Breed help

[svh]

I'm trying to plan for 2021 additions to the flock, and wanted some opinions on what breeds would fit my requirements :

1 - Dark brown eggs ..... Would settle for dark olive eggs
2 - NO feathered legs/feet
3 - NO frilly headgear, as on polish/silky
4 - Full sized bird
5 - Summer hardy
6 - Would prefer smaller comb/waddles
7 - Must be available as young chicks, no hatching eggs
8 - Available from breeder as opposed to hatchery

Long list, I know, but which breeds might fit all, or most of these traits, and requirements.

 

[NatJ]

I mostly browse hatchery websites, so I don't know about breeders, but for the other qualities on your list you might consider these:

Barnevelder
Welsummer
Welbar (like a Welsummer, but with white barring so it's autosexing)
Marans ("French Marans" sometimes have a small amount of foot feathering, but some other Marans have clean legs. Unfortunately, it looks like the darkest eggs and the feathered feet are usually in the same birds.)

All four of those should have medium-sized single combs and normal wattles. They are all dual-purpose type chickens, so normal sized and probably OK for heat.

Penedesenca: rare, I've seen them listed at Welp hatchery, and I think someone on this forum breeds some as well. They look rather like a Leghorn but are supposed to lay dark brown eggs and the comb is a bit funny at the back end. Should have clean legs and be good for heat tolerance.

Olive eggers (comb ranges from Leghorn-type large single comb through smaller single combs to Ameraucana-type pea combs, depending on what has been crossed how.) Egg color is obvious, bird size and heat tolerance will be variable, depending on where you get them.

In general, large combs do help chickens cope better with heat, so you may have to balance those two traits.

Also, consider the common Sexlinks: red, gold, black, and various fancy names like "Red Star" or "Golden Comet." A year ago I got a catalog from McMurray Hatchery, and it had a photo of eggs all lined up from darkest to lightest, and labeled with breed names. The "Red Star" sexlink egg was either second-darkest or third-darkest of the breeds they offered, and was darker than some of the breeds that are known for "dark" eggs.

You could consider Hamburgs or rose comb Leghorns if you want good layers that should be heat-hardy but still have combs that don't flop over the eyes. But they lay white eggs, not any shade of brown. Since you listed dark brown eggs as your first point, I assume it's one of the most important things

 

[aart]

Penedesenca: rare, I've seen them listed at Welp hatchery, and I think someone on this forum breeds some as well.

IIRC @ChickenCanoe breeds them and is in MO.

 

[PirateGirl]

My personal fav is my bielefelder which ticks all those boxes I believe.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

These are from Murray Mcmurray Hatchery.
Black Australorp
Bielefelder
Dark and white laced red Cornish
Delaware
Dominique
Cuckoo marans
French black copper marans
New Hampshire
Buff orpington
Chocolate Orpington
Lavender Orpington
RIR
Sapphire rock
Sex-Links
Speckled Sussex
Nacked Neck
Welsummer
Wyandottes
Quail Antwerp bantam
Partrige bantam
RIR bantam

 

[aart]

These are from Murray Mcmurray Hatchery.
Black Australorp
Bielefelder
Dark and white laced red Cornish
Delaware
Dominique
Cuckoo marans
French black copper marans
New Hampshire
Buff orpington
Chocolate Orpington
Lavender Orpington
RIR
Sapphire rock
Sex-Links
Speckled Sussex
Nacked Neck
Welsummer
Wyandottes
Quail Antwerp bantam
Partrige bantam
RIR bantam

Only a couple on your list meet the number one requirement

1 - Dark brown eggs ..... Would settle for dark olive eggs

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might go through Henderson's Breed Chart to see which breeds they cover that meet your requirements and then go to Feathersite to see what they look like.

Henderson’s Breed Chart

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

Feathersite

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens

If Canoe does breed Penedesenca those should tick all your boxes. and since it is Canoe I'd expect them to be of good quality.

Since you want breeders instead of hatcheries you can maybe find your state chat thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" section of this forum and chat with your neighbors. Your county extension office might be able to help you. Or follow this link from the American Poultry Association and see if you can find a club breeding what you want.

Club Listing - American Poultry Association (amerpoultryassn.com)

Olive Eggers are not a breed. Nobody is breeding them for show as Olive Eggers. I'd think the best way to find some is to chat with your neighbors or go to the Buy-Sell-Trade section of this forum and start a thread there asking for some. Put Olive Egger in your thread title.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm trying to plan for 2021 additions to the flock, and wanted some opinions on what breeds would fit my requirements :

1 - Dark brown eggs ..... Would settle for dark olive eggs
2 - NO feathered legs/feet
3 - NO frilly headgear, as on polish/silky
4 - Full sized bird
5 - Summer hardy
6 - Would prefer smaller comb/waddles
7 - Must be available as young chicks, no hatching eggs
8 - Available from breeder as opposed to hatchery

Long list, I know, but which breeds might fit all, or most of these traits, and requirements.

It is a long list but I think everyone's list should be long. Starting with birds that fit your climate and then check off all your wants.
You'll only get olive eggs from crossing breeds. A dark brown egg breed with a blue or green egg breed.


My black Penedesencas fit all of those wants except the small comb and waddles.
Is that need due to cold winters?
I've never had frostbitten combs on hens but some years I have had some roosters with frostbitten combs but haven't lost any of them due to that. It has been down to 6F so far this year and no frostbite among the 15 roosters here now.
I've had over 30 breeds. Everything from multiple varieties of Wyandottes, Welsummers, several varieties of Leghorns, Buttercups, Minorcas, Jaerhons, Ameraucanas, Anconas, Australorps, Brahmas, Cochins, Delawares, Jersey Giants, several varieties of Plymouoth rocks, Orpingtons, Sussex and I would have some of them again but through all that, Penedesencas have become my favorite breed of all but I know I only have time and space to do justice to one breed and it is the only breed I've raised for about 6 years or so.
They excel in free range situations, egg production, egg color and meat.


What part of Missouri are you in?
I'll have eggs February and chicks by March. I can ship but for people in outstate Missouri and Illinois, I usually meet them somewhere.

This is something I posted a couple years ago.


Penedesencas are not yet in the APA.
All four varieties, (Black, Crele, Partridge, Wheaten) as well as White Empordanesa were imported into the US around 2000.
The two breeds, Penedesenca being from Penedes and Empordanesa being from Emporda, are two regions of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain on the French border near Andorra.
Penedesencas and Empordanesas are the only breeds with white earlobes and lay a brown egg. They are also the only breeds with a carnation comb (also called a clavel and kings comb)
They are ancient breeds and were still a hodgepodge of colors as late as 1900 with black and partridge being prominent. The first known documented writing about the breed was in 1920 when efforts were made to conserve and standardize them. There were quite a few farms that raised them but fell out of favor when interest turned to new foreign breeds.
By 1980 they were nearly extinct. At that time, veterinarian Antonio Jordá visiting area farms and farmers' markets, made a collection of fertile eggs and adult specimens until he gathered a population of about 300 hens from which Dr. Amadeus Francesch standardized into the 4 Penedesenca varieties today of Black, Crele, Partridge and Wheaten.
The Black is the DP variety being about a pound or two heavier than the other three, which are egg varieties.
The black was long renown for the flavor of its meat. There is now an annual festival in Villafranca, Catalonia called Fira del Gall (Fair of the Rooster) and the Black Penedesenca is the star of the show. It is a foodie and wine affair. Penedes is the oldest wine region of Europe.
The festival dates back to medieval times but was declining in popularity till 1984 when it was reborn with the reemergence of the Black Penedesenca.
The fair is held the last weekend before Christmas and people come from far and wide to buy the bird for their Christmas dinner - a Black Penedesenca rooster. In 2014 the fair celebrated the 20th anniversary of bringing the bird back from the brink of extinction.
Sadly, Dr. Amadeu Francesch Vidal died last summer. He was very helpful trying to get the birds distributed around the world.
In Spain, the black variety has been toyed with to make it a larger meat bird. In the process, it lost the dark egg and the white lobes. So now there is the 'improved' and the classic black. The classic is the only one in the US and the variety I raise.

 

[svh]

I literally ony

It is a long list but I think everyone's list should be long. Starting with birds that fit your climate and then check off all your wants.
You'll only get olive eggs from crossing breeds. A dark brown egg breed with a blue or green egg breed.


My black Penedesencas fit all of those wants except the small comb and waddles.
Is that need due to cold winters?
I've never had frostbitten combs on hens but some years I have had some roosters with frostbitten combs but haven't lost any of them due to that. It has been down to 6F so far this year and no frostbite among the 15 roosters here now.
I've had over 30 breeds. Everything from multiple varieties of Wyandottes, Welsummers, several varieties of Leghorns, Buttercups, Minorcas, Jaerhons, Ameraucanas, Anconas, Australorps, Brahmas, Cochins, Delawares, Jersey Giants, several varieties of Plymouoth rocks, Orpingtons, Sussex and I would have some of them again but through all that, Penedesencas have become my favorite breed of all but I know I only have time and space to do justice to one breed and it is the only breed I've raised for about 6 years or so.
They excel in free range situations, egg production, egg color and meat.


What part of Missouri are you in?
I'll have eggs February and chicks by March. I can ship but for people in outstate Missouri and Illinois, I usually meet them somewhere.
View attachment 2470273View attachment 2470274View attachment 2470275View attachment 2470277


This is something I posted a couple years ago.


Penedesencas are not yet in the APA.
All four varieties, (Black, Crele, Partridge, Wheaten) as well as White Empordanesa were imported into the US around 2000.
The two breeds, Penedesenca being from Penedes and Empordanesa being from Emporda, are two regions of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain on the French border near Andorra.
Penedesencas and Empordanesas are the only breeds with white earlobes and lay a brown egg. They are also the only breeds with a carnation comb (also called a clavel and kings comb)
They are ancient breeds and were still a hodgepodge of colors as late as 1900 with black and partridge being prominent. The first known documented writing about the breed was in 1920 when efforts were made to conserve and standardize them. There were quite a few farms that raised them but fell out of favor when interest turned to new foreign breeds.
By 1980 they were nearly extinct. At that time, veterinarian Antonio Jordá visiting area farms and farmers' markets, made a collection of fertile eggs and adult specimens until he gathered a population of about 300 hens from which Dr. Amadeus Francesch standardized into the 4 Penedesenca varieties today of Black, Crele, Partridge and Wheaten.
The Black is the DP variety being about a pound or two heavier than the other three, which are egg varieties.
The black was long renown for the flavor of its meat. There is now an annual festival in Villafranca, Catalonia called Fira del Gall (Fair of the Rooster) and the Black Penedesenca is the star of the show. It is a foodie and wine affair. Penedes is the oldest wine region of Europe.
The festival dates back to medieval times but was declining in popularity till 1984 when it was reborn with the reemergence of the Black Penedesenca.
The fair is held the last weekend before Christmas and people come from far and wide to buy the bird for their Christmas dinner - a Black Penedesenca rooster. In 2014 the fair celebrated the 20th anniversary of bringing the bird back from the brink of extinction.
Sadly, Dr. Amadeu Francesch Vidal died last summer. He was very helpful trying to get the birds distributed around the world.
In Spain, the black variety has been toyed with to make it a larger meat bird. In the process, it lost the dark egg and the white lobes. So now there is the 'improved' and the classic black. The classic is the only one in the US and the variety I raise.

I literally only have a minute before I leave for the night .... I will reply in more detail tomorrow. Thanks

 

[NatJ]

You'll only get olive eggs from crossing breeds. A dark brown egg breed with a blue or green egg breed.

That seems to be mostly true at present, but there's no genetic reason for it to stay that way. From reading hatchery descriptions, I think there are a few working on it, so we may see some true-breeding olive eggers within the next decade or so.