Backyard Flock - Specific Characteristics required

[SouthPhillyJim]

Naked Necks are the way to go in my opinion. They are cool birds. Mine is very nice. I get lots of eggs and they are known for their heat tolerance. You can get them in practically every color and if you look on here you can even find some EE that are naked neck.

 

[purr]

I have a one red star in my flock and I think she would be a good match , reliable layer, quiet.

Having said that I have a leghorn that is the friendliest of all my birds. She follows the grandkids around like a puppy. So individual birds have different personalities
My black cochin is good too she seems to do fine in the summer and she couldn't get lift off to fly if she wanted , her name is BFH (big fat hen)

I have a 6 ft fence with my neighbor/cousins 5 puggles (beagle/pug) on the other side and they have never shown an interest in flying over it. Although some of them roost in the trees at night 15 to 20 ft up. It seems the last batch of mutts love the trees

 

[shellyga]

My Buffs are too FAT to fly...

Shelly

 

[cgoodloe]

Ok, so I've read that Australorps and Orpingtons go broody average to frequent. I don't want broody chickens. If they do it once a year maybe but more than that and it would drive me nuts. I think I have decided on Stars and Light Sussex; however I have Rhode Island Reds and Easter Eggers still on my top 4 list. Next I have Barnvelder, Brahma, and Welsummer but the only downside to these are they lay only 3 eggs/week average. Does anyone have any experience with these 3 breeds?

I put Australorps and Orpingtons in my "Maybe" list because they have a average to frequent broody level according to many people I've read on other sites and on the Henderson/BackyardChicken charts. Although the Australorps have a seldom to average rating depending on strain. But how do you get the strain that doesn't brood much?

Anyone have any comments on the Easter Eggers or the breeder sold Americaunas?

And which breeds above do not get along with other breeds? Can I mix my flock?

Thanks for all the help so far. It really helps me narrow down my list.

Carla

 

[Mrs MIA]

IMHO, the Ameraucanas/EEs are sporadic layers at best, though the olive-eggers seem to lay more. I've only had one Orpie go broody on me in 3 years. The Brahmas are great layers, and rarely go broody, too. The Orpingtons and Australorps are very large birds and are too heavy to get off the ground, really. In fact, my girls need lower roosts, because when they jump down they tend to hurt themselves.

I had a Speckled Sussex for a while, and she was meek and quiet... don't know how well she laid, because I gave her away to a new home before she started laying.

 

[happymorrows]

I adore my EEggers. They are my friendliest birds. BUT, they are also the only ones that jump my fence, and they don't lay as many eggs as my Barred's and Orpingtons. I also have a Orp that is brooding right now. But despite that, they are lovely, sweet, lazy girls

 

[greenSearcher]

Living in N TX, we still deal with summer temps over 100 most of the summer. I really like my Naked Necks, and the can handle a wide swing of temperatures. They are easy going, friendly and I understand lay 4-5 eggs a week. They are good with confinement.
Same with Easter Eggers, I have 2 from last year and 5 more from this falls order of chicks. They aren't going nuts and they are living in the garage in the run that will be attached to the coop, 24 sq ft. I am nearly done with the coop, maybe today it will be done. Other than molting, I got 2 eggs a day from 3 pullets all of last year until one died from heat (Blackie and Goldie went in the coop, and it was stiffling in there and I found them w/ heat exhaustion, could only revive the Speckled Sussex.)
Speckled Sussex do pretty well in confinement, and again lay 5-6 days a week.

I clipped wings last year when Blackie flew over my 6 ft garden fence, I put them there while moving their new coop. Once I clipped wings, I have only had to redo it once and they don't think they can fly. I keep them in a yard with a 4" electric fence that I never turn on. I suspect I will be clipping the NN wings, but it isn't hard to do.

Heavy birds and heavily feathered birds suffer from heat. I lost 2 Marans and one EE that was heavily feathered.

 

[cgoodloe]

Are the Orps noisy when they brood? Also, I read that the EE's lay 4-5 eggs/week. Is that not really the case? If not, they belong on my Possible list not my Preferred list. My plan is to keep them under 2 gigantic mulberry trees in summer. But I am leaning toward the Sussex and the Star both of which are lightweight chickens.

Carla

 

[annaraven]

My Buffy (Buff Orp) hasn't gone broody yet - so I don't know about that. She seemed fine when we had 100+ temps this summer.

 

[happymorrows]

EEggers are more for the fun of the colored eggs rather than high productions. My Orps do fine in the heat, but they have plenty of shade and a well ventilated coop, and it DOES get HOT here in the summer. As far as being "noisy layers" I know some of mine are, but I don't think that's a breed distinction, I think that's just a hen to hen difference. Like, some people are noisier than others