Are these good breeds?

[Yard Farmer]

Hello BYC people!

I have a question concerning these breeds... FBCM, (or bbs marans.) SS and white leghorns.

1. What is your experience with them?

2. Were you pleased with their egg production?

3. Do they brood? (I know LH are not known to brood.)

4. Or, what breeds would you recommend? I need a hardy bird for cold Utah winters and hot summers, good temperament and good egg laying.

I'd love to hear your input. Pics and tips also appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

~Yard farmer~

 

[Tookie]

I've only had White Leghorns.
Their egg production was great until they were probably around 3 I think. They were very flighty and never went broody once. The only thing with them and other production breeds is that they are prone to reproduction issues. Two out of the three I had got reproduction issues and passed. If you want them for eggs then get them, if they're more as pets I wouldn't.
I know I'm not going to get them again.

 

[Iluveggers]

Australorp might fit your needs. @3KillerBs has a lot of them if you have questions!

 

[Isabella6Storm4]

Australorps were the best I've ever had BY FAR. Leghorns dont do well in the cold so i dont like having them. They get frost bite too easy. but people who live in warmer climates like them

 

[Coops Dad]

I also liked my California Whites. Great layers, good foragers and less skittish than white Leghorns. Ours were killed by hawks- in our back pasture, their brilliant white feathers are beacons visible from two counties away. My only remaining white bird is a Leghorn which stopped laying a year ago but has managed to evade the hawks for a total of four years. My BCMs lay beautiful eggs but they stop in late September and don't start until March, and then they're laying an average of 4 eggs a week. Being larger birds, they eat a lot and aren't worth it except for those gorgeous eggs. They're friendly, though.

My favorite chickens right now are our Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires. They're very similar breeds, being bold, bossy, inquisitive, friendly and great foragers. They lay 5-7 eggs a week and, even though they slow down to 3-ish eggs a week during the winter, they are laying when most others have stopped entirely. They're also decently large and make a good crockpot meal when they're ready to retire.

I am migrating my entire laying flock to RIRs. As hens are retired, I replace them with RIRs... or, more accurately, I obsessively buy RIR chicks when they're available, raise them to POL, then choose the next group of retirees. My wife likes our Ameraucanas so, for now, I'm keeping a few of them around for their pretty eggs. For now.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

@Tookie
@Pampered chicken girl
@Fuchsia
@Bakbuk
@AmeraucanaHank
@Chicks In VA
Do you guys have (had) these breeds?

I've has both FBCM and SS! I love them both and would live to get them again!

 

[MysteryChicken]

I had one French Black Copper Marans once. She was a staggered layer of chocolate brown eggs.
She once had a stuck shell-less eggs that broke inside her. All I could do was give her extra calcium, & allow her to pass the egg material.

The summer of last year she randomly died from a heart attack. She was almost 1 year old.

 

[Sc_chickengirl]

Hello BYC people!

I have a question concerning these breeds... FBCM, (or bbs marans.) SS and white leghorns.

1. What is your experience with them?

2. Were you pleased with their egg production?

3. Do they brood? (I know LH are not known to brood.)

4. Or, what breeds would you recommend? I need a hardy bird for cold Utah winters and hot summers, good temperament and good egg laying.

I'd love to hear your input. Pics and tips also appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

~Yard farmer~

I've had white leghorns and FBCMs. I loved my FBCMS (I had 3) none of them ever went broody though. But they were really nice and friendly. White leghorns are okayish...they lay really good...but they are so flighty!

 

[Tookie]

Oh, one more thing. How do they do in the cold?

They are much better in hotter places, they can cope in colder weather though.
Because of their large combs and wattles they are prone to frostbite, so it wouldn't be best to get them if your in a colder climate.

 

[Yard Farmer]

I've only had White Leghorns.
Their egg production was great until they were probably around 3 I think. They were very flighty and never went broody once. The only thing with them and other production breeds is that they are prone to reproduction issues. Two out of the three I had got reproduction issues and passed. If you want them for eggs then get them, if they're more as pets I wouldn't.
I know I'm not going to get them again.

Thank you!
I mainly need them for egg production. I've lost 6 laying hens this year and we have a big family that goes through a LOT of eggs.
I also need some extra for friends and family.