In our mild climate certain rare breeds of chickens do great. It is average 50 degrees, doesn't freeze more than a week or so, and it does not often get over 75 degrees. In this case the Norwegian Jaerhons do great (they don't like it too hot) and the Egyptian Fayoumis do great also (they don't like it below freezing) I breed chickens for Survival, Broodiness, and Color. I found that the Long Tails do great here because I don't lock anyone in at night. The dogs keep the predators away from the poultry and livestock. Along with the long tails, they also tend to have long wings and lighter boned bodies good for the lift of flight. The chicks born here are generally cross breeds. My pure breeds include: Sumatra, Phoenix, Cubalaya, Lakenvelders, Appenzeller Spitzhauben, Norwegian Jaerhon, Russian Orloff, American Games, Oriental Games, Houdan, I sometimes have Speckled Sussex, Ameraucanas, Polish crested,... My crosses stem from about 12th generation Silkie crosses, I like to create a full owl face with the mohawk & the beard. Nearly any cross with the Silkie in there tends to go broody, and be mellow about raising chicks. A lot of the game birds go broody, but they tend to be fairly high strung once the chicks are born. I like to hatch out Guinea Fowl eggs & Pheasant eggs under the chickens because I can sell them at a week old without sexing. I generally sell the chicks at a couple of months once I am sure it is a pullet. This year a bunch of the purebreds are brooding, including 3 Lakenvelders and a Sumatra. The other brooders at the moment are an Old English/American game hen, and distant generation Silkie crosses who were born here. I have an 11 year old blue Silkie-X hen who is my mellow, trustworthy hen who I like to put the Guinea & Pheasants under, or any store bought chicks for her to raise because I know that she will accept and take care of them while not make a mess or get too excited. She doesn't lay more than an egg a year or so, but she certainly earns her keep by being an outstanding mom. My sister likes to show the purebreds in open and 4-H shows.
Recent Reviews
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I will start by saying that I love Australorps. In fact, my very favorite hen is an Australorp. She is such a sweet chicken and just let's you walk right up to her to pick her up. She doesn't run... -
I couldn't get this thing to stop leaking. I even tested it by putting it on a flat concrete surface and it still leaked out the entire 2 gallons. Tried hanging it, tried sitting it on the... -
seem like a good breed, if i had the room i would probably raise a batch of them they seem like they would be a good 4h starter show bird...considering i dont see many of this breed in my class... -
its a feed scooper it cant be perfect but over all when every thing is said an done i love mine its great its starting to show a little wear an tear but its to be expected i have had it for 4... -
I have one silkie. From the time we got her, she layed 3 eggs a week and was so sweet and friendly! Then, she went broody 3 times in a row But she came back to us just as friendly as the first...
Coastal Northern California
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