# Dual purpose breed livestock



## dwfox (Nov 10, 2012)

Hi. New to the forum. I am amazed by how many fellow preppers are on here. 
My questions are, that I am now at the point in my prepping to purchase small livestock for my B.O.L. I would like to ask the forum in their oppinion what is the best duel breed goat (for meat and dairy) and duel breed chicken (for meat and eggs) I have some ideas, but I'm no expert. Thanks.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

For chickens buff Orpingtons get my vote, nice sized birds that still lays well. They tend to go broody but that can be a real asset if you want to be sustainable. Don't forget there is much variation within breeds as well.


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## dwfox (Nov 10, 2012)

cowboyhermit said:


> For chickens buff Orpingtons get my vote, nice sized birds that still lays well. They tend to go broody but that can be a real asset if you want to be sustainable. Don't forget there is much variation within breeds as well.


I'm curious cowboyhermit how are the Orpingtons when it comes to heat and cold tolerance? Thanks for the input.


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## shadowrider (Mar 13, 2010)

IMHO Boer/Nubian cross goats and Rhode Island Red chickens.

Boers are okay milkers but crossing with Nubs increases the milk supply. And you get good growth rate in the kids.

The RI Reds lay nice brown eggs even into winter. And they are a good sized chicken for eating! 

This is my experience and I haved kept other breeds.

shadowrider


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

dwfox said:


> I'm curious cowboyhermit how are the Orpingtons when it comes to heat and cold tolerance? Thanks for the input.


Buff Orpingtons do not do so well in the Texas heat. I have Speckled Sussex. They are a dual purpose breed that tolerates the heat well and they are excellent foragers.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Have you considered rabbits for meat/fur?


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## RobertParsons (Sep 27, 2011)

The_Blob said:


> Have you considered rabbits for meat/fur?


I agree with The Blob.

Rabbits are lean so you will need some fatty kind of meat to go with them, but once you get the hang of breeding them you will have plenty of meat.

Rhode Island reds are a good choice for chickens.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Icelandic sheep are a good triple purpose breed of sheep. Buckey chickens seem to be a real good dual purpose breed. For goats, a dairy type of goat crossed with a meat buck will produce offspring that will have good meat production. This way you get the benefits of a full dairy goat and since you are not eating them, the offspring are your meat source. They don't have to be perfect, just tasty. Rabbits are great for small land plots and you do not need to buy the grain to feed them, you can use an alfalfa grass mixed hay. They may take longer to feed out but the feed is cheaper in the long run.


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## dwfox (Nov 10, 2012)

Thanks for everyones input. I have thought about rabbits also for a food source. Any suggestions on breeds of rabbits for this purpose?


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

I raise New Zealand/Rex cross rabbits and (mostly) Orpingtons. Silkies are a good chicken breed if you don't want to worry about bugs. 

IMHO best rabbit meat breeds:
American Chinchilla (great fur also)
Beveren
Californian
Hotot
New Zealand
Palomino
Rex


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## Jimthewagontraveler (Feb 8, 2012)

Buff Orpington chickens were the least trouble I ever had
Good layers in cold or hot for Missouri weather.
And just for grins I trained 4 of them to come and step into 
my hand and ride around on my shoulder.
Very little aggression from hens.
I never had a rooster that I didn't hate BUT I never spent much
time with them as babies.
Goats need a lot of room to roam or a LOT of wormer.
Rabbits think dying is a great hobby.
After trying 3 months to get adult sheep to come or at least
follow a lead rope,I sold them to the first person who had 
cash.
From now on all livestock will be bottle babies.
The bull or ram who initiates more than 1 dance with me goes to
market.
To my way dog first then horse then livestock.
All dogs and horses draft all horses saddle.
Never grab a goat by the horns it just antagonizes them.
A mean cow caught me on foot and my horses ran to my 
rescue long before anybody else knew I was in trouble.
Animals are great just don't get philosophical with them.
Have fun


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## Riverdale (Oct 31, 2009)

We (living in USDA zone 5A, central Michigan) have a varied flock of chickens, RIR, Buff Orps, Black Austrolopes.

ext year, we are getting some Buckeyes (real tough for a Michigan supporter to write  ).

Rabbits, I prefer New Zealands and Rex's. I have found Californians to be 'trouble-making escape artists' 

I would second the sheep, either Icelandic or Finn (really, any of the 'primitive' breeds).

Hoping to get hertitage turkey flock going next spring.


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

I have to second the Buff Orpingtons. Ours are doing great here in Tenn. I doesn't get real cold here, but the summers are nasty (although not near what they are in Tx) with 90-100 and high humidity. THey lay well and are pretty large birds. I've got a broody one right now I'm trying to get out of the nest (don't want little ones this time of year).

We are looking into goats, but I have some work to do first, fences and a shed for them.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Our Buckeye chickens are proving to be a good dual purpose breed this year. It's our rookie year, but we've butchered the boys (they had a lower ratio of white to dark meat than we're used to, but then again, they aren't meat chickens that can't walk), and the girls are now laying routinely (beautiful brown medium-large eggs). Fortunately for us, they are a breed that doesn't need to be babied, because we'd forget to baby them.  They are handling our cold nights (so far) with no extra attention. When it gets colder, we can still close up more of the coop for warmth, but again, very little has been required of us.


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## grizz270 (Dec 6, 2012)

Don't have much to say about chickens but something important about goats. They are great escape artists! Make sure you have a good fence, a real good fence. It helps if the goats learn to associate you with food, it helps in getting them back in the pasture. I'm still learning about goats but, I will say that kikos are pretty good, they don't have near as many problems with parasites or with their hooves.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Lots of good choices for birds, mine are light Brahmas, a big dual purpose bird roosters get up to 12lb's hens are good setters a very docile bird supposed to take heat well also, the girls just started laying took six months though, not a bug,frog or snake safe in the yard.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Brahma would be my second choice to Orpington, both hardy and dual purpose. Cold is a real issue up here but it is amazing how well nature can deal with it, watching these birds play in the snow or just going about their business in -40 always makes me think.


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