Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[feliciadawn]

Looks like I setup my own competitor !!

Don't worry, I am not quitting my day job just yet.

 

[CuteFluffyButtSilkies]

Hi. I just want to jump in and say hello, since I just found this PA thread.

I'm located in the Lehigh Valley. I've had guinea fowl for about four years now, but I'm phasing them out and moving on to chickens. I currently have 3 guineas and 4 chickens (3 hens and a roo). Switching to chickens has started the learning curve all over again! This silly rooster is driving me crazy!

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. Nice to see a whole group of PA folks!

Hi and welcome from Monroe county. If you are ever interested in silkies or brahmas let me know and I can help you out

 

[LadyBehir]

Who here likes the BIG birds? I mean the bigger breeds of chickens. Not meaties, exactly, but the larger dual purpose ones? What is your favorite breed and why?

 

[BullChick]

You mean like white rocks? I love their fat bottoms, but also found them to be good layers and I just loved the pure white. I didn’t like Leghorns. Soooo annoying!

 

[VictoriaTemple]

Who here likes the BIG birds? I mean the bigger breeds of chickens. Not meaties, exactly, but the larger dual purpose ones? What is your favorite breed and why?

Me me me!!! Jersey Giant all the way!! Oh, how I miss my Hero, my beautiful Jersey roo! I love how they are built, and how gentle they are, and how they get along with everyone! Jumbo eggs are a bonus when you get them, but I just love everything about them. And you can’t go wrong with basic black! They are SO hard to find though, and SO expensive when you do find them! (I’m afraid to trust the hatchery stock, none of the pictures look right).
I also ADORE Brahmas. Truth be told, for cold-hardiness and laying capacity (especially in winter), Brahmas do have Jerseys beat. That double layer of down and those little pea combs make a HUGE difference in cold weather. They bred beautifully with my deceased roo Danny, and their babies have had no major problems this winter, and started laying in November.
Still love my Cochins too, and although my standard Cochins are on the small side, they work hard and keep themselves cozy warm. I would love to get some bigger ones someday.
Hoping to add some nice meaty Rocks, Orpingtons, and Dorkings over the next few years, while keeping a few Marans around too (unfortunately they don’t seem to be as resistant to our respiratory bug). Trying to breed a nice backyard dual-purpose giant, but with limited space it’s probably a pipe dream for now. Gotta get a new Jersey roo someday!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Who here likes the BIG birds? I mean the bigger breeds of chickens. Not meaties, exactly, but the larger dual purpose ones? What is your favorite breed and why?

I love my English orpingtons! The one roo I processed took 3, gallon zip lock bags to part him out in. They're big, beautiful, sweet and friendly and lay pretty well most of the time.

 

[VictoriaTemple]

I love my English orpingtons! The one roo I processed took 3, gallon zip lock bags to part him out in. They're big, beautiful, sweet and friendly and lay pretty well most of the time.

Ooh, pretty! How do you make sure to get nice big Orps instead of the scrawny laying type? They seem so inconsistent! Do they lay in winter?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Ooh, pretty! How do you make sure to get nice big Orps instead of the scrawny laying type? They seem so inconsistent! Do they lay in winter?

My eggs came from breeders, not hatcheries so I've been lucky to get nice big birds. They were all shipped eggs (I can't remember where from lol). Typically, they do lay fairly well in the winter but my girls molted late last year so they haven't been laying. Not to mention they're a couple years old now.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Thanks for the advice. I will let them sit. Despite a power outage during incubation, I have two eggs which moved, indicating that either they are still alive, or I am so crazed from isolation this year that I am imagining things. Alas, the shells are so dark that I can't see any details inside while candling.

If anyone who lives in or near Delco is looking for quality green egg laying chicks, they can contact me. I should have some extra. Half the chicks are Black Ameraucana x Copper Marans, and half are Black Ameraucana x Dennis olive egger. The latter are sexable at birth.

‘I’m so crazed from isolation this year that I’m imagining things’ HAHAHAHA . Me toooooo

 

[GoodGuinea]

Me me me!!! Jersey Giant all the way!! Oh, how I miss my Hero, my beautiful Jersey roo!❤ I love how they are built, and how gentle they are, and how they get along with everyone! Jumbo eggs are a bonus when you get them, but I just love everything about them. And you can’t go wrong with basic black! They are SO hard to find though, and SO expensive when you do find them! (I’m afraid to trust the hatchery stock, none of the pictures look right).
I also ADORE Brahmas. Truth be told, for cold-hardiness and laying capacity (especially in winter), Brahmas do have Jerseys beat. That double layer of down and those little pea combs make a HUGE difference in cold weather. They bred beautifully with my deceased roo Danny, and their babies have had no major problems this winter, and started laying in November.
Still love my Cochins too, and although my standard Cochins are on the small side, they work hard and keep themselves cozy warm. I would love to get some bigger ones someday.
Hoping to add some nice meaty Rocks, Orpingtons, and Dorkings over the next few years, while keeping a few Marans around too (unfortunately they don’t seem to be as resistant to our respiratory bug). Trying to breed a nice backyard dual-purpose giant, but with limited space it’s probably a pipe dream for now. Gotta get a new Jersey roo someday!❤

My husband loves big animals. He pretends he doesn't care much about the chickens, but every time we discuss breeds, he says, "We're getting a Jersey Giant next time, right? At least one Jersey Giant?"