The most indecisive person on BYC strikes again/help me decide what to get

[fluffycrow]

Cochin/Pekin bantams - that way you can have 3 times as many birds in the same space.

I like the way you think! I guess I'm a little scared to get them because of my recent silkie fail, they all passed and the last one was one of the hardest deaths I've had to deal with, and I've seen some gruesome stuff over the years

 

[fluffycrow]

Cochin/Pekin bantams - that way you can have 3 times as many birds in the same space.

OK but can we talk about how genius this is? Like, genius to the point where I'd say, chicken math does not apply to bantams, and I definitely like the sound of that

 

[I Like Turkeys]

I've never owned brahmas, but the cochin bantams I owned meet everything except #1. That's only because mine began laying at about 10 months old, very very late in relation to other breeds. 2/3 have gone broody though, and of those 2 the first has been an excellent mother. The second spent her brooding period pooping on her eggs, but as of today hatched two. I can't judge her mothering skills yet.
In terms of #2, I am in florida, so weather gets ridiculously hot here. Mine have fared well over the last year, through the heat and cold. I don't really offer many extra amenities to deal with either weathers, but they have a draft-free shed they can spend time in.
#3, all of my BCs are friendly(aside from the broody-raised chicks currently). They don't force themselves towards me for snuggles, nor do I really do much of that, but all willingly let me handle them and are easy to deal with. My rooster has been very calm and polite as well.
#4- 100% poofy.
#5- My partridge BC hen is incredibly feisty towards others. I've kept my BCs in a standard-sized laying flock before, and faced 0 bullying issues. My partridge is the feistiest of them all, I recall her putting pullets twice her size in their place before. She's even tried to fight turkeys, on several different occasions. In my experience, they do well amongst LF birds.

 

[fluffycrow]

I've never owned brahmas, but the cochin bantams I owned meet everything except #1. That's only because mine began laying at about 10 months old, very very late in relation to other breeds. 2/3 have gone broody though, and of those 2 the first has been an excellent mother. The second spent her brooding period pooping on her eggs, but as of today hatched two. I can't judge her mothering skills yet.
In terms of #2, I am in florida, so weather gets ridiculously hot here. Mine have fared well over the last year, through the heat and cold. I don't really offer many extra amenities to deal with either weathers, but they have a draft-free shed they can spend time in.
#3, all of my BCs are friendly(aside from the broody-raised chicks currently). They don't force themselves towards me for snuggles, nor do I really do much of that, but all willingly let me handle them and are easy to deal with. My rooster has been very calm and polite as well.
#4- 100% poofy.
#5- My partridge BC hen is incredibly feisty towards others. I've kept my BCs in a standard-sized laying flock before, and faced 0 bullying issues. My partridge is the feistiest of them all, I recall her putting pullets twice her size in their place before. She's even tried to fight turkeys, on several different occasions. In my experience, they do well amongst LF birds.

That's really good to hear. Did your girls go broody shortly after laying, or did it take even longer?

 

[I Like Turkeys]

That's really good to hear. Did your girls go broody shortly after laying, or did it take even longer?

Sorry, I was trying to get exact dates. My bantam cochins started laying sometime early december or mid-november, then went broody mid-january, so it was about a month or two of laying before the first two went broody.

 

[fluffycrow]

Sorry, I was trying to get exact dates. My bantam cochins started laying sometime early december or mid-november, then went broody mid-january, so it was about a month or two of laying before the first two went broody.

Hmm that's still good. Although I would really like a chicken that goes broody early. How many eggs were they able to cover?

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Hmm that's still good. Although I would really like a chicken that goes broody early. How many eggs were they able to cover?

First hen covered 6 eggs because I was hesitant to give her too many, second hen covered 7(though I removed most towards the end because they were infertile). After hen 1 hatched her eggs, I gave her 4 more chicks to foster, so she ended up with a total of nine. They all fit under her fine.

 

[MysteryChicken]

OK I promise, this is the last time (for this week) that I'm going to make a similar thread to this. After joining BYC I have completely fallen in love with two breeds. The brahma, and the cochin/pekin bantam. I have already received some recommendations for brahmas, and they seem like an excellent choice for me, BUT..... I finally found a seller of bantam cochins, and who can say no to these guys theyre just way too poofy not to adore! And now I'm a bit conflicted on what to get. If anyone would like helping/having some fun (because at this point it's comical how quickly I change my mind) then say what you think would be the best. My absolute ideal bird would have all these qualities
1. Starts laying and brooding early, ideally I would like to get the birds this year and have my first hatch by the end of summer (the seller sells one month olds so after some quick calculations that means that from I am planning on getting them to the end of summer they would be about six months, and no if anyone is asking, i am not good at math)
2. They should be cold and heat hardy, we have had some rough winters (no snow though, just chilly), and some HOT HOT summers here
3. They should be friendly, not in a cuddly way, but in an unbothered or even curious way
4. They need to be poofy
5. I have got some bossy chickens, so i would like for them to either stand their ground, or for the bantams be fast to be able to escape pecking (this isnt as important for the bantams though, as im planning to keep them in a separete area than the main flock, this is just as a precaution in case one escapes)
I think that is it! Thank you for once again bearing with me!

I voted Brahma.

 

[fluffycrow]

I voted Brahma.

And just as I was about to say, someone voted for brahma!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

OK I promise, this is the last time (for this week) that I'm going to make a similar thread to this. After joining BYC I have completely fallen in love with two breeds. The brahma, and the cochin/pekin bantam. I have already received some recommendations for brahmas, and they seem like an excellent choice for me, BUT..... I finally found a seller of bantam cochins, and who can say no to these guys theyre just way too poofy not to adore! And now I'm a bit conflicted on what to get. If anyone would like helping/having some fun (because at this point it's comical how quickly I change my mind) then say what you think would be the best. My absolute ideal bird would have all these qualities
1. Starts laying and brooding early, ideally I would like to get the birds this year and have my first hatch by the end of summer (the seller sells one month olds so after some quick calculations that means that from I am planning on getting them to the end of summer they would be about six months, and no if anyone is asking, i am not good at math)
2. They should be cold and heat hardy, we have had some rough winters (no snow though, just chilly), and some HOT HOT summers here
3. They should be friendly, not in a cuddly way, but in an unbothered or even curious way
4. They need to be poofy
5. I have got some bossy chickens, so i would like for them to either stand their ground, or for the bantams be fast to be able to escape pecking (this isnt as important for the bantams though, as im planning to keep them in a separete area than the main flock, this is just as a precaution in case one escapes)
I think that is it! Thank you for once again bearing with me!

Pheonix are neither poofy or stand their ground birds. They scatter faster than leghorns if spooked, even but their flockmates.

As for when you want to be hatching eggs, I don't think that's going to happen if you get birds that aren't in their second laying cycle. None of those breeds lays early and you don't want to hatch pullet eggs anyways