What can you tell me about these chicken breeds?

[BarredBuff]

The Australorps will be your best bet then.....

 

[Beekissed]

Basically, I want to end up with good combo mutt chickens, not real skinny while growing (I see jersy giants don't fill out until they get older, so those are out), good egg laying, tendancy toward broodiness & decent foragers.
The broodiness isn't as important, as I can get a bantum or two to raise babies for me, if none of the other ladies are inclined.

Of the breeds listed the White Rock is your heaviest, best egg laying, broodiest and most all around hardy genetics for a homesteader with the Black Aussie coming in at a close second.

I have White Rocks that are going on 4 years old that have made the cut for laying each year, one or two of the five go broody each year...a couple of times...and make GREAT mothers. I had one that adopted my 20 meatie chicks this year and every single one made it to butchering time.

They are the absolute heaviest breed I've ever owned and mature quickly. I think they are a part of the genetics that are in the Cornish X meaties but not sure.

These WRs of mine are always clean and fresh looking and this is the first year they have had a heavy moult. They are not mean or aggressive but are able to defend their chicks from any other curious hens easily.

The Black Aussies are a slightly lighter build but even better egg layers, just as hardy, occasionally broody, stay beautiful and are sweet and quirky. I have one that is 5 years old and still going strong with laying....I only allow every day or every other day layers in my flock~so she is no slacker.

I can't really say enough good about both these breeds and would recommend them both for a homestead flock. I haven't found anything I DON'T like about these breeds.

As for the RIR....not big or meaty but egg laying machines, good personalities~very quirky and funny!, hardy to the max and just great birds to have, not often broody. I do believe RIR genetics contribute to both production sex link breeds.

 

[BarredBuff]

I would like to replace most of my doms but there is another mother hen who wont let me

 

[Woodland Woman]

If your white roos are clean legged they are probably white rocks. If they are feather legged they are probably cochins. I agree with Bee for choosing the white rock. They will fill your qualifications.

 

[Ohioann]

We have had Buckeyes for several years. They are slower growing than lighter breeds but make great dual purpose birds. We butcher spring chicks (roosters) in the fall ( so we don't feed extra birds all winter) and they make great meat birds. Hens lay a large brown egg. They are not particularly broody but the fertility rate is good on the eggs I put in the incubator. The American Livesotck Breeds Conservancy www.albc-usa.org has great information on all the chicken breeds that are on their conservation list. They have done a lot of work with the Buckeye chicken and with heritage breeds of turkeys. check out the information on the website.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Since you have EE's and RIR hens, I would go with a good "meaty" rooster to add "substance" to your flock. The white rock would be great for that. Rocks are all around good chickens,...

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

a single rhode island red - love the hens, good personalities, great layers, easy going, always out scratchin around

buckeyes - ours are totally loco and take "foraging" to a new level - like going into the next county. a nice size tho

barred rocks - same as RIR's but we kinda like 'em more

and then there are 2 breeds that are up in the air. The white ones could either be white rocks or white cochins
*** i think the cochins should have feathered feet

, the black ones could be jersey giants, black australorps or dark cornish
** we had 2 black aussie roos. now we have one and he's just one "hen attack" from joining the noodles in the pot. i like the "rooster" qualities but he's a bit aggressive.

we really like our light brahma roo - he throws good sized, fast growing roosters and nice heavy hens. we are keeping him in hopes our mutts will be heavy bodied, good layers. we also like that he has a small rose (ish) comb which is good for our cold weather - so his chicks then to have nice small combs

 

[patandchickens]

I have speckled sussex, a single rhode island red, buckeyes, barred rocks and then there are 2 breeds that are up in the air. The white ones could either be white rocks or white cochins, the black ones could be jersey giants, black australorps or dark cornish.

Well, temperament and growth rate and "meatiness" you can judge for yourself, and it's much better to go with what your eyes tell you than with breed averages (since different lines can be pretty different, and all that really matters is what your particular ones are like)

So laying and broodiness are the only things you'd seem to need our input on... and honestly IMHO your best bet is still to try to get info about THOSE PARTICULAR LINES (whatever person or hatchery they are from, find people with hens of those breeds *from that source* and see how they are).

I can tell you that in general speckled sussex are not usually all that meaty and their laying ability can be all over the place, but OTOH the ones I have are really quite good-sized chunky birds and lay fairly well but not excellently. If I'd taken a poll of people "would SS make a good dual-purp-with-emphasis-on-meat bird" most answers would have been "there are much better things out there" and yet the particular line I have is actually really good for that. So, <shrug>

If you have an accurate scale and they're not too old by now, it would be worth weighing them at 12, 16 and 20-24 wks so you can put *numbers* to their sizes and growth rates... although 4 lbs of young JG is going to be bonier than 4 lbs of young rock (or CornishX ). That could help ou with that part of your decision.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Thanks guys!!!
Excellent info, exactly what I need

I do believe you all are correct, and I have white rocks. (Don't see how I missed the feathered feet on the cochins in the picture ) They are indeed a bit meatier than the others on average (and I have one whitey who is huge and seems to be doing quite well!) And white rocks are indeed part of the CornishX genes. That crossed my mind. I think you are right on the RIR being part of the sex link lines too, Bee.

The barred seem to be the meanest of the bunch, they grab hold like a pit bull & shake their little beaks. Grrrr! Nice for hen protection, but they'd need some rooster soccer for sure! Don't think I'll keep any of these fellas.

DH says he doesn't like the sussex "They're ugly as sin." was his exact words. So okay, didn't get too many of them anyways and they seem to be on the bottom of the pecking order.

Hmmmm, I think I'll end up keeping Heavy (the white rock) and a buckeye or two.

Thanks again!!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Thanks guys!!!
Excellent info, exactly what I need

I do believe you all are correct, and I have white rocks. (Don't see how I missed the feathered feet on the cochins in the picture ) They are indeed a bit meatier than the others on average (and I have one whitey who is huge and seems to be doing quite well!) And white rocks are indeed part of the CornishX genes. That crossed my mind. I think you are right on the RIR being part of the sex link lines too, Bee.

The barred seem to be the meanest of the bunch, they grab hold like a pit bull & shake their little beaks. Grrrr! Nice for hen protection, but they'd need some rooster soccer for sure! Don't think I'll keep any of these fellas.

DH says he doesn't like the sussex "They're ugly as sin." was his exact words. So okay, didn't get too many of them anyways and they seem to be on the bottom of the pecking order.

Hmmmm, I think I'll end up keeping Heavy (the white rock) and a buckeye or two.

Thanks again!!

Excellent!!