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These are my preferred choices of Poultry for the most gain for the least cost of time and money. There are other breeds for the collecors or breeders of rarities I am just wanting more bang for my buck.lol
CHICKENS
They are classed as Meat,egg,or Dual purpose. I suggest getting a dual purpse.
Leghorns are the best off the egg birds laying a white egg.
Meat birds.. the best are
cornish,austrolorps,orphintons,and Brahmas. The brahmas are giants and slow growing so the cost is a bit higher to raise them but with their fluffy feathered feat they are very cold hardy birds.
Dual Purpose are..rhode island red and plymouth rock.
What I like.....For meat birds if you have a incubator make your own cornish rock crosses by breeding a dark cornish rooster with white plymouth rock hens. The mix will mature out at 4-5 pounds live weight at 8 weeks old. These cannot breed so do not keep them past 8 weeks of age. They are too heavy to breed and adult weight is too much for their bones to support.
I like orphingtons for eggs. I know they are suppose to be meat birds but I had 14 mens and was getting 10-14 eggs per day!
I have my orphingtons for eggs this year I am going to buy a incubator to work on crosses.
DUCKS
YOU CAN RESERCH THEM AS MUCH AS YOU WANT BUT THE 2 BEST FOR PREPPERS IN MY OPINION ARE
Khaki Cambells for eggs. These are non flying ducks that look like brown mallards. They are farily quite and modertely spooked. They can lay a egg a day as long as you collect them daily. They only get 4 pounds live weight. lay between 250-325 eggs a year.
Pekin ducks... these are what you buy in the stores. They are large white ducks that look pretty when plucked. They cant fly and weigh 10 pounds live weight. they are not the best mothers.
GEESE
Geese are great foragers and if you have land you do not need to feed them much if anything.
African geese can fly somewhat are very noisy but are low fat. 18 pounds females 20 pounds males 20-40 eggs per year.
Chinese are much the same but they can fly. 10 pounds for females 12 pounds for males 50-100 eggs.
Embden are prized for meat birds as the white feathers make for a better looking plucked goose. females weigh 20 pounds males 25 pounds. they lay 50-100 eggs per year and cant fly.
Pilgrims are small geese but are good since they are csexed by color. 12 pounds for females 14 pounds for males. 35-50 eggs per year moderate noise and can fly somewhat.
Toulouse are my favorite. They are quiter,cant fly and are the heaviest. Also they only need water to keep clean in they do well on land.They are grey with white bellies and calm. There are 2 types regular and dewlap. Dewlaps are larger but not as commen. The smaller is the typical farm grey goose.
reg toulouse 18 pounds females 20 pounds for the males. 35-50 eggs per year.
dewlap toulouse 20 pound females 26 pounds males. These are the ones to use for cooking liver as it is very fatty. they have 20-40 eggs per year.
CHICKENS
They are classed as Meat,egg,or Dual purpose. I suggest getting a dual purpse.
Leghorns are the best off the egg birds laying a white egg.
Meat birds.. the best are
cornish,austrolorps,orphintons,and Brahmas. The brahmas are giants and slow growing so the cost is a bit higher to raise them but with their fluffy feathered feat they are very cold hardy birds.
Dual Purpose are..rhode island red and plymouth rock.
What I like.....For meat birds if you have a incubator make your own cornish rock crosses by breeding a dark cornish rooster with white plymouth rock hens. The mix will mature out at 4-5 pounds live weight at 8 weeks old. These cannot breed so do not keep them past 8 weeks of age. They are too heavy to breed and adult weight is too much for their bones to support.
I like orphingtons for eggs. I know they are suppose to be meat birds but I had 14 mens and was getting 10-14 eggs per day!
I have my orphingtons for eggs this year I am going to buy a incubator to work on crosses.
DUCKS
YOU CAN RESERCH THEM AS MUCH AS YOU WANT BUT THE 2 BEST FOR PREPPERS IN MY OPINION ARE
Khaki Cambells for eggs. These are non flying ducks that look like brown mallards. They are farily quite and modertely spooked. They can lay a egg a day as long as you collect them daily. They only get 4 pounds live weight. lay between 250-325 eggs a year.
Pekin ducks... these are what you buy in the stores. They are large white ducks that look pretty when plucked. They cant fly and weigh 10 pounds live weight. they are not the best mothers.
GEESE
Geese are great foragers and if you have land you do not need to feed them much if anything.
African geese can fly somewhat are very noisy but are low fat. 18 pounds females 20 pounds males 20-40 eggs per year.
Chinese are much the same but they can fly. 10 pounds for females 12 pounds for males 50-100 eggs.
Embden are prized for meat birds as the white feathers make for a better looking plucked goose. females weigh 20 pounds males 25 pounds. they lay 50-100 eggs per year and cant fly.
Pilgrims are small geese but are good since they are csexed by color. 12 pounds for females 14 pounds for males. 35-50 eggs per year moderate noise and can fly somewhat.
Toulouse are my favorite. They are quiter,cant fly and are the heaviest. Also they only need water to keep clean in they do well on land.They are grey with white bellies and calm. There are 2 types regular and dewlap. Dewlaps are larger but not as commen. The smaller is the typical farm grey goose.
reg toulouse 18 pounds females 20 pounds for the males. 35-50 eggs per year.
dewlap toulouse 20 pound females 26 pounds males. These are the ones to use for cooking liver as it is very fatty. they have 20-40 eggs per year.
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