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Looking for a new breed to try

post #1 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:05am
Thread Starter 

Does and bird fit these requirements????

1---Primary requirement is COLD hardy

I'm tired of frost bitten birds. My coop is unheated, but insulated and draft free. Still I have to put 4 birds down last year due to severe frost bit (poor birds  : (  )

2--- A Primo egg layer

with feed prices here hitting the rediculous level .. I need to maximise my returns.

3--- A decent table bird would be nice....

4--- Good with kids a must

5--- likes to forage..

They'll have 15,000+ feet inside a poultry fence to roam and eat lots of bugs, mice, snakes, frogs, Mulberrys, plumbs etc. Sadly WAY to many preditors outside the fence to let them just go free...

Thanks
Clay

English and French BCMs, BBS Orpingtons, Blue/Wheaten Amaraucanas, Split Lavender Amaracanas, Welsummers, Barnevelders, Buckeyes


Life isnt about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain
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English and French BCMs, BBS Orpingtons, Blue/Wheaten Amaraucanas, Split Lavender Amaracanas, Welsummers, Barnevelders, Buckeyes


Life isnt about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain
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post #2 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:08am

Do a search on Buckeyes.  I have no experience with them, but from what I have read it sounds as if they might meet your specifications.

Oops, just read your sig line. hide

Are the Buckeyes not meeting your needs?

Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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post #3 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:12am

Buckeyes, Chanteclers, Wyandottes, Houdans, Araucanas, certain strains of Easter Eggers.


Emphasis on the two italic ones. Very cold hardy, very good table birds, and although I don't know of Chantecler production, Araucanas lay nearly every day except when they're broody.

Araucanas, Polish, Shamos

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Araucanas, Polish, Shamos

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post #4 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sourland 

Do a search on Buckeyes.  I have no experience with them, but from what I have read it sounds as if they might meet your specifications.

Oops, just read your sig line. hide

Are the Buckeyes not meeting your needs?


LOL no worries.

I gave then a try and they are ok... Poor eggs layers though and for no explanable reason.. will NOT leave the coop.. I've thrown them out and closed the pop door and waited fro a few hours, the very second I open it they are right back in... I was told they are GREAT FORAGERS.. what ever... really odd.

They do take the cold very well and are gentle with my kids are a good table bird but really fail in the egg laying catagory. They also like a much higher protien feed which is redicuolouosly expensive.

So I'm just exploring my options.....

C.

English and French BCMs, BBS Orpingtons, Blue/Wheaten Amaraucanas, Split Lavender Amaracanas, Welsummers, Barnevelders, Buckeyes


Life isnt about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain
Reply
English and French BCMs, BBS Orpingtons, Blue/Wheaten Amaraucanas, Split Lavender Amaracanas, Welsummers, Barnevelders, Buckeyes


Life isnt about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain
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post #5 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:30am

I absolutely love my Delaware and my Buff Brahama. Not sure about egg production but boy those girls love to forage and are BIG girls who produce a lot of heat

Way to many chickens to remember, 7 runner ducks, 2 Turkeys, and 1 huge BO roo.
Enjoying my little farm surrounded by city.
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Way to many chickens to remember, 7 runner ducks, 2 Turkeys, and 1 huge BO roo.
Enjoying my little farm surrounded by city.
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post #6 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:44am

On paper Salmon Faverolles fit a bunch of your requirements.  This is my first time with chickens and SF's so not much help sorry hu

Mom to Eight (yes eight) The boys: ages 17, 14, 10, 10, 9, 7 and 1 our only baby girl is 4
Two chicken obsessed Border Collies, a 185lb Mastiff, 22 chickens.
 

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Mom to Eight (yes eight) The boys: ages 17, 14, 10, 10, 9, 7 and 1 our only baby girl is 4
Two chicken obsessed Border Collies, a 185lb Mastiff, 22 chickens.
 

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post #7 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:50am

My first set of chickens were AmberLinks (sex link). they started laying at 18 weeks, and were very cold hardy! I have 5 kids and they were good therre too...not sure about the table though lol......  Good Luck!!!

Beth
Mama to 5 kids, 1 cat, 1 dog and 16 Chickens!
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Beth
Mama to 5 kids, 1 cat, 1 dog and 16 Chickens!
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post #8 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:54am

Ditto on the Araucanas! My cockerels that I am keeping for breeding are beastly, nice plump legs and a very filled out breast. They're about 17 weeks old now. They would have been good table birds even if butchered earlier. And Araucanas have pea combs, small and compact so as not to get frostbitten. And they forage like champs. They're always in the grass and brush eating plants a bugs when they free range.

My backyard flock: 9 Araucana girls, 2 Araucana boys, 1 Olive Egger!

 

Mini Yooper Goats - My Nigerian Dwarf goat herd! Updated May 6th, 2013!

 

 

Nigerian Dwarf Doeling For Sale! Blue Eyes, AGS and ADGA Registrable! Adorable bundle of snuggles and spunk!

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My backyard flock: 9 Araucana girls, 2 Araucana boys, 1 Olive Egger!

 

Mini Yooper Goats - My Nigerian Dwarf goat herd! Updated May 6th, 2013!

 

 

Nigerian Dwarf Doeling For Sale! Blue Eyes, AGS and ADGA Registrable! Adorable bundle of snuggles and spunk!

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post #9 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:58am

How about some Speckled Sussex.  Sounds like they would be a good match.

Blessed to be the wife of a loving part time farmer, mother of two wonderful adult daughters (US Coast Guard & Department of State), grandmother of a beautiful grandaughter, sharing our home with 1 Black Lab, 1 house cat, 2 Jersey Steer, 1 Black Baldie Steer, 1 Hereford Heifer, 1 RIR, 1 Wyandotte, 3 Leghorn, 6 Speckled Sussex, 2 Australorp and 2 Partridge Rock.
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Blessed to be the wife of a loving part time farmer, mother of two wonderful adult daughters (US Coast Guard & Department of State), grandmother of a beautiful grandaughter, sharing our home with 1 Black Lab, 1 house cat, 2 Jersey Steer, 1 Black Baldie Steer, 1 Hereford Heifer, 1 RIR, 1 Wyandotte, 3 Leghorn, 6 Speckled Sussex, 2 Australorp and 2 Partridge Rock.
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post #10 of 16
10/13/11 at 10:59am

I have Plymouth Rocks (barred and partridge) and Light Sussex, both love to forage and grow well.

1 Husband, 1 son, 2 Border Collies, 4 Heifers, 3 Pygmy Goats, 2 kittens,  9 Marans, 5 Plymouth Rocks, 8 Light Sussex, 1 Production, 1 Ameraucana and 12 new Farm mutt chickens!

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1 Husband, 1 son, 2 Border Collies, 4 Heifers, 3 Pygmy Goats, 2 kittens,  9 Marans, 5 Plymouth Rocks, 8 Light Sussex, 1 Production, 1 Ameraucana and 12 new Farm mutt chickens!

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