Possible Roosters, Pros and Cons of These Breeds?

[3KillerBs]

Thinking out loud here in a place where I'll have a good record of the evolution of my ideas and hoping for input.

As the placement of our house gets closer and we start budgeting for the increase of the flock and pondering what to do if Piccata, the Silver-Laced Wyandotte or Omelet, the Light Brahma, turn out to be cockerels instead of pullets (still uncertain at 12 and 10 weeks respectively), I've more or less decided that, as much as I love Brahmas for their beauty, I don't really want one as half the genetics in my flock. Nor do I think that an SLW is the best option for me here in the steamy southeast.

In time there will probably be two or three roosters as the flock grows and gets large enough to divide, but the current plan is to start with one.

My overall goals for the flock are:

Good temperament
Vigorous good health
Relatively rapid growth/maturity (hoping to sell my extras as started pullets/butcher spare cockerels and don't want to have to wait half a year)
Good egg laying
A variety of egg colors (hoping to sell eggs at farmers' markets)
Large and extra-large eggs (because small eggs don't sell well)
Colors and patterns I find attractive (black, white, and black and white -- absolutely no red)

Other factors:

I like feathered feet
Not too flighty -- they won't free range but will be in an open pen
I will probably be ordering from Ideal and/or Cackle

My thought is to follow advice often given here by raising a number of straight-run chicks and select the cockerel(s) I like best out of the bunch. I'm considering the following breeds:

Delaware -- Large, attractively patterned birds that grow rapidly, are well-adapted to heat, and lay good-sized, medium-brown eggs

Australorp -- Large birds that grow rapidly, are well-adapted to heat, and lay good-sized, medium-brown eggs. Possibly less visible to hawks than the light-colored birds.

French Black or Cuckoo Marans -- Large birds, attractively-patterned (cuckoo), with dark egg genetics. Feathered feet.

Black/White/Blue/Splash Ameraucana (Cackle) -- Medium birds, blue egg genetics.

Since all chickens are awesome in the hatchery catalogs I'd appreciate feedback from people with experience with these breeds. Especially if you live in a hot, humid climate.

 

[Mrs. K]

You are going to love the Delaware - they meet your color, size, and disposition requirements. Make nice broilers, thicker than the average dual purpose birds.

I am going to throw this out there, but I would consider a leg horn - fantastic layers, white egg. Nothing makes the colored eggs stand out more, than a few white ones in the bunch! If you plan to sell eggs - then the egg laying breeds are where you need to go.

Heat tolerant birds - check Mediterranean birds, I think would work well. As for blue egg layers or green - I can't think of any that meet your feather color - I just don'e know.

But I think a flock of BA, Delewares, and leghorns would be very pretty. Could add a barred rock...but more brown eggs.

Mrs K

 

[keesmom]

I think a Chantecler might come in a color you'd like (white). Off the top of my head I can't think of any other breed that suits you but I'd look for a Mediterranean breed and see if Cackle or Ideal have it.

Cackle has white Chanteclers, and I have a few. I have been very happy with them. They are dual purpose unlike many hatchery breeds. The birds have averaged 9-11 lbs and have been good layers of large brown eggs. Their small comb is great for cold climates and they have an easy going temperament.

I have some of their cuckoo Marans hens as well. Also large birds, one hen is almost the size of my Chantecler rooster. The egg color has been surprisingly dark for hatchery stock. Obviously not as dark as a breeder bird, but much better than I expected.

 

[AltonaAcres]

Or Beilefelders!!!

 

[aart]

I don't know yet if I will be operating a closed flock or if I'll be adding hatchery chicks.

Adding hatchery chicks (day olds) is still a closed flock, IMO.
Little risk of bringing in pest/diseases.

 

[AltonaAcres]

Naked Necks!!!!!!!

 

[3KillerBs]

Or Beilefelders!!!

Naked Necks!!!!!!!

Those don't fit the "Colors and patterns I find attractive (black, white, and black and white -- absolutely no red)" section of my goals.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you haven't done it already, go through Henderson's Breed Chart to see "supposed" breed characteristics and then go to Feathersite to see what the breed looks like. With individual birds I don't put a lot of faith in breed characteristics but it's a place to start.

Henderson’s Breed Chart

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

Feathersite

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens


My overall goals for the flock are:

Good temperament

One area I don't put much faith in breed.

Vigorous good health

This depends a lot more on how you manage them than breed as long as you start with good stock. In the steamy southeast you are not worried about cold-hardy. As long as you provide plenty of shade and water you can keep any breed.

Relatively rapid growth/maturity (hoping to sell my extras as started pullets/butcher spare cockerels and don't want to have to wait half a year)

On the pullets look for production breeds, not the decorative. If you are going to sell them pure breeds often sell better than a barnyard mix. On the boys, that depends on what age and size you want to butcher them.

Good egg laying

Go by Henderson's chart or just pick a production breed,

A variety of egg colors (hoping to sell eggs at farmers' markets)

Henderson's Breed Chart gives you some ideas as to what color eggs should be but don't be surprised for your birds to be off some. All Marans don't lay really dark eggs. Some "light brown" can be darker than you expect. Still, this means a variety of breeds.

Large and extra-large eggs (because small eggs don't sell well)

Again, Hendersons's chart. If you hatch eggs, only hatch the larger ones.

Colors and patterns I find attractive (black, white, and black and white -- absolutely no red)

Picky, picky, picky aren't you. This is in your control but limits your choice. If you somehow get a red bird, eat it. don't allow it to breed.

Other factors:

I like feathered feet

Feathered feet is a dominant trait so get a rooster from a feather-footed breed. After a few generations you will get chicks with and without feathered feet so make feathered feet one of your criteria for selecting which ones get to breed. Or keep a rooster from a hen that has feathered feet for breeding. The more criteria you have the more you limit your choices.

Not too flighty -- they won't free range but will be in an open pen

I personally don't trust breed description too much on this one but believe it to be more of an individual thing. Still, Henderson talks about this. I think you can manage them not flying out more by what your fence looks like than by breed.

I will probably be ordering from Ideal and/or Cackle

I'm not going to look through their site to see what they offer. That's your job.

My thought is to follow advice often given here by raising a number of straight-run chicks and select the cockerel(s) I like best out of the bunch.

I don't trust straight run, not after I got 7 pullets from Cackle on an order of 7 straight run Buff Orps. Now, if I want boys I order boys. If I want girls I order girls. But yes, I order enough to select the best for breeding.

You can try this approach and trust to luck for breeding options. I don't know ho w many total you plan to order, the more per breed the better your selections.

Delaware, Australorp, and Marans should be good choices. Not all Marans have feathered feet but many do. Those Cackle Ameraucana may be your only good option for blue or green eggs. I don't know how big of an egg their Ameraucana lay and you may be disappointed in the size of the boys at butcher time.

Leghorns lay large white eggs but are not going to make you happy with how big the boys are at butcher time. White eggs do really make an egg basket brighter though. Look through Henderson;s chart and see if those hatcheries offer a choice that suits you.

I personally don't have anything against Wyandottes but it sounds like you do. I'd consider Light Sussex and a Rock that meets your color criteria (Black, White, or Barred). If you can find a Naked Neck that meets your color criteria I'd consider it a good choice but some people are put off by that bare neck. I think a Chantecler might come in a color you'd like (white). Off the top of my head I can't think of any other breed that suits you but I'd look for a Mediterranean breed and see if Cackle or Ideal have it.

The only ones I've raised in your colors are Delaware, Black Australorp, and Ameraucana. I've raised Rocks and Sussex but different colors. As far as I'm concerned colors are only feathers. They have nothing to do with breed.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Bit late to this, naked necks actually come in lots of colors


You can always just sell or eat any red ones that get sent to you in an order


Perhaps Easter eggers? They come in tons of colors and again you can always just get rid of any you don't like looking at

 

[JadeFarms]

Easter Eggers: Variety of feather colors, can lay pink, brown, blue, or green eggs, they are very pretty with their muffs and are okay for meat. Also the chicks sell fast.

Deleware: Brown eggs, they fit your color preference, good meat birds.

I haven’t seen anybody mention this, but lavender Orpingtons are good because they are large, the offspring of mixed LOs have black leakage. They lay brown eggs and are great for meat production.

Marans: Great chickens with dark eggs and there are many different colors.

Olive Eggers: Lay a very pretty colored egg and come in different colors. Sweet chickens and sometimes have feathered legs depending on the mix.