Have you decided what chicken breeds to bring onto your homestead this year? Do you want meat, eggs, or both out of your flock? Cornish Cross and Rangers are good meat options and productive breeds like Leghorns are great for eggs, but did you know that you can raise dual-purpose chicken breeds that will give your family meat AND eggs in one?
Raising Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds for Meat
Dual-purpose chickens may not be as fast-growing or as heavy as hybrid meat birds and may not reach the full egg production potential of a Leghorn, but they offer their own benefits.
Choosing a dual-purpose breed allows you to:
- Enjoy both eggs and meat out of one breed
- Utilize heritage chicken breeds
- Keep only one flock
- Feed a lower protein feed
- Rely more on foraging and less on commercial feed (if free ranging)
- Become more sustainable
What are Dual-Purpose Chickens
Dual-purpose chicken breeds are used for both egg-laying and meat production. These birds will give you a significant amount of eggs each year as well as being good-sized table birds. You can keep the most productive layers and butcher the remainder of the flock for meat and/or butcher the cockerels as soon as they reach processing age.
*Keep in mind that these birds will take longer to grow out for meat than a breed that is used specifically for meat.
Factors for Choosing a Dual-Purpose Chicken Breed
When choosing a chicken breed, consider these factors:
Laying Age
Laying age is the age at which you can expect hens to start laying eggs. Most breeds will start to lay by around the 6-month mark, but this can vary.
Eggs per year
Most dual-purpose chicken breeds lay a good number of eggs each year, but it is good to know the breed standard for egg production so you have an idea of how much to expect.
Processing Age
Cornish cross birds are able to be butchered between 8-10 weeks of age. This is not true for dual-purpose breeds. The breeds that we will discuss in this post will take 16 weeks or more to grow out.
Mature Weight
The mature weight of a chicken is just that, how much it weighs at maturity. Large breeds can lay upwards of 13+ pounds while standard breeds will be closer to 5-7 pounds.
Foraging Ability
If you plan to free-range or pasture your birds, they will need to have a high foraging instinct so they can get nutrients from available plants, insects, and small animals. Many dual-purpose breeds are excellent foragers that are well-suited for free ranging.
Heritage
The livestock conservancy uses this description for heritage chicken breeds– “Traditional, historic breeds [that] retain essential attributes for survival and self-sufficiency – fertility, foraging ability, longevity, maternal instincts, ability to mate naturally, and resistance to diseases and parasites.”
Temperature Hardiness
Some birds are more suitable for hot climates and cold climates than others. Comb types, feathering, body size, and feathers on feet play into this.
Broodiness
If you want to hatch your own chicks without an incubator, then it is important to have a broody breed. You will want broody hens that will set and be great mothers to their chicks in order to add to your happy and healthy flock.
10 of the Best Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds
1. Wyandotte
Wyandottes are a great dual-purpose option. They aren’t the heaviest layers, but they can start laying a little earlier than other breeds. They will produce a good-sized table bird.
- Laying Age: 4-5 months
- Eggs per year: 200
- Processing Age: 16-20 weeks
- Mature Weight: 6-9 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Good
- Broodiness: Low
2. Buff Orpington
The Orpington is the go-to dual-purpose bird for many homesteaders. They lay a significant amount of eggs each year and they produce a good amount of meat for a family.
- Laying Age: 5-7 months
- Eggs per year: 250-280
- Processing Age: 18-22 weeks
- Mature Weight: 8-10 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Good
- Broodiness: High
3. Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rocks are a classic heritage breed that will lay up to 280 eggs per year and produce a 7-10 pound bird at maturity. You can’t go wrong with this dual-purpose chicken breed.
- Laying Age: 4-5 months
- Eggs per year: 220-280
- Processing Age: 16-20 weeks
- Mature Weight: 7-10 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Good
- Broodiness: Low
4. Brahma
Brahmas are a cold-hardy heavy breed. They may take a little longer to start laying, but the additional meat can make up for that.
- Laying Age: 6-7 months
- Eggs per year: 150-200
- Processing Age: 16-20 weeks
- Mature Weight: 9-12 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Moderate
- Broodiness: High
5. Delaware
The Delaware breed is commonly raised by homesteaders for eggs and meat. They offer up to 200 eggs per year as well as a good amount of meat to put on the table.
- Laying Age: 5-6 months
- Eggs per year: 200
- Processing Age: 12-16 weeks
- Mature Weight: 6-9 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Great
- Broodiness: Low-Moderate
6. Black Australorp
This is my personal favorite dual-purpose chicken breed. Black Australorps (Australian Orpingtons) are prolific layers that also produce a decent-sized table bird.
- Laying Age: 5-6 months
- Eggs per year: 281-364
- Processing Age: 16-20 weeks
- Mature Weight: 5-8 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Great
- Broodiness: Low-Moderate
7. Rhode Island Red
One of the most well-known dual-purpose chicken breeds is the Rhode Island Red. These birds have been bred to produce more eggs than meat, but you will still get family-sized table birds out of them.
- Laying Age: 4-6 months
- Eggs per year: 200-300
- Processing Age: 16-20 weeks
- Mature Weight: 6.5-8.5 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Great
- Broodiness: Low
8. Speckled Sussex
The Sussex is a beautiful dual-purpose breed that will lay up to 250 eggs per year. They were originally bred as heavy-breed table birds, but they are now used by homesteaders for both eggs and meat.
- Laying Age: 4-6 months
- Eggs per year: 180-250
- Processing Age: 16-20 weeks
- Mature Weight: 7-9 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Good
- Broodiness: High
9. Dominique
The Dominique (Dominiker) is the oldest known American chicken breed. Dominiques are cold hardy birds that will lay a significant amount of eggs and produce a nice table bird.
- Laying Age: 6 months
- Eggs per year: 230-275
- Processing Age: 16-20 weeks
- Mature Weight: 5-7 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Good
- Broodiness: Low
10. Jersey Giant
This is a very heavy and cold hardy breed. The hens lay up to 200 eggs per year and they produce a large table bird. It will take 6+ months to grow out for meat, but you won’t be disappointed.
- Laying Age: 5-7 months
- Eggs per year: 150-200
- Processing Age: 20-24 weeks
- Mature Weight: 10-13 pounds
- Heritage: Yes
- Foraging Ability: Good
- Broodiness: Moderate
More About Raising Chickens
Whether you’ll be free-ranging them or not, keep reading for more information about raising the healthiest and happiest backyard chickens on your homestead!
- Are Farm-Fresh Eggs Safe?
- 5 Reasons to Raise Pastured Livestock
- Why You Need a Rooster
- How to Keep Chickens Warm in the Winter
- How to Treat Common Chicken Illnesses
- 10 Ways to Help Chickens Beat the Heat
- Chicken Breeds for Colorful Eggs
- Cornish Cross vs. Freedom Ranger: Which Meat Chicken Breed Should You Choose?
- Heritage Meat Chicken Breeds
- Save Money Raising Chickens for Eggs
I’ve always liked the Jersey Giants. Yeah, they don’t give as much eggs, on average, as some of the other breeds, but then you don’t have to worry about being inundated with a lot of eggs. And they have great meat. And they are so gentle and sweet.