Source: Cackle hatchery
To some chicken keepers, a dual purpose breed is one that’s suitable for both meat and eggs. To other chicken keepers, dual purpose refers to a breed that’s suitable for neither meat nor eggs. So exactly what is a dual purpose chicken?
Meat or Eggs
Before the poultry industry developed into the behemoth it is today, farmers kept chickens for both meat and eggs. They kept young hens as layers. They raised surplus roosters and used old hens for meat.
As the poultry industry expanded, chickens were bred to either lay lots of eggs or to rapidly produce lots of meat. Industry developed the white Leghorn as the primary breed for eggs. The average commercial laying hen now produces 296 eggs per year.
They developed the white Cornish, crossed with white Plymouth Rock, for meat. Under optimal conditions a Cornish cross reaches market weight of about 4 pounds in just 6 weeks.
Chicken keepers who have grown used to these kinds of numbers disdain the older breeds. However, for many others, especially those of us who are concerned about sustainability, the old breeds are more valuable than the specialized chickens now embraced by the poultry industry.
Read More: https://www.cacklehatchery.com/what-is-a-dual-purpose-chicken/
