The Best Egg Chickens vs. The Best Meat Chickens

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Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

Last Updated: 18 July 2020

The Best Egg Chickens vs. The Best Meat Chickens

If you’re looking at buying great egg-laying hens, but are also looking at having separate meat chickens, there are certain breeds that will guarantee top results in both categories.  Generally speaking, you can use egg-chickens as meat chickens and visa versa, but the quantity of produce in one category will lack.  If you're looking to buy chickens with the most eggs and the most meat individually, here are some of the top breeds for the job.

For eggs:

good-egg-laying-chicken-breeds

Most hybrid breeds of chicken are egg-cellent at producing a large number fresh golden yolks all year round.  Hybrid is simply a term that means the breed isn't ‘pure’ - these are chickens that were bred specifically to supply the population with eggs and meat.

Some of the most popular choices for egg-laying hens include:

These breeds can be easily bought from produce stores, hatcheries and farms.  If you are wanting to have fresh eggs almost immediately, ask for hens who are at their ‘point-of-lay’ - which means they are ready to start producing their first eggs.  You can expect between 250-360 eggs per year, sometimes more if you’re clucky!

For meat:

Meat chickens or ‘table birds’ can be of pure or hybrid breed, it depends on your budget.  When considering which meat chicken to buy, one must take into account the size (both of the bird and of the breast) as of course this will dictate how much meat you get.

good-meat-and-table-chickens

Good breeds for meat chickens are:

Meat chickens also produce eggs, but often less than the other egg breeds as specified above.  With the meat breeds, you’ll be looking at around 150-160 eggs per year.

These breeds can be bought from hatcheries and farms, and depending on their size/temperaments they may need different coops. Our range of coops are spacious enough to suit all shapes and sizes!

Whether you're want chooks for eggs, meat, or companionship,  it can be eggstremely overwhelming to find the perfect breed for your flock. So, where should you begin?

Cluckily, our friends over at Chickenpedia have created an amazing Chicken Breeds Course. This extensive online course shares useful advice on choosing the right chickens for you as well as size & frequency of eggs laid. You will even learn about their individual personalities, and be able to use their family-friendly compatibility scale through this well-structured program. It really is a great way to find your perfect backyard buddies which is why I highly recommend them to all of my readers!  The courses are beginner-friendly and filled with vital information to help you raise a happy, healthy flock.

As chicken keepers, we want to do an eggcellent job when caring for our feathered friends. Unfortunately, many of us struggle to handle chicken health or behaviour issues, especially in the first few years of having a flock. Chickenpedia have a full range of comprehensive online courses that cover everything you didn’t know you need to know and then some more! From healthcare to raising baby chicks to feeding and behavior, get the knowledge and confidence to successfully look after your chickens like an eggspert!

As a member, you will get access to ALL their fantastic courses. So, no need to wing it, become a confident chicken keeper. Click here to check out Chickenpedia today!

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