Are there Chicken Breeds Good for both High Egg Production and Meat?
The photo on the right shows two of my favorite chickens. The one on the right is a Red Sex Link. The one on the left is a Java. I typically only use my chickens for egg production, but I was intrigued by the description of the Java as being an excellent dual-purpose chicken for both egg and meat production. Coupled with the friendly reputation of the birds and wanting to keep harmony in the coop, I decided to give Javas a try.
I have always kept Sex Links in my flock. I love their hardiness, temperament and are consistently the highest egg producing birds in the coop.
I have always kept Sex Links in my flock. I love their hardiness, temperament and are consistently the highest egg producing birds in the coop.
I purchased all the birds as two week old chicks from a local feed store and raised them together. They all lived in the same environment with the same feed and access to water. The birds were cooped at night or when I was unable to watch over them and allowed to free range and forage during the day as weather allowed.
My findings:
Food consumption was the same and both birds are good foragers. In general found the Javas to be a bit more nervous than the Sex Links, but all the birds were very docile and sweet. As you might be able to see from the photo, the Java grew into a large bird. She matured about a full pound over the Red Sex Link.
Their growth rate was very similar, so as a meat bird, she didn't consume less feed to reach her weight. Ideally meat birds grow very quickly.
The biggest difference was in egg production. The Red Sex Links started producing at 6 months of age, the Javas began laying about 6 weeks later. However, the real difference was in the number of eggs. Under the same conditions, the Red Sex Links reliably produce about 5 eggs per week, the Javas produced about 2 eggs per week. The eggs were generally the same size. The Javas' were a slightly lighter tan color than the Red Sex Links. The eggs were indistinguishable with respect to quality, flavor and yolk size.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for hens that produce large quantities of eggs, then focus on egg-producing breeds. Good choices include Sex Links, Golden Comets, and Leghorns. Australorps are also good producers.
If you are interested in raising birds for meat, the greatest return will come from selecting those birds selectively bred to maximize their weight per age. Cornish Rock is a good choice for meat production. They grow so quickly that sometimes their hearts and livers can't keep up, which can cause them to drop dead. Raise them up slowly with no artificial lighting, limiting their feed to two times per day and encourage them to forage. They prefer to belly-up to the feeder and gorge, so use diligence. It takes this breed about 8 to 12 weeks to reach an eating size of 6 to 10 pounds.
My findings:
Food consumption was the same and both birds are good foragers. In general found the Javas to be a bit more nervous than the Sex Links, but all the birds were very docile and sweet. As you might be able to see from the photo, the Java grew into a large bird. She matured about a full pound over the Red Sex Link.
Their growth rate was very similar, so as a meat bird, she didn't consume less feed to reach her weight. Ideally meat birds grow very quickly.
The biggest difference was in egg production. The Red Sex Links started producing at 6 months of age, the Javas began laying about 6 weeks later. However, the real difference was in the number of eggs. Under the same conditions, the Red Sex Links reliably produce about 5 eggs per week, the Javas produced about 2 eggs per week. The eggs were generally the same size. The Javas' were a slightly lighter tan color than the Red Sex Links. The eggs were indistinguishable with respect to quality, flavor and yolk size.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for hens that produce large quantities of eggs, then focus on egg-producing breeds. Good choices include Sex Links, Golden Comets, and Leghorns. Australorps are also good producers.
If you are interested in raising birds for meat, the greatest return will come from selecting those birds selectively bred to maximize their weight per age. Cornish Rock is a good choice for meat production. They grow so quickly that sometimes their hearts and livers can't keep up, which can cause them to drop dead. Raise them up slowly with no artificial lighting, limiting their feed to two times per day and encourage them to forage. They prefer to belly-up to the feeder and gorge, so use diligence. It takes this breed about 8 to 12 weeks to reach an eating size of 6 to 10 pounds.
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