Reviews by RhodeRunner

We purchased some Basque chicks after hearing how friendly they where. Around a month the chicks become super friendly, and always wanted held. That was also when they where hit with CRD. We had other breeds in the brooder with them, but only the Basques became sick. So, we put down all the sick birds, and where left with only six chicks out of our original fourteen.

The basques went outside in the fall, and they where fine. However, they did not like the dead of the winter, and spent most of their time hiding in the coop. The hens grew to be as friendly and useful as any other average dual-purpose breed that we have raised. The roosters (all of them) where aggressive to both humans and the hens, so they went into the pot. They where very tasty!

The Breda hen is calm, docile, and somewhat timid at the same time. They are rather social, and walk right up to us hoping for treats and pets. But, they can be shy with strangers, and will spook easier then most dual-purpose breeds. In a mixed flock, the hens are low on the pecking order and may get bullied. If bullied, hens tend to be more reserved, and can become skittish.

Hens are good layers of white eggs, and start laying around seven months. We will have to wait and see if they go broody.

The Breda rooster is busy being a chicken, and is not as interactive as the hens. Our boys have not been aggressive with each other, or towards humans. They avoid fighting. We had a few that where rough on the pullets (cockerels) and do not let those roosters stay with the hens.

The rooster averages around 6 pounds (hens around 5), and will make a fine dinner. They do take awhile to put on their weight, so be prepared to wait at least seven months for a decent meal. Even then, they will be smaller.

The breed is very capable of movement. They have long legs and lightweight bodies. They can fly/leap rather high, especially if spooked. However, the normal nature of the bred is to be lazy, so they usually are very easy to confine.

The Breda is a not a big eater, and is actually often picky about what it consumes. They enjoy their chicken feed, but sometimes do not tough their table scraps. They like foraging, but are also happy in confinement. They are not the most cautious foragers, so it would be safest to keep them confined if you have predator troubles.

They are finicky about cleanliness. They do not like to walk in muddy, or wet conditions. In the winter they stay inside their coop, so they can avoid walking in as little as 1/4 inch of show. But, the breed hasn't had any troubles with the cold.

Health-wise, the breed is very easy to keep. We haven't noticed any health ailments. However, occasionally a foot feather fall out (particularly while they are growing) and they will dot blood all over their pen/coop.

We wanted a nice sized incubator, that was easy to use, and would keep a steady temperature in our old house (in which the temperature isn't steady). I have been very impressed! This incubator is very easy to use, clean, and I am yet to have a poor hatch. If it's fertile...it hatches!

The bottom tray can be slippery after washing, which can damage the chicks legs. To prevent this from occurring, I use non-slip rubber matts. These matts are often used for kitchen drawers, and can usually be found at local hardware stores.

My first incubator in my youth was a Little Giant Still Air. It was cheap enough for me to purchase, and I had a lot of fun toying around with it. It was far from reliable, but I did get some chicks to hatch here and there. Thankfully, I was only working with barnyard mutt chicks. (Do Not purchase if you are trying to hatch quality shipped eggs!)

I noticed chicks only hatched in certain locations of the incubator. After testing, I saw the temperature varied from 89 - 104 degrees F, depending on the location. I purchased the auto turner, which helped a great deal as the incubator does take a very long time to get back to the proper temperature and humidity.

I lived in an older house with an unstable temperature. If that is your case, I suggest trying to wrap up the incubator to further insulate it.

A great dual purpose breed for the northerner. Our birds are very friendly, with the hens practically underfoot when they see us. They are rather spunky and outgoing and make a great pet for the small backyard chicken enthusiast, and they are also productive enough to be considered good dual-purpose fowl for a small farmer.

Our hens have proven to be excellent layers, but did take 7+ months to mature. We were very surprised how large the eggs were even when the girls were pullets. We do not give our hens a light during the winter but they are still laying very well.

Meat wise the boys grew slowly, but they made up for that in taste. The meat was rather earthy, ironically almost nutty tasting. lol

In diet they aren't as piggish as some breeds we have raised, but they do require a bit of extra protein to grow to their full potential. They do forage well if you want to cut back on the feed bill.

I did mention temperament as a con as well as a pro. Most Buckeye breeders have claimed their roosters to be very friendly, but we had some boys that didn't get this memo. Thankfully, our breeders are very well behaved with humans and their flock mates.

Neither being on the top, or the bottom of the pecking order they easily fit into a mixed flock

In want of winter hardy fowl we opted to purchase Partridge Chantecler chicks. They were a fearless bunch that jumped all over us as soon as we opened the brooder. Their growth and size amazed us, as roosters were ready for butchering at just three to four months. The meat was delicious, and tender without being fatty.

The hens started laying a little before six months, and have proven to be steady productive hens. We do not give our birds light during the winter, but they didn't seem to notice.

Chanteclers love food, and free-ranging will dramatically decrease your feed bill. Also, free-ranged fowl have grown just as quickly as those that where penned. (This has not been the case with many of the breeds we raise.)

Our roosters are friendly, and easy to handle. The hens are nice, but are stuck up. They don't just think, they know they are better then our other chickens, and prefer to be with other Chanteclers.