Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
hide a nest and raise chicks where you can't find them. It's important to encourage them
to lay within a smaller area where it is easy to find eggs.
To keep the birds from becoming broody, the hens can be confined in a small yard
or pen until midafternoon, when most hens have laid their eggs for the day. Then the
birds can be turned out into the yard to forage. Breeds known for their setting abilities
include the old-fashioned Dorkings, Orpingtons, Wyandottes, and some of the Rocks.
Dorkings are known for their broodiness, their mothering ability, and for trying to hide
out on clandestine nests of eggs. If you want to raise and produce your own chicks and
not purchase an incubator, this trait can be desirable.
Getting Started
When you consider dual-purpose chickens, it means you're considering raising some
birds for meat and some for eggs. Traditionally, one starts with an assortment of straight-
run chicks (as hatched, including both males and females), raises them, selects the best
females for egg production, and butchers most, if not all, of the males. You raise the
chicks on a standard chick ration as they're growing; when they are older, usually six
to eight weeks, they're able to range more freely and less feed is needed to supplement
their diet (though they should always have access to it).
Maintenance of dual-purpose birds is different from that of chickens raised for other
uses. As the roosters begin to reach sexual maturity, you may begin selecting the birds
to be butchered. At the point of maturity, rooster meat begins to toughen up, so you're
better off if you can butcher them then.
Once the egg laying cycle starts — usually no earlier than 16 weeks in the best com-
mercial strains and at roughly 20 to 24 weeks in some of the heritage breeds — switch
to an egg-laying feed. This is particularly important if the birds are not allowed to roam
around on their own and pick up the minerals or trace nutrients found in your yard. Don't
spoil them by giving them baby feed their entire life. The high levels of protein found
in baby feed are hard on adult kidneys and other organs. A laying ration should contain
between 17 and 20 percent protein; anything higher is too high for them to perform well
and remain healthy.
When the majority of the males are out of the picture, you shouldn't have to worry
too much about maintenance issues that are any different from those of any other chick-
ens. As with other poultry ventures, you'll need to decide when you're going to replace
your hens, and how often. A hen replacement timeline depends upon the breeds you
raise and the strains within those breeds. As a general rule, you easily can get two very
good years of egg production from the dual-purpose types before it's time to replace
them. Sex-links usually give out in their third laying year. With other breeds you'll get
