How to raise Backyard Chickens: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Dual Purpose Chickens

Hi Marla and Mark,

Thanks for the leg band suggestion! Has anyone had experience making leg bands that would actually stay on like the ones Mark linked to. I'm low on dollars, so any thing I could make myself would be a help.

And Marla, I am glad to hear your first hand experience with the Buff Orps and Austrolorps, which had been on my wish list at one time.

Could you tell me what state you are in, Marla? I'm just curious if you have the cold winters like we have in WI? Though this winter has been quite mild, it is generally very cold for a long time here. But if you are in a cold state and getting the great results with the Buff Orps and Austrolorps, they may well be the ones for me!

P.S. Marla-- congrats on your two geese!

Thanks for writing!

Truly,

Britta

--- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, "Marla" <marlajulich@...> wrote:
>
> I raise buff orps and mine layed thru winter with just a slight decrease in number of eggs until they got to be around 3 or 4 years. They are my fave dual purpose chicken. The leg bands suggestion is a very good one.
> Now, other notable dual purpose chickens are: Austrolorps (very good layers, also gentle, and a decent sized bird), Barred(or other color) Rock (gentle and a bit smaller than orps but larger than production birds), some like the RIR but my experience is the better layers have less meat almost like a production bird (not to bad mouth the breed).
> Buff Orps and Austrolorps are both known broodies. To clear something up- red stars eggs will hatch when fertile they just don't breed true since they are a mix. You just won't be sure what your chicks will be like. They could be lightly muscled production type or more dual purpose like. The buff orp/giant cross could work well for you as well.
> I've had all the breeds I've mentioned except the giants. My orps and austrolorps are the only ones that layed thru winter besides my red sex link. My black sex links, rocks, and RIRs only made it thru Dec before quitting until spring.
> Others mileage may vary, just my experience and why I chose the buff orp for my dual purpose flock.
> Best of luck,
> Marla