Possible Roosters, Pros and Cons of These Breeds?

[3KillerBs]

Well I think a brown egg rooster breed might be worse for color?

I need to do more research, but the one egg seller I've talked to said that medium and darker browns sell better than white or light tan.

I'm sure I'll have to select for egg color according to my experiences as I move forward through the project.

 

[Mrs. K]

Oh, I was thinking that you were wanting some blue or green eggs too.

 

[3KillerBs]

Oh, I was thinking that you were wanting some blue or green eggs too.

Yes, I do.

My intent, depending on how things work out, is to expand the flock over a couple years and, as it expands, divide the hens up with additional roosters. (I have just discovered that legbars come in a white variety).

I don't know yet if I will be operating a closed flock or if I'll be adding hatchery chicks. That may depend on how well started pullets sell around here.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[3KillerBs]

Henderson’s Breed Chart

That's been invaluable, though I understand the limitations of general breed characteristics when dealing with individual animals.

Yes, I know I'm being picky in re: the colors, but there are so many wonderful breeds of chicken that I think I can indulge my color preferences. I'm sure that there are lovers of red and gold chickens out there who would consider my greyscale birds unbearably boring.

I don't have anything particular against Wyandottes other than that the two SLWs I have, though certainly the most beautiful members of my flock, are also the smallest and seem to be as slow-growing as the Brahmas. Obviously healthy and quite intrepid (the smallest being quite an escape artist), but little more than half the size of their Blue Australorp sisters and smaller than the California White at 10 weeks.

Those Cackle Ameraucana may be your only good option for blue or green eggs.

I did find White Legbars in the Welp catalog when I was looking up the source of the Blue Australorps I have, so I'll have to consider that as an option.

Thank you for taking the time to write out such a detailed response. I appreciate it.

 

[black_cat]

Personally I'd pay more for blue/green/turquoise/chocolate brown/pink eggs that I would for medium-light brown and white. That's really all I can offer because I have no idea about genetics or temperament or breeding or anything.

 

[LaFleche]

These are the true breeds I would consider:

• Exchequer Leghorn = large white eggs
  
  
• La Flèche in black and white = large white eggs
  
  
• Araucana in black and white = blue/turqoise eggs
  
  
• Marans in black and white = large dark brown/reddish brown eggs
  
  
• Marans x Araucana = large olive eggs
• La Flèche x Araucana= large light blue or light green eggs
• Exchequer Leghorn x Araucana = large light blue or light green eggs

And then add some Delaware for good measure.

 

[3KillerBs]

Exchequer Leghorn

That's certainly an attractive coloration. I hadn't known they existed.

 

[LaFleche]

Yes, and they are very prolific. I like them too.