[dchubbuk]

what with the recession and the blackrocks coming into end of lay i have decided not to buy more black rocks but to buy a duel purpose birds for laying and eating (i will keep the hens and eat the cockarals) i dont mind a pure bred breed or a hybred breed and i dont mind auto sexing breeds (it will help not getting attached to the boys)i will be ready for eggs next year and will raise my own brood (i will get eggs from more than one place to stop in breeding )i have bought some bantams and they are very good mothers  any ideas on what makes agood staring breed as i get conflicting information online will welcome any advice

Modified spelling for search purposes

[joyfull]

really you want a good old fashioned breed such as favourelles or a heavy strain of light sussex (some light sussex aren't heavy).

[darkbrowneggs]

I think a good utility strain of English Cuckoo Marans takes a lot of beating. 

They won't lay as many eggs as a hybrid in the first year or two, but will keep healthy and laying for far more years.  This year a man called to replace his 12 year old which was still laying a few eggs    Plus their beautiful eggs are always worth a premium, and add to the look of a mixed box enormously.

The cockerels should dress out at around 2.5 kilos in 24-30 weeks, and will do that on straight wheat and free range, and if you decide to cull the hens they are a good large size too.

I find them a calm placid breed to keep, and have always selected for nice temperament cockerels, so no pecking, no squabbling, and no pecking the backs of your legs when you are not looking. 

The cockerels will fight if they are introduced to a strange mature cockerel, and if so it will be to the death unless parted, but if they are kept together from chicks they will quite happily run with several cockerels in with a flock of breeding hens without problems, and Marans do not seem to pick on other breeds, so will fit into a mixed flock.

All the best
Sue

[joyfull]

I always forget Marans even though I have one (mind you she always appears to be broody - but she does make a great mum) , sorry Sue 

[dchubbuk]

thanks Sue for your message and thanks for putting me on the list for next year i can't wait !! and thank you for your prompt reply

[JaK]

I have a book about raising meat birds, the auther uses light and buff sussex birds. He also uses sussex bantams! I'll look it out later as it is a very handy book to have around.
I also intend on raising birds for meat next year as I have some orpington pullets that should make good mothers.

[JaK]

I think a good utility strain of English Cuckoo Marans takes a lot of beating. 

They won't lay as many eggs as a hybrid in the first year or two, but will keep healthy and laying for far more years.  This year a man called to replace his 12 year old which was still laying a few eggs    Plus their beautiful eggs are always worth a premium, and add to the look of a mixed box enormously.

The cockerels should dress out at around 2.5 kilos in 24-30 weeks, and will do that on straight wheat and free range, and if you decide to cull the hens they are a good large size too.

I find them a calm placid breed to keep, and have always selected for nice temperament cockerels, so no pecking, no squabbling, and no pecking the backs of your legs when you are not looking. 

The cockerels will fight if they are introduced to a strange mature cockerel, and if so it will be to the death unless parted, but if they are kept together from chicks they will quite happily run with several cockerels in with a flock of breeding hens without problems, and Marans do not seem to pick on other breeds, so will fit into a mixed flock.

All the best
Sue

Roughly what sort of age do the cockerels start to crow? Crowing will be the only draw back for me as my neighbours wouldn't take too kindly to it. 

[darkbrowneggs]

Yes - they do make excellent mums.  Even though I try to breed it out of my strain I always get the occasional one who insists.  This is one which reared some ducklings for me last year.  She was good even when they went on the pond - she just patrolled round the edge keeping as near as she dared to them, which was sometimes a bit hair-raising when she was balancing on a piece of 2x2 railing which projected out over the pond  :blink:

When she thought it was time for them to perch, and started sleeping on top of the coop I took her away and left them to it, but she didn't loose one - bless  

[darkbrowneggs]

JAK - they will probably start to crow before they reach the 5 lbs mark.  If it is just meat  you want then go for Ross Cobb or something similar. 

Originally Marans were kept as dual purpose fast maturing young birds, (basically Petit Poussin) and I think they were supposed to reach about a kilo before they start to crow, but that means a lot of plucking and drawing for the amount of meat. 

In the old Lewis Wright book he lists a recipe for Chicken Pudding which was made from the cockerel culls at around 6 weeks old, so it all depends how much work you are prepared to put in for possible returns.

Meat is so cheap now in comparison to other things that mostly (and I include myself here) we can't be bothered.  Wrong I suppose, but that's they way it is.

All the best
Sue

[kegs]

I've just raised our first batch of table birds.  They were a mixture of Hubbards and Coloryields which were ready for the table by 12-14 wks which coincided with their first crow.  We had to promise one of our neighbours that there would be no crowing and I've got one cockerel left which I'm trying to keep quiet!  Out of the 12 eggs I incubated 9 hatched and 7 were cockerels!  :blink:  They were a friendly group of birds with lovely natures but a bit wobbly on their legs and a tendancy to overeat.  The largest so far has been 5lb 10oz and they are very tasty.

[dchubbuk]

so many breeds to choose from if anyone has any other breeds i don't mind raising different breeds together if suitable but i really want duel purpose or utility breeds as i need egg layers as well but any recommendations is very much appreciated this is what this post is all about thanks sue and kegs for your recommendations i'm definatley looking into the marans not sure on hubbards as i want eggs from the hens are hubbards meat birds or are they good egg layers ? this is why i'm asking it's all well and good looking online but i wanted to know from people what they are really like as i have had black rocks and i have white stars and bantums i always like to know everything before i jump in feet first !!!THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO'S COMMENTED ON THIS POST IT MEANS A LOT TO ME FOR ALL YOUR INPUT !!!

[Sassy]

I have successfully hatched light Sussex and eaten the cockerels and felt I got a decent quantity of meat on the legs and breast. Then I kept the hens for eggs

[spud]

I've tried many different breeds and for meat the Cobb types were hard to beat, even though I don't really like the faults like being bad on their feet and more recently green muscle disease.
I got myself a trio of Black Australorps this year and I'm very hopeful that they will be closer to that ideal dual/smallholder/utility type bird. Castle Farm have spent many years working on this, my trio are bred from this stock. I was impressed with what I read on their website and went about finding some of their breeding, being across the water it was difficult but eventually found some.
I plan on keeping good egg laying records and finished weights so I know what I need to try and do over the next few years. Not saying this is the answer, but its certainly worth some research, and much hard work/ time has already been spent in the right direction.

Cheers

 :blink: