So many different breeds - How did you decide?

[12304]

get a buff brahma they are the sweetest chickens ever

 

[southerndesert]

Being in AZ influences my choice somewhat and we purchase chicks from a local breeder and look for high producing heat resistant breeds already proven here. We are in a unique situation here in the central deserts with temps commonly above 110 and 114 expected today, I have seen 120 in the shade here (no kidding). Not sure a heat tolerant bird hatched in another cooler location would have any problem here or not as I haven't tried it. There are some beautiful birds available out there I'd love to have, but they are known not to tolerate high heat well and I hesitate to experiment at their expense health wise.

 

[Noymira]

I asked a friend who raised chickens, since she got me interested, and she told me to pick breeds that were bred and raised for our New England winters. I had an order sheet from a local feed store and chose chickens with names of New England states!

Luckily it worked out for me and I ordered 2 each of 4 different breeds. I've since picked up more chickens locally as the opportunities came up.

Now that I've spent some time on here I have a better idea of how to select breeds in the future based on what I want (i.e. hardiness, egg color, personality, etc.).

 

[Luke13:34]

Simple overpopulation.

 

[Hoosierchickens]

Quote:
This is what we did. Start with meat vs. egg vs. dual purpose then narrow it down by temperature tolerance then typical breed characteristics. After that the list should be short enough that you can just pick the ones that are most aesthetically appealing to you. We ended up with Speckled Sussex and Silver Laced Wyandottes and are happy with our decision.

 

[moetrout]

We chose ours based on them being good egg layers and looks. We have RIR, ISA browns, Americaunas, Black Stars, and Black Copper Marans.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
This is what we did. Start with meat vs. egg vs. dual purpose then narrow it down by temperature tolerance then typical breed characteristics. After that the list should be short enough that you can just pick the ones that are most aesthetically appealing to you. We ended up with Speckled Sussex and Silver Laced Wyandottes and are happy with our decision.

This is what I did when I first got started too. But if chicken fever hits, then you're in trouble...because then you start 'discovering' more and more pretty or interesting breeds, and you start thinking "I'd like one of those some day, and one of those, and one of those..." There are so many breeds I'd love to have.

 

[Dun an Oir Hens]

I fell in love with LF cochins and just had to have some so we drove to Rhode Island (thanks to my long suffering husband - one of the most patient men on earth) to a breeder and got 3 - we also purchased some bantam Belgian d"Uccles from him - but only one turned out to be a girl and she has become the pet of the flock. We then added to the flock by bringing home some barnyard mixes hatched by my fourth grader at school (only one of these turned out to be a girl). We then purchased some heritage breeds from a local feed store - 2 Delawares, a Speckled sussex and we were given a Rhode Island red and some buff orpingtons. We also rescued a polish but knowing what I do now about quarantine issues etc I would be hesitant to do this again - this poor bird was not well treated but has settled in well with better feed and care. This year we ordered from Mc Murray Hatchery and I love this hatchery because I was able to order one of any breed as long as the hatch dates matched - so we ordered some unusual breeds just to see what they would be like in person. Our flock is very varied but all the girls get along well, I can definately see the difference between the breeder stock and the hatchery stock however but i do like the ability to order rare and unusual breeds from the hatcheries.

 

[ajay]

We're restricted to 6 chickens and have little kids, so we chose mostly based on temperment and then how many eggs they lay. If our little flock of 4 doesn't lay enough eggs, we will add 2 more chickens to our brood next spring.

 

[Oregon Blues]

You want to know how to choose?

Pick 5-6 breeds simply because you like their looks. Then do some research to see if they will do what you want. If they don't, cross them off the list. Whatever is left on the list is what you order.

They are all good. Some are specialized, so you have to check to see if their specialty meet your needs. That's all there is to it. You'll end up with chickens that you like to look at and that meet your needs.