Independent Study

[redshoulderfox]

I'm conducting an independent study at Hampshire College in Amherst MA where I and another student will each pic a breed of chicken and then manage a breeding population of that breed at the school. I've done some looking for sources of the birds on my list but I thought I should also check if anyone on here knows some sources.
After reading our list of basic criteria for the breeds and after reading my list of breeds it would also any opinions on how the breeds fit our criteria. For example, I've heard mixed comments about how cold hardy Andalusians are so any thoughts in regards to that would be awesome. I have little experience with chickens since I only raised quail in the past so any advice from people who raise chickens would be awesome.
Also please look at the criteria for the sources we get the birds from at the bottom of the page.

Breed criteria and how they will be raised

• We plan on raising them in chicken tractors with electric poultry netting around them. They will always be within the poultry netting because the college does not allow us to do free range. They will feed on pasture with a rotational grazing system as well as getting supplemental feed.
• Good laying productivity
• Cold hardy
• Not flighty (while we could clip their wings there is probably a big advantage to non flighty birds)
• predator savvy
• Ideally a heritage breed (the black sex link is in the list because my great grandfather created the breed)
• good foragers

These are the following breeds I have on my list

• Sussex
• Black Sex Link
• Dorking
• Welsummers
• Lakenvelder
• Andalusian
• Swedish Flower Hen
• Campine
• Icelandic
• Legbars
• Swedish Black (Svarthona)
• Vorwerk
• Isbar
• Orust
• Shetland Hens

There are criteria that I have for the sources I get them from which are as follows:

• Need to be local or are able to ship to a post office near my college.
• Have reliable good quality purebred stock. Does not necessarily need to be show quality but definitely purebred
• Ideally the less expensive the better (most of greenfire farms stock is too expensive)
• Ideally we're going to go to two sources for each breed and get 10 female chicks and 1 male chick from each source so
  • their minimum order should make this possible
  • There needs to be at least two sources for the breed

Any advice would help me out a lot. Take care.

 

[Henry&Friends]

• We plan on raising them in chicken tractors with electric poultry netting around them. They will always be within the poultry netting because the college does not allow us to do free range. They will feed on pasture with a rotational grazing system as well as getting supplemental feed.
• Good laying productivity
• Cold hardy
• Not flighty (while we could clip their wings there is probably a big advantage to non flighty birds)
• predator savvy
• Ideally a heritage breed (the black sex link is in the list because my great grandfather created the breed)
• good foragers

I free range, so I can’t tell you about the tractors. However, I’ve had black australorp hens and a rooster. They (mine) laid year round, seemed to be fine with the cold (even hatched some chicks in the dead of December!) allowed me to catch them, seemed to forage well, and, according to my quick google search, are a heritage breed. My rooster, while stunningly handsome, was human aggressive however. i assume you could find some pure (or at least almost pure) stock in every state.


P.S. It’s really cool to have the black sex links in your family history! I’m lowkey jealous

 

[redshoulderfox]

That's a good thought I was thinking a bit about Australorps but maybe I should give them a second thought.

Yeah I was pleasantly surprised when I found that out. Many hatcheries who give background on where black sexed links came from usually get it wrong. One day I should probably update them.

 

[Perris]

my great grandfather created the breed

cool! you really ought to include some of them then

 

[redshoulderfox]

yeah I'm debating it but I'm also really into trying to preserve rare breeds and black sexed links are certainly not rare.

 

[keesmom]

Too bad you missed the Poultry Congress in Springfield this past January. It would have been a good place to try to meet breeders of good quality birds.

These are the following breeds I have on my list

• Sussex
• Black Sex Link
• Dorking
• Welsummers
• Lakenvelder
• Andalusian
• Swedish Flower Hen
• Campine
• Icelandic
• Legbars
• Swedish Black (Svarthona)
• Vorwerk
• Isbar
• Orust
• Shetland Hens

• Ideally we're going to go to two sources for each breed and get 10 female chicks and 1 male chick from each source so
  • their minimum order should make this possible
  • There needs to be at least two sources for the breed

The last criterion may make it difficult to include some of the breeds on your list.

How about a variety of Plymouth Rock since you are in MA? Or good Rhode Island Red or White? Though finding true RIW could be a challenge. Or rose combed Leghorns or Anconas?

 

[redshoulderfox]

Thank you guys for all the helpful suggestions it gave me some new ideas for breeds to look into. But after doing some more research I think I'm going to go with the Swedish Flower Hen.
With that said my one concern with them is that I'm hearing mixed reviews on how flighty they are so anyone has any incite on that please let me know. Also, One of the hatcheries I'm looking at to get Swedish flower hens from is purely poultry but I don't know much about them. If anyone has any thoughts how good their business is in terms of quality birds and the like I'd love to hear about that to.

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions.

 

[joydix]

my friend got some swedish flower chicks and they were so friendly i fell in love with them.

 

[JedJackson]

Swedish flower hens are a land race, not a breed. They are not standardized for color or anything else. Each bird will look a little different in color, some have crests, some don't. It doesn't matter much unless you were wanting to exhibit at an APA events.

Everything I've heard about them has been good, though. Nice temperament, good layers, healthy, and so on.

 

[rural mouse]

Heavier bodied breeds tend to be better in the cold. Mediterranean bodied breeds tend to feel it more (body shapes: Rhode Island, Plymouth rocks, wyandottes (fantastic birds, alert, smart, friendly, quiet) vs leghorns, campines, etc). I have a Hamburg (incredibly alert). Small bird, first to spot hawks, agile, independent, and Med-bodied. Feathers aren't as fluffy as the heavy bodied birds.

There's is some talk about straight comb vs rose/pea combs and frostbite/ heat tolerance. My personal experience: straight combs stand away from the head more so tips are more prone to frostbite. I have a rose comb roo with a long point on the end of the comb. The point has gotten frostbite, too.

Going with the land race is a good idea: hopefully less prone to reproduction issues and survival skills should be close to the surface. Bear in mind the chicks will have to learn on their own rather than from adult birds raising them. Subsequent generations (if going that far) will learn faster.