Thinking of getting more chickens...Help me decide ;)

[cashela]

Ok so I have 5 bantam hens. Two Wyandottes (1 silver laced, one white), an Old English (orange color-lol I don't know what that is called) and two unknowns( one grey, one orange color), they live with my tom turkey. I'm debating on getting more chickens. I obviously like small birds, I'm not a fan of really big chickens (I don't know why, I'm just not) I used to have a cute medium sized black hen that I got at a chicken swap that was an excellent layer but I lost her. The bantams are so so layers and aren't laying at all right now.

Any how, I was at the grain store recently and saw some chicks so now of course I am tossing around the idea of adding a couple of birds to my flock.

Can you help and tell me if these are big birds or on the medium side? I can't for the life of me figure out how big they are by just going by average weight. They would be pets, who would hopefully lay eggs for me

These are the choices that the feed store has over the coming weeks.

Barred Rocks, R.I. Reds, Buff Orphingtons, Americana, Black Australorp, Welsummers, Bantam O.E. B.B Red, Cockoo Marans, Black Jersey, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Golden Laced Wyan, N.H. Reds, Delaware, Cinnamon Queens, Austra White, Black Jersey, Light Brahma, Brown Leghorns, Cherry Egger.

I'm in New Hampshire so I want something that can withstand the cold, my bantams seems to be hearty little birds, I have to put the silly things away each night because three of them prefer to sleep on the outside roost.

Thanks in advance

 

[Percheron chick]

Those will all be large fowl (lf). Bantams will be labeled as such.

 

[cashela]

Ok so nothing will be medium sized? I know that Bantams would be labeled as such I just wasn't sure if one of those breeds were more on the medium sized and not big huge birds.

 

[Percheron chick]

Most are the larger DP hens but the ones that will mature around 4# would be the BR, leghorn, AW, EEs (maybe).

 

[jtn42248]

Those are all Large Fowl breeds that you have listed. Some (Jersey's, Morans) larger than others but all large. If you want smaller birds you should probably stick with Bantams or some of the more exotic breeds that you would have to order from breeders.

 

[cashela]

Darn, ok thanks. I was just thinking, oh I could go get a handful of chicks and be good. Maybe I will have to suck it up and get bigger birds

 

[lazy gardener]

The Ameraucana (which are really Easter Eggers) and the Wyandottes will have the most frost proof combs.

 

[song of joy]

Of the breeds you listed, the ones that tend to fall into the medium-sized category (3-5 pounds) include brown leghorn, welsummer and ameraucanas (most likely Easter eggers). Most of the rest would mature at about 6-8 pounds, but the Jersey Giant and Brahmas would get even larger (approx. 9-11 pounds).

I've been gradually down-sizing my flock (not by number but by body size), as I'm not wild about feed consumption by the larger dual purpose hens. I've found that Easter eggers, welsummer and dominique are a nice medium size, and they typically lay medium to large eggs.

Easter eggers (pea comb) and dominique (rose comb) are very cold-hardy.

 

[cashela]

Thank you

 

[cashela]

Ok so I bought some chicks I have two Australorps, a barred rock, a buff orpington and I believe two ameraucanas but they said they were marans. I figured what the heck.