Dual-Purpose Types of Chickens

Domesticated chickens are divided into three classes. There are the meat breeds, raised mainly for the dinner table; egg-laying breeds, raised mainly for their egg output; and the dual-purpose breeds that can be raised both for meat and for eggs. Dual purpose breeds don't put on weight like meat breeds or have the high egg output of the laying breeds, but do well enough as both dinner entrée and egg producer to satisfy most backyard chicken farmers.

  1. Beginner Breeds

    • There are a large number of dual-purpose chicken breeds available. A couple of breeds recommended for the beginner are the Barred Plymouth Rock and the Rhode Island Red. The Rock has distinctive black-and-white barred plumage. Roosters weigh up to 9.5 lbs. and hens up to 7.5 lbs. Rocks lay large brown eggs and have a good rate of laying. As meat birds, they have the desirable yellow skin and solid meat. They are docile and tame easily. The Rhode Island Red has rusty-red plumage; roosters have iridescent bluish highlights. The roosters weigh up to 8.5 lbs. and hens up to 6.5 lbs. They have a good laying rate and plenty of meat. They are hardy and resilient with a mellow temperament.

    Other Candidates

    • Other dual-purpose chicken breeds include the White Plymouth Rock, the Jersey Giant, the New Hampshire and the Wyandotte. Dual purpose breeds were the predominant commercial chickens through the mid-1940s, but after World War Two, breeders began seeking more specialized chickens. They developed breeds such as the Cornish Rock as meat producers, and other breeds such as the White Leghorn as egg layers.

    Buying Chicks

    • The chicks you buy should come from a hatchery with a good reputation. They should be purchased on the day of hatching or a few days after. Healthy chicks will have bright eyes, plump shanks and well-healed navels. The hatchery should have vaccinated them against Marek's disease, an affliction fatal to young chickens. A reputable hatchery won't skimp on the vaccinations, which cost only a few cents per dose.

    Caring for Chicks

    • Before you buy your chicks, you need to prepare a place to raise them. If you are buying only a few chicks for a backyard flock, you need to make a brooder. Take a large plastic storage box, cover the bottom with bedding of wood shavings, straw or dry leaves. Add a chick feeder and water dispenser and a heat lamp. Put your chicks into the brooder, fill the water dispenser and fill the feeder with chick starter feed. Adjust the heat lamp height so the chicks sleep comfortably without huddling too close together. As the chicks' feathers grow in, raise the heat lamp. Change the bedding often and keep their feed and water full. When the chicks can fly out of the brooder, transfer them to an outdoor coop. They will start laying eggs at around five months of age.