trying to rebuild Great Grandmothers flock

[Zenmonkey]

Old thread, sort of. Maybe not too late to toss in a couple thoughts?

I've got enough chickens to satisfy your requirements for comment, but I maintain mine very differently from what you describe, so I'll go light with the advice.

@Florida Bullfrog has an excellent book out on pretty much this subject. He loves in Florida, so some of his advice will be tilted that way. I don't know if there's a discussion on here about his book, don't know if people love it or hate it. But I loved it. And it is very much catered to the type of chicken raising that you describe.

The other thought that I have is that you wouldn't ask a goat to do a horse's work, nor would you expect your LGD to do the mouse work that your cat does. That could be an argument for having a meat bird flock and an egg bird flock. But that's not where I'm going.

It is perfectly reasonable to me to have that large flock of meat and egg birds, plus a much smaller, likely completely confined flock of something that is broody as all get out. Silkies or cochins perhaps, but definitely a blood line selected for broodiness. I've had remarkable luck with broodiness from show bird lines, maybe because they're not breeding for egg production and so broodiness isn't as selected against?

But that's it. Check out @Florida Bullfrog book, and maybe posts here? And consider having a production flock AND your incubator flock.

Best wishes!

 

[EOD Daddy]

OK, sorry its been a little while but Zenmonkey and were talking off line. Do to the fact getting chicks this year has been not too easy. Some of the small breeders I spoke to simply where not shipping chicks this year do to the bird flu.
Hence, I have ordered some Aquila chicks from Freedom Ranger. These birds are a cross of RI Red and Australorp with a pinch or White Rock. They are suppose to lay large eggs and supposedly will lay @250 eggs a year.
I have raised hundreds of chickens in the past but not for the reasons I want to now. So I am going to rely on my Cattle and Hound breeding knowledge. With that in mind I am going to look for a broodier breed to mix with this flock. Here are some I am leaning too. First on my list is a Range Sussex which is bred by Sandhill Hatchery. These are a cross of Sussex and Dorking. They lay good and still have a broody nature. The others I am thinking about are Black Javas or perhaps Iowa Blue. Both are fair to good layers but are also broody.
The Range Sussex with give you a 4 way cross. Which I know from cattle breeding is the very best cross in cattle you can get. (At least on paper) They should grow faster and be healthier that either parent (Heterosis). The other two both have strong points also. So I still have a little more research to go.
I am looking for a darker bird in color simply because my land in North Central MO has a ton of Hawks, Eagles, and other predator's. I am hoping the dark color helps ward off the Avian predators.
When it comes to breed standards I am relying on my hound knowledge to help me. Not sure if it is right but what I am going with. Now with that knowledge I could careless about breed standards. I am sure they are just like the dog. Nothing but someone else's idea of what they should look like. Hmm probably ruffled some feathers their I bet. Pun intended. I have owned some of the best hounds in the world. Finishing in the top 10 dogs in the world several times. I Never saw one breed standard make a dog a better hunting dog. I care about results not someone from 100 years ago opinion on looks.
So here is my hopeful out come a darker breed that will lay about 200-250 eggs a year that cull roosters and old hens can be butchered. (not saying they will be my primary meat source but a source).
Why am I doing this? Well I believe we need to get back to doing things the way God intended. God and our ancestors did not rely on incubators and chickens 100% dependent on them to maintain the breed. If a breed needs to have incubators keep it going Perhaps we have screwed them up so bad they need to go. So far in my life I can not think of one thing man does that is better than how God does it. We have set up a food supply system that is totally unsustainable in case of war, or other natural event. We have become totally dependent upon unsustainable farming habits and have lost almost all of our natural survival traits our forefathers knew just 75-100 years ago.
I am doing this as a program to teach my grandkids how to raise, process and keep a sustainable flock even when the grid goes down or what ever happens. Here are some of the subjects we are learning.
1. How to make natural fertilizers and improving soil with compost, and natural living microscopic organisms. And how to have a healthy soil that helps prevent diseases in your plants.
2. How to save your seeds for next year.
3. How to preserve food when you have no store to run to or power.
4. How to respect Gods Earth and those animals he has given us to utilize.
5. How not to be so waist full.

Just my crazy ideas. Lol