Best starter breeds

[birdwrangler057]

original poster, where do you live and how cold hardy do you need the breed to be?
 Thanks,
 Karen

Are you asking me?

Will

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What is everyone's experience with Cochin and Brahmas like?

I have Cochin and Brahma....

None of my brahma turned out girls, so can't say. My Cochin is the goofiest. We didn't even know she could walk a straight line until she was running from a cockerel one day, because she goes in circles for no reason.

13 in a row before she heads of in whatever direction she might be going. She lays pretty pinkish or peach colored eggs, fitting for her name Princess Peach. Kinda lower in the pecking order. Friendly to wanna hang out by my feet but doesn't wanna be in my lap. Thought I wouldn't like the feathered feet because we get 65+ inches of rain per year... but really hasn't been a problem, they are just wet most the time. Which could lead to muddy eggs.... She is lower, middle of the pecking order. Not a breed that I MUST have in my future flocks, like EE... but still very fun and not one I would avoid unless high production was important to me (which it isn't totally).

 

[cmom]

I have been doing a lot of research on what layer breeds to start my flock with when the time comes I think I have a good idea but I was wondering what everyone else would suggest since hands on experience with the animals is normally better than what you read most the time. Which would make family friendly, good layers, that are winter hardy to start a flock with? I am wanting to go with a couple different breeds to start with as well.

Most breeds can handle a variety of climates. It really depends on your coop design. I live in Florida and I have a friend who lives in Alaska and my brother lives in northern Michigan . We have some of the same breeds. My friend in Alaska coop is insulated but not heated, my brother in Michigan is neither heated or insulated but they are well ventilated. They both have a heater waterer. I have auto waterers no heat required. Good luck and have fun...

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
https://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

 

[cmom]

Quote: This was their first snow fall this winter.

Their birds from years past. They had a coop but preferred the barn.

 

[trailrider330]

I'm in Michigan where winters can get pretty cold.

My experience with readily available breeds that many first timers choose has been this:

Orpingtons - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! Great layers, friendly and they come in so many different colors, though buff is typicallly the most common

Wyandottes - Another love! Also good layers, friendly, and come in various colors with Silver Laced and Gold Laced being most common.

Astralorps - Actually NOT a favorite of mine. Mine have been more stand-offish and totally lack personality. Also not impressed with laying habits.

Easter Eggers - Another favorite. No standard of this breed, but they are easy going and typically lay lovely shades of green-blue eggs

True Ameraucanas - Another breed I love and the blue eggs are great!

Welsummer - Sweet and calm, but not quite as "cuddly" as some others. Great dark eggs, often with speckles

Swedish Flower - One of my favorite hens at the moment is one of my Swedish Flower Hens. She follows me around, "talks" to me and begs for scraps. They typically lay a lightly tinted egg.

Barnevelder - Slower to mature, but quite calm and beautifully marked. Dark eggs, some may lay speckled eggs

Olive Eggers - Great hybrid birds with pretty olive colored eggs

Leghorns - Great layers but a little more stand-offish and a bit more flighty than other breeds. White egg layers

Rhode Island Reds - NOT a favorite. Hens lay pretty good but roosters can be nasty

Barred Rock - One of my kids' favorites, good layers, but tend to be on the bossy side

Some people also like Speckled Sussex or Chanteclers (native to Canada) but I do not have experience with either.

This site is great to help you narrow things down: https://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

Other sites like Meyer Hatchery also offer a tab called "characteristics" for each of their breeds that identifies things like cold hardiness, size and color of egg, how often they lay, if they are likely to go broody. For the most part, those do seem to be fairly accurate from my perspective.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to go with.

 

[FlyWheel]

I have been doing a lot of research on what layer breeds to start my flock with when the time comes I think I have a good idea but I was wondering what everyone else would suggest since hands on experience with the animals is normally better than what you read most the time. Which would make family friendly, good layers, that are winter hardy to start a flock with? I am wanting to go with a couple different breeds to start with as well.

How cold are we talking about? Mid 30s? Below freezing? Your breath floats to the ground as snow? The best cold weather breeds usually are those with smaller combs and wattles.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
People in the northern states do tend to raise birds with small and tight combs such as Rose Combs also. There are quite a few breeds that come in Single Comb and Rose Comb.
Most important is good ventilation in the coop but not drafty. The birds really don't need heat and some people do insulate their coops. In the winter you will probably need a water heater which is made for a waterer to sit on and keep the water from freezing. Also remember that the summers can have hot days you will also need to provide shade in the summer months.

 

[I Love Layers]

I am in North Dakota. This winter we hsd 52 inches of snow last I checked, and a few weeks where it was below -10F for weeks on end, not including wind chill. The temp wasn't to bad snow was annoying though.

My Cochins laid the best throughout, their large mass of feathers keeps them warmer and more productive, coming in a close second were the single comb Leghorns, temperature was milder then usual this year so not a single frostbite even with no Vaseline. Barred rocks and Wyandottes come in a third as I found they molted longer then the others.

Easter eggers unimpressed me the whole winter rarely if ever laid...


I only have one older chantecler hen but she laid pretty consistent.

All in all Cochins, Chanteclers, and leghrons were my best

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How cold are we talking about? Mid 30s? Below freezing? Your breath floats to the ground as snow? The best cold weather breeds usually are those with smaller combs and wattles.

That actually made me giggle... "breath floats to the ground as snow"

Thanks for the morning laugh!

 

[MeganBreslin]

I am a big fan of the Wyandottes, they are very pretty and lay reliably.
The sex links lay very large brown eggs the most regularly of all the breeds I have had.
Speckled Sussex are also great layers and pretty to look at.