pinkfox
Super Self-Sufficient
for broodiness an orf over an australorp...
but if your SERIOUSLY looking for a good broody, ad a cochin hen to your flock.
cochins and silkies are the BEST breeds you can get for broodies. orphingtons are only "ok" compared.
silkies brook like its their job. quite honestly id rather have a couple of silkie hens than an incubator...they will brood 24/7 if allowed (and when mature thy DO drss out into an ok meaty for the stew pot (if you can get past the black bones and skin part) bout the size of a cornish game when mature.
cochins are almost as broody as silkies...and a standard cochin makes a VERY nice stewing hen, they are big girls even if you take away all that fluff...
however silkies would do better in the heat as a living incubator.
in terms fo good layers that do well in the heat, australorps and leghorns would be my first choice, leghorns being the better layers but typically making a slimmer meat carcass if looking for dual.
australorps and orphingtons make good duals but will never out lay a leghorn
personally im planning a mixed flock of brown leghorns, speckled sussex, easter eggers and Rocks (the rocks are another great option, bard or otherwise) and im planning on couple of silkies and bantam cochins as my incubators. id much rather feed something to hatch out any eggs, than plug somthing in to do the same job
and silkies can very much be dual purpose, a much smaller meal but its a highly prived meat in some markets, and considered incredibly priced in chinese culture...
but if your SERIOUSLY looking for a good broody, ad a cochin hen to your flock.
cochins and silkies are the BEST breeds you can get for broodies. orphingtons are only "ok" compared.
silkies brook like its their job. quite honestly id rather have a couple of silkie hens than an incubator...they will brood 24/7 if allowed (and when mature thy DO drss out into an ok meaty for the stew pot (if you can get past the black bones and skin part) bout the size of a cornish game when mature.
cochins are almost as broody as silkies...and a standard cochin makes a VERY nice stewing hen, they are big girls even if you take away all that fluff...
however silkies would do better in the heat as a living incubator.
in terms fo good layers that do well in the heat, australorps and leghorns would be my first choice, leghorns being the better layers but typically making a slimmer meat carcass if looking for dual.
australorps and orphingtons make good duals but will never out lay a leghorn
personally im planning a mixed flock of brown leghorns, speckled sussex, easter eggers and Rocks (the rocks are another great option, bard or otherwise) and im planning on couple of silkies and bantam cochins as my incubators. id much rather feed something to hatch out any eggs, than plug somthing in to do the same job
and silkies can very much be dual purpose, a much smaller meal but its a highly prived meat in some markets, and considered incredibly priced in chinese culture...
We found some turkey legs and thighs with $2 and $2.50 off coupons on them in the meat case and snatched those right up! Two legs coming out of the oven right now, fresh green beans and mashed potatos flavored with vegetable soup mix.
