What breed of chicken would be best for the backyard homesteader?
Question by Polska: What breed of chicken would be best for the backyard homesteader?
Dual breed: good egg laying / meat. Gentle, calm temperament. Can forage and still be okay in a small space. What breed does this best describe? Any other advice on chickens?
What do you think? Answer below!
6 Responses to What breed of chicken would be best for the backyard homesteader?
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Production Rocks
Production Reds
Haley Bannah
December 10, 2012 at 7:09 pm
silkies is the best house pet
But my personal favorite would have to be the turkin not the pretiest of birds but they are good egg layers / good for meat. Gentle, calm temperament all that you wanted i am not so sure how they would do in a small area i don’t know if you mean backyard or let them loose in your backyard then stick them in a 4×4 cage but they are overall very good chickens or you could try blackstars rhode islannd red mixed with barred rock.
chidori one thousand birds
December 10, 2012 at 7:14 pm
I am in Australia so the names of breeds may be different here
Australorps are probably the best of the heavy breads for laying and are of calm temperament
they are a large black coloured and are one of the quieter breeds and don’t need any more space than other birds
Sussex,Road island reds and welsummers also seem to lay a bit
it would depend more on the quality of the birds you purchase than the breed sometimes
as I have seen any largish black chook called an australorp at times
if you just wish to have chooks that lay a lot of eggs and wish to hatch your own then any commercial breed (hyline , isabrown ect ) will provide more meat that you need as halfish will be roosters
?
December 10, 2012 at 7:26 pm
Delawares. They are large, brown egg layers that are tame even when not handled, and the free-range very well!
Alysianne D
December 10, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Plymouth Rocks or Reds
SPCBob
December 10, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Any of the Sussex breeds would do you. Light Sussex, Red/Buff Sussex, Barred Rocks, Jersey Giants. Ignore the person who said Silkies all they do is go broody at the drop of a hat and stop laying eggs.
When you say “small space” you need a large enough totally secure pen preferably one that you can rotate or move around as the chickens will wreck the ground very quickly and when it rains it turns to mud. My chicken pen is like a quagmire right now 🙁 If you let them free range totally they will get taken by predators.
Trust Me I'm a Doctor ♥
December 10, 2012 at 8:25 pm