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What breeds are the best winter laying chickens? - Page 2

post #11 of 24
11/11/10 at 4:38pm

I may sound like a broken record on this but my sex links--Black and Red Stars never missed a day due to cold weather.  EE's and BR's have been good for me but the BS and RS have been the best.

7.5 acres in the western Catskill foothills of garden, blueberries, 4 cats plus 20 Black Stars, 12 RIR, 7 EE's, 4 Brown leghorns, 4 BR, a SS and 6 guinea keats,  including one very happy EE rooster. In 33 yrs of keepin' chickens I shoulda learned somethin', but unfortunately I'm addicted to the MCMurray catalog. 

"To write is to think, and to write well is to think well."
-- David McCullough

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7.5 acres in the western Catskill foothills of garden, blueberries, 4 cats plus 20 Black Stars, 12 RIR, 7 EE's, 4 Brown leghorns, 4 BR, a SS and 6 guinea keats,  including one very happy EE rooster. In 33 yrs of keepin' chickens I shoulda learned somethin', but unfortunately I'm addicted to the MCMurray catalog. 

"To write is to think, and to write well is to think well."
-- David McCullough

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post #12 of 24
11/11/10 at 4:43pm

Chanteclers
I have a few Partridge but the original color is white. I have heard a few people are trying to breed for pure black.

If you have to manipulate the truth, to be viewed in a better light, you're standing in artificial lighting.--Fred Cuellar
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If you have to manipulate the truth, to be viewed in a better light, you're standing in artificial lighting.--Fred Cuellar
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post #13 of 24
11/11/10 at 4:45pm
  • Mahonri
  • Platinum Poultry
  • Urban Desert Chicken Enthusiast

Black Sex links.  laying machines.

ETA:  My FBCMarans are really good layers too.

Keeper of 27 hens,  4 PW Leghorns, 1 leghorn mix, 1 FBCMarans, 1 Australorp, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Mama Olive Egger, 1 Olive Egger broody, 1 EE, a Barred Rock, a RIR, a CQ, 1 Delaware, 1 Black Star, a Splash Ameraucana, 3 W/BW Ameraucanas, 5 polish, 2 Welsummers and exactly 63 chicks of various breeds. and 25 eggs in the bator. YIKES!

 

 

"Look for Miracles"

                                   ...

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Keeper of 27 hens,  4 PW Leghorns, 1 leghorn mix, 1 FBCMarans, 1 Australorp, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Mama Olive Egger, 1 Olive Egger broody, 1 EE, a Barred Rock, a RIR, a CQ, 1 Delaware, 1 Black Star, a Splash Ameraucana, 3 W/BW Ameraucanas, 5 polish, 2 Welsummers and exactly 63 chicks of various breeds. and 25 eggs in the bator. YIKES!

 

 

"Look for Miracles"

                                   ...

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post #14 of 24
11/11/10 at 5:58pm
Thread Starter 

How many of you are breeding your own replacements on the Sex Links or do you buy them whenever you need replacements?

Delaware are my main birds right now. I have a pair of Silkies and not near enough of all the breeds I would like to have!

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Delaware are my main birds right now. I have a pair of Silkies and not near enough of all the breeds I would like to have!

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post #15 of 24
11/11/10 at 6:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by harleyjo 

How many of you are breeding your own replacements on the Sex Links or do you buy them whenever you need replacements?


Sex links do not breed true.  Generally they are purchased because someone wants to be sure their chicks are all pullets and then replaced with new purchases.  Most sex link males are used for meaties or euthanized shortly after hatch.  Buy sex links in straight run would kind of defeat the reason for having them in the first place.

7.5 acres in the western Catskill foothills of garden, blueberries, 4 cats plus 20 Black Stars, 12 RIR, 7 EE's, 4 Brown leghorns, 4 BR, a SS and 6 guinea keats,  including one very happy EE rooster. In 33 yrs of keepin' chickens I shoulda learned somethin', but unfortunately I'm addicted to the MCMurray catalog. 

"To write is to think, and to write well is to think well."
-- David McCullough

Reply

7.5 acres in the western Catskill foothills of garden, blueberries, 4 cats plus 20 Black Stars, 12 RIR, 7 EE's, 4 Brown leghorns, 4 BR, a SS and 6 guinea keats,  including one very happy EE rooster. In 33 yrs of keepin' chickens I shoulda learned somethin', but unfortunately I'm addicted to the MCMurray catalog. 

"To write is to think, and to write well is to think well."
-- David McCullough

Reply
post #16 of 24
11/11/10 at 6:18pm

We took Moxie in to the vet today, for her annual check up, and somehow we got talking about chickens. Evidently, our vet has chickens too. When I told him what breeds we had, he mentioned that black Australorps are known as being good winter layers.

Proud mother to a wonderful Min Pin/Pomeranian mix, 3 cats, 1 hermit crab, & numerous fish.... and finally! Chickens! 1 Black Australorp, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Speckled Sussex, and an Easter Egger. Added 2011- An Easter Egger Roo, and a Buff Orpington. Newly added 2012- 1 Black Copper Maran, 1 Golden laced Wyandotte, 1 Deleware, and 3 Easter Eggers. 

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Proud mother to a wonderful Min Pin/Pomeranian mix, 3 cats, 1 hermit crab, & numerous fish.... and finally! Chickens! 1 Black Australorp, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Speckled Sussex, and an Easter Egger. Added 2011- An Easter Egger Roo, and a Buff Orpington. Newly added 2012- 1 Black Copper Maran, 1 Golden laced Wyandotte, 1 Deleware, and 3 Easter Eggers. 

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post #17 of 24
11/11/10 at 6:44pm
Thread Starter 

That is one thing I had learned in my short time in chickens. I had planned on getting a RIR male and then females of Barred Rocks  for the BSL, and a Delaware female for the RSL.  I just wondered how many others did it that way or buy them each time. I love my BSL. I am still planning my flock and trying to make sure I have good winter layers as part of my plan.


Quote:
Originally Posted by woodmort 
Quote:
Originally Posted by harleyjo 

How many of you are breeding your own replacements on the Sex Links or do you buy them whenever you need replacements?


Sex links do not breed true.  Generally they are purchased because someone wants to be sure their chicks are all pullets and then replaced with new purchases.  Most sex link males are used for meaties or euthanized shortly after hatch.  Buy sex links in straight run would kind of defeat the reason for having them in the first place.

Delaware are my main birds right now. I have a pair of Silkies and not near enough of all the breeds I would like to have!

Reply

Delaware are my main birds right now. I have a pair of Silkies and not near enough of all the breeds I would like to have!

Reply
post #18 of 24
4/14/12 at 9:18pm

Do they have to have light in the winter in order to lay? Like during the night?

5 hens: 1 RIR, 1 BR, 1 White Leghorn, 1 Ameracauna and 1 SLW. 2 Indian Runner females, a black kitty and a bf that puts up with all my bird crazies!

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5 hens: 1 RIR, 1 BR, 1 White Leghorn, 1 Ameracauna and 1 SLW. 2 Indian Runner females, a black kitty and a bf that puts up with all my bird crazies!

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post #19 of 24
4/16/12 at 5:50am

I can only vouch for the australorp, dominique, and rock.

A Mixed 6-Chicken Flock

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A Mixed 6-Chicken Flock

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post #20 of 24
4/16/12 at 5:55am
My EE's and RIR were the strongest all winter, but I keep a heater in my coop all winter and cover the run in plastic. It stayed pretty warm in there all year round.
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