would be my first pick.