Breed Advice Wanted

[AnonAMauze]

Hi, I'm new here, and new to raising chickens in general. I had a mixed trial flock of 12 and 2 turkeys this year (lost all but two chickens to a bear recently), and next year I plan to have a larger flock for egg laying and meat. I wanted to know what breed of chicken would match best with Jersey Giants. I know that the Giants are average layers, and was wanting better layers to pair with them, but I've been looking around and most good layers are rather small birds in comparison, which may not be good with the Giants. So I was just wanting some advice on which breed I should get.

 

[Kevin565]

. What's your climate like?

 

[AnonAMauze]

It's hot and dry in the summer (from late May-September) and cold and snowy from December-March and rainy in the spring. Autumn is usually really nice.

 

[mkcolls]

from Ohio!

We have Jersey Giants. They mix well with our other breeds of similar size: Australorps, Orpingtons, Brahmas, Wyandottes and Welsummers. They also mix well with our smaller breeds: Dominiques, Sussex, EE (I know, not a breed).

Our JG Roo is a favorite of most of the girls. He is a generous, protective and gentle partner. Even several of our 22 week old pullets are smitten with him.

A couple of our JG hens shared brooding duties with one of the Dominique and one of the Orpingtons to hatch turkey poults for us this year. They are not bossy and don't mind our presence.

Our best layers are EE's, Australorps, Sussex, Wyandottes, Orpingtons, and Welsummers.

Good luck with your new flock. Hope you are able to keep the bears away.

 

[AnonAMauze]

Thanks for your input, mkcolls. You have so many different breeds! Wow. I was told that is wasn't a good idea to have so many different breeds all together. I'm currently waffling between getting Sussex and Faverolle. They're both good layers, the Sussex is a little bigger than the Faverolle, but the Faverolle is so Pretty! And if I can swing it, I may get both. What do you think?

 

[AinaWGSD]

I think the sussex have the personality to do well in a mixed breed flock. My two speckled sussex were seemingly outside of the pecking order as chicks (they didn't squabble with the other chicks but were not picked on and did not back down from them either) and now as they are approaching 2 years old they are clearly towards the top of the pecking order in my mixed breed flock. My only complaint is that while my SS lay fairly well, their eggs tend to be medium as opposed to the large eggs that most of my other birds are laying. Unfortunately, from all accounts I've heard of Faverolles they are too docile to do well in a mixed flock, even if purchased and raised with the others from day olds. The people on the faverolles thread generally don't recommend keeping them in mixed breed flocks because they tend to be picked on.