Finding Our Flock

We are only aiming for 3-4 chickens. We are looking for good laying hens, seldom brooders (not looking to breed), winter bearing, friendly.

My grandmother (WPC1) and I (WCP2) have narrowed it down (kind of...)

We like:
Australorp
Orpington
Easter Egg (Anyone know how to get them in Missouri?)

Any other suggestions?

We are also looking to buy hens ready to lay, no chicks. Advice on this?

Thank you for any information that you can give us!

I think it all comes down to personal preference..

Go with what you like!

Personally we went with Red Sex Links, because we wanted a breed that would provide eggs for our family. I believe that they state these produce 300+ eggs each per year on average. I found that 3 hens for a house of 4 was the perfect amount when you have hens that lay consistently as these have. We have had hens for a year and a half now. I buy 16 week old pullets (ready to lay in about 2-6 weeks after) and have had great success in they laying through the winter as well.

We had an issue where we lost one to a hawk, which caused a lapse in laying for 3-7 days.

(This is a controversial topic, but we also provided 'light' in the coop on winter days trough the winter. I want to say for 14-16 hours, which I found kept them producing. Some people let them rest through the winter, some don't. Again, personal preference.)EDIT: To be a bit more precise: Provided light to extend light of the day by about 5 hours. So around 6 pm, a light was turned on until about 11 pm. None provided in the morning. And that worked for us great.

I would think by also doing the above, you wear out the hen faster. We purchased 3 additional pullets this spring and get 4-5 regularly every day. I don't really look at the hens as a hobby, but more of a producer for our family. That doesn't mean they haven't become pets and we aren't attached to them deeply! lol

Good luck in whatever it is you choose! =) I wish we had gotten chickens years ago, had I known they were so easy!

luvliebee said:

We like:
Australorp
Orpington
Easter Egg (Anyone know how to get them in Missouri?)

Click to expand...

All three of these are excellent breeds (or hybrids in the case of the Easter Eggers). I have had them for years, and currently still have them in my flock. They are all very hardy, the Australorps and Orpingtons are very calm and gentle (my children, and now my granddaughter, made pets of them), and the Australorps are excellent layers of large, brown eggs (Orpingtons are pretty good layers, too). The Easter Eggers are my granddaughter's favorite chicken as she loves the colored eggs.
As for getting them in Missouri, Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri sells all three of them. I don't know where in Missouri you live, but if Lebanon is too far for you to drive and pick them up, you can mail order the chicks from Cackle. I have ordered chicks from Cackle on several occasions and have been satisfied with both their service and their birds. You can contact Cackle Hatchery at http://www.cacklehatchery.com/default.html Good luck in getting your flock.

sandesnow said:

Personally we went with Red Sex Links, because we wanted a breed that would provide eggs for our family. I believe that they state these produce 300+ eggs each per year on average.

Click to expand...

As sandesnow has indicated, Sex Links are great brown egg layers. I personally slightly prefer the Black Sex Links, as my Blacks have been friendlier and have laid slightly better in cold winter weather than my Reds, but I'm sure you can get plenty of opposing opinions on which is the better Sex Link. Either of the Sex Links are egg laying machines. Luvliebee, if you and your grandmother are in interested at all in Sex Link hybrids, Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri sells the both the Black and Red Sex Links as well as the three breeds you listed in your post.

luvliebee said:

We like:
Australorp
Orpington
Easter Egg

Click to expand...

We may be looking to get a variety of breeds.
Does anyone know if these breeds listed, including the Sex Links, get along? Or should we avoid mixing?

- WPC2

All of these breeds, Australorps, Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, and Sex Links are all docile and get along fine with each other in a mixed flock. My flock currently consists of 7 Black Australorp hens, 4 Buff Orpington hens, 7 Easter Egger hens, and & Black Sex Link hens and they all get along just great (other than the usual pecking order which occurs in any flock). Just be careful not to overcrowd your chickens. They should have a minimum of 4 sq. ft. per bird in their coop and 10 sq. ft. per bird in any enclosed runs (I recommend more than the minimum). Overcrowding with any chicken breeds leads to aggression, feather plucking, and even cannibalism. Also, make sure the ratio of roosters to hens is within safe limits. The general rule of thumb is 1 rooster for every 10 hens.

Michael OShay said:

All of these breeds, Australorps, Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, and Sex Links are all docile and get along fine with each other in a mixed flock. My flock currently consists of 7 Black Australorp hens, 4 Buff Orpington hens, 7 Easter Egger hens, and & Black Sex Link hens and they all get along just great (other than the usual pecking order which occurs in any flock). Just be careful not to overcrowd your chickens. They should have a minimum of 4 sq. ft. per bird in their coop and 10 sq. ft. per bird in any enclosed runs (I recommend more than the minimum). Overcrowding with any chicken breeds leads to aggression, feather plucking, and even cannibalism. Also, make sure the ratio of roosters to hens is within safe limits. The general rule of thumb is 1 rooster for every 10 hens.

Click to expand...

Thank you! We only intend to have 4 or 5 hens, no roosters. Should the breeds be kept in pairs anyway or could creating a flock of one of each breed work? - WPC2

luvliebee said:

Thank you! We only intend to have 4 or 5 hens, no roosters. Should the breeds be kept in pairs anyway or could creating a flock of one of each breed work? - WPC2

Click to expand...

You can mix these breeds however you want to, in pairs or all together. Mine are all in the coop and runs together. I just realized I left the number of Black Sex Links off my list. I have 7 of them as well. Keep us updated on what you end up doing. Good luck.

UPDATE!

We found a local breeder by word of mouth from the feed store.

We will be going to visit and check out her Plymouth Rocks (Barred) and Australorps in the next couple of weeks or so. The Australorps just turned a year old and are already laying. The Barreds will be ready to lay at the end of Aug. and are already as big as the Aussies! We are thinking about getting 2 of each.

Thoughts?

- WPC2

luvliebee said:

UPDATE!

We found a local breeder by word of mouth from the feed store.

We will be going to visit and check out her Plymouth Rocks (Barred) and Australorps in the next couple of weeks or so. The Australorps just turned a year old and are already laying. The Barreds will be ready to lay at the end of Aug. and are already as big as the Aussies! We are thinking about getting 2 of each.

Thoughts?

- WPC2

Click to expand...

Good choices. Both are good, hardy dependable breeds, and good layers. The Australorps are exceptional layers, and very calm and gentle birds.