Best flyers

[oldbones929]

Cynthia,
I live about 60 miles SE of Carrollton. I hadn't really planned on getting any chicks until next spring and I'm not sure I'd want to tackle incubating eggs, at least not yet. I need to do lots of reading about chickens and their care, plus I'd need to build a coop and a fenced in area for them. By the way, your chickens are beautiful.

Jennifer

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Jennifer. Well, in the spring, I may do a big hatch, if I can get enough eggs for myself after filling orders. If so, I'll post that I have them for sale and maybe you can make a little road trip, LOL.

 

[oldbones929]

Sounds like a plan...I would definitely come to get them since I prefer not to ship animals if at all possible, although I know it's done all the time. And I would much rather not buy from one of the "chicken mills" which is where my local feed store gets there chicks.

Jennifer

 

[speckledhen]

I hear ya. I like that I have some nice breeder quality birds now rather than chickie-mill birds, although my entire original flock was from Ideal. I don't ship birds anyway, so around here, it's PickUp only.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
I have leghorns, and they are pretty fast, but not as fast as my silver spangled hamburg.
She flies in and out of the 6' run at will AFTER having her wings clipped!

She has layed every day since her first egg 3 months ago.

 

[Davaroo]

Leghorns, Hamburgs, Lakenvelders - they all stem from the same source. Any of them are good fliers and would be good choices. Ditto the vigorous lines of Americana mutts you see everywhere. Even Australorps can take to the wing handily - at least the ones Ive had in the past.

But, tell me you plan to actually feed your soon-to-be-charges and not just turn thm loose to scrounge for their supper. If that's your plan, better you dont bother.

 

[oldbones929]

I absolutely plan on feeding them!!! In fact, they'll eat very well, like all my animals do. I just prefer that they can free range the majority of the time instead of being "cooped up" in an enclosure.

Jennifer

 

[speckledhen]

David is referring to some who actually do not feed their birds, but expect them to find all their own food; basically, they're turned out wild. Mine freerange and I'm pretty sure my Ameraucanas would come closer to evading a predator than most of my other chickens.

 

[wclawrence]

I raise mostly just ornamentals. I mix some game blood in all the lines, for several reasons.
They are extremely hardy.
They roost HIGH.
They can freerange with the best,
and they are scared to death of hawks, dogs, snakes, strangers, etc.

I have found that anything with real game in the background does pretty well.

 

[Davaroo]

Most of the breeds we call European and especially the English sort have had game blood bred in . Ever since people took to the sea and could get around to Asia morereadily, it has been a traditional method to add vigor and "pitch" the blood line.