Which breeds did you wish you got?

[kathleens1979]

I have two different aims for my flock- I keep Icelandics because they are fantastic foragers, layers, mothers, and come in beautiful colors/patterns. They have unique genetics that I think should be preserved. I currently have Behl and Sigrid line birds and would love to to have the other three lines here in the US. Unfortunately, their eggs are medium at best and white, which most of my table eggs customers are not thrilled about, so their eggs feed my family.

My other aim for my flock is to have table eggs to sell. I currently sell about 10 dozen table eggs per week (although some of those eggs are my neighbor's, which I buy from her). In the table eggs part of the flock I have:
-EEs- sweet birds who lay well and produce interesting contrasts in my egg cartons.
-Cuckoo Marrans- purchased strictly for egg color. They are not friendly or attractive birds. I read that CMs are the most productive of the Marrans chickens and these seem to be living up to the hype.
-ISA Browns and RSL- we have both. They are brown egg machines, and they are very people-friendly, but mine are aggressive to my other birds.
-Marraduna Basque- same as the RSL. People-friendly but bird aggressive.
-RIR- iDK yet on temperament. They are still growing. I just got three of these at TSC when they were .75. One is a cockerel, and he will be attending freezer camp. He is pretty aggressive and pecks and bites if I get too near in the coop.
-Australorps- love them. Lay lots of eggs and are very gentle. Also had a BA broody who was an excellent mom.
-True Ameraucanas- flighty, but great layers in the winter.
-Silkies- purchased to be broodies. So far they seem pretty unintelligent, even for a chicken. They are so very non aggressive and cannot see. I am always amazed that they haven't gotten eaten by a predator yet. Not sure we will keep them, but they are beautiful and fluffy.

We have rehomed Speckled Sussex and Delawares because ours did nothing but eat and hang out in the coop. Not good foragers.

I would LOVE some fluffy Orpingtons (mostly to look at since I like their fluffy butts) and Orlandsk Dwarfs (look like bantam Icelandics). I would also like more Australorps- they are my favorite utility breed and we only have three. Probably will not ever have dwarfs since I would want to breed them, and I only keep Icelandic roosters.

 

[casey197530]

I would love some frizzle chickens

 

[kadoer12]

We currently have buff/black/lav Orpington, blue/white ameraucanas, ee's with a very bad quality silver ameraucana roo, black/red Turkens, black jersey giant, silkies and showgirls, oeg's, and sebright mixes.

We also have our old lady production red and a few mixes of chickens and ducks. This year we have started bourbon red turkeys.

We hope to get more ameraucanas and Orpington, Cayuga ducks, more Peking/Rouen/and khaki/dark campbells. I have been drooling over Dorkings for a couple years and haven't gotten any because I'm a poor college student lol. Love sandhills and hope to get some cuckoo's in the future. We had acquired red Dorking/partridge rock crosses that were big and sweet.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I have two pullets that are suppose to be Black Australorps but just got another chick that is also suppose to be a Black Australorp BUT the two have brown feathers also and the one is ALL black. The heads are different too. The two heads are different than the one. Can anyone tell me if i have two different breeds or are they ALL Black Australorps???

The one with brown feathers is probably a Black Sex link pullet

 

[Silkiebirdlover]

I wish we would have got some more silkies. We have 2 hens and 1 rooster silkie but I would have loved to get silkie chicks.

 

[TLHatton]

Just starting back into chickens again. Ordered 16 plus the free exotic from Murray McMurray. 3 black australorps (1 roo will have to go), 2 blue andelusians, 2 ameracaunas, 3 wellsummers (1 roo same thing), 3 dark cornish, 1 cukoo maran, 1 pretty? buff naked neck, and 1 white crested black polish. I let my daughter pick one. I've come to the conclusion that the exotic is a lakenvelder. I don't have any experience with that breed, so we'll see if I keep her. I wish I lived in the country with no rescrictions because I'm going to have to cull nearly half of my flock to meet code. I would love to be able to keep roos also. Murray did an excellent job of sexing these chicks. I actually ordered the ba roo before I knew I couldn't keep him. If I could re-do my order, I would exchange the cornish for another cukoo, another naked neck and another ameracauna.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I have:
A Black Copper Marans cross who was a great layer her first year then the second year she about stopped laying.
Three Black Australorps who aren't the best layers, but I love how talkative they are.
Three Easter Eggers who are probably my best layers and always friendly if they aren't being held.
Two Silkie crosses who are ALWAYS broody, but when they aren't broody are great layers.
Five Rhodebars who are the best chickens ever! The rooster is sweet and the hens lay well and are all snugglers.
A Cream Legbar who is friendly and an amazing layer of round golf ball seized eggs.
A Gold Laced Brahma who isn't show quality, but has the GIANT size of show stock and is ferocious broody.
An English Bantam Orpington who is very docile and almost as soon as she started laying when broody and is sooo sweet.
A Golden Cuckoo Marans rooster who is friendly, large, and clumsy.
Four heritage Rhode Island Reds and the pullets are friendly and the cockerel is standoffish and probably won't become aggressive.
A pair of Silver Pencilled Plymouth Rocks who seem like they will be entertaining as they get older.
Five White Crested Black Polish who are super friendly like the Rhodebars, but I feel bad for them because they can't see and get picked on
A pair of show quality bantam Barred Plymouth Rocks and the cockerel is bold and spunky, while the pullet is very shy.

Breeds I Want:
Heritage Rhode Island Reds from a different line for breeding to my existing heritage RIRs.
Some pure Araucanas or bantam Araucanas because they lay blue eggs and are unique to look at.
Svart Honas because they are very unique.
Redcaps because you never really hear much about them so I would like to give them a try.
Show quality large fowl Barred Plymouth Rocks because they are eye candy.
Show quality Silkies because they are adorable.
Basically any rare breed or common breed from show stock for a unique flock and for showing.

 

[Gerardian]

When I saw a Silkie, I knew I was in love.

 

[Tresina]

I HAVE :::
4 RI reds
5 white Plymouth rock
4 barred Plymouth rock
4 buff orphington
And currently 5 broad breasted turkeys

I WANT :::
3 blue Favaucanas
2 black and copper marans
1 silky
But they are sold out right now. I think I have to wait till next spring

 

[kjstanton]

There are charts online that will provide info such as broodiness, temperament, for what use, cold hardy, , how many eggs to expect, exit.

For instance I cared about family friendly, cold hardy cause I live in mi, decent egg layer, I wasn't sure if I wanted for m at so I got multiple purpose breed/ meat and egg; unfortunately this meant I didn't end up with the blue eggs that would have been nice to have. But my orpingtons are calm cool and can be trained to go inside at night.