Breeds I am going to order

[felidaet]

I have been reading BYC forums for a couple of months now. I am going to start raising chickens this spring. I have been reading everyone's comments about various breeds and trying to decide which breeds I want. My requirements are:

> I want layers, not meat.
> I want large eggs.
> I don't want a rooster.
> I want a colorful flock.
> I would prefer to not have too noisy of a flock.
> I would prefer to keep my flock to no more than 12 birds (at least the first year).

I am fortunate to live in an area where there are a lot of feed stores. There are at least 5 or 6 within 5 miles of my house. I plan on purchasing my chicks them instead of mail order. I have been talking to several of them and today they finally decided on what breeds they would have available. One of the feeed stores has all of the breeds I want plus many others (I have not seen their final list yet.). They even have a person that specializes in chickens. I am uncertain if it is proper to list a store name here and so I am intentionally omitting their name. They start taking orders (reservations) on Feb 1. I will be waiting at their front door that morning to make sure I am able to reserve my desired chicks before they get sold out (I hear the Welsummers go quickly).

The breeds that I am thinking of getting along with the number:

> Silver Laced Wyandotte (1 or 2)
> Golden Laced Wyandotte (1 or 2)
> Araucana (2) (I will confim they are actually Easter Eggers, which is what I want.)
> Barred Rock (2)
> Black Australop (2)
> Welsummer (2)
> White Leghorn (1)
> Buff Orpington (1)

I will probably get just one of each of the Wynadotte's to keep my number to 12.

I don't know what the name of the hatchery is that the feed store gets the chicks from. I asked and the person only said that they are coming from Caldwell Idaho.

Any comments or thoughts on my breed list? Does anyone see any problems mixing these breeds into one flock?

Thanks.

 

[sarahs31]

Hahaha. Your "list" will be perfect but I'm telling you....good luck with that! That was EXACTLY my list about 10months ago.

1. I'm up to 35 adults and 30 teenagers.
2. I have a rooster.
3. I bought at the feedstore and then promptly turned around and ordered more from on-line and brought home babies everytime we needed feed.
4. We branched into meat chickens
5. Wanted lots of color and now I'm more than considering Marans to round out the color.
6. I've outgrown our coop and am trying to make my husband think it's his idea to put house my "teens" in the barn.
7. We have a feedstore style brooder.
8. And the list goes on and on.

My advice to you:
1. order all your feed to be delivered to your house. They set the brooders right next to the door at those places so you have to walk past and are sucked into getting more!
2. Log off this website and don't come back! They, too will suck you in to the dark side of chicken addiction.
3. Double the coopsize. Whatever you are planning will become too small in a matter of months.

Seriously though..my original 12 had a very similar makeup to your ideal flock and they all do very well. Each breed is different in personality and you will have a very pretty flock. Enjoy and welcome to BYC. Simply have more self-control than I!

 

[fowlgirl]

I have all except the welsummer that you requested.I keep my flock at 10-12.They are all great friends and do well together. The aracaunas are prone to be timid and lay small eggs,but pretty.Buffs can become broody and that can lead to problems so keep them to a min,though great layers.My white leghorn is skittish but lays the biggest eggs I have ever seen.Seems the bigger the hen,the better the dispostion. Plan on the rocks being the bosses.They are controll freaks. Have fun!

 

[sarahs31]

I would definately agree on the Rocks being Bossy! Although my EE are a bit on that side too. My Leghorns are the underdogs but are laying machines. May need to 'rethink" my leghorn position. I added some new Dorking and Speckled Sussex to the mix early this fall and they too are definately bottom tier.

In my opinion, they sort of work out their own heirachy, regardless of breed stereotype, introduction date, age etc. Lots of fun to watch. Felidaet, You will love being owned by chickens.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

We have an Australop who's the big boss of the flock. She's dominant over our 3 roosters and cackles the most out of all of them. She's a really funny bird, though, the Queen of the Run.

 

[ewesfullchicks]

Get more Buff Orpingtons - their lovely color really adds a splash of color in the barnyard, and mine are really very, sweet. I only have two, and wish I had more.

 

[Renee]

That sounds like a great list. I love my Silver-laced and Columbian Wyandottes; they are affectionate and beautiful, and the Columbian lays a specked egg a day.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Hi Felidaet,

I started with birds from a local feed store. I wish someone would have told me this first so I'm gonna tell it to you.

It costs the same amount of money to feed a good looking bird as it does a hatchery or feed store bird. If you don't care what you get in the way of a bird or egg, then hatchery or feed store birds are fine. And I mean that. There's nothing wrong with them at all except you never know what you will wind up with.

If you really want a good looking bird, then go to a breeder. You can see pictures of my birds on my website. Just go to the Album you want to see and open it. Each breed has its own album.

I am currently breeding Wheaten & Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and Welsummers. I may be adding some Barnevelders this Spring.

You will also see some Easter Eggers on my website but I only have one left. I am breeding her to my two Wheaten and two Blue Wheaten cockerels because I'm trying to develop a tri-colored Wheaten hen. However, I keep my breeding pairs separate and you will never get a chick from me that ain't what I say it is.

Take a look at my birds and let me know if you see something you like. If you like my EE, you might like some of her chicks but I have no idea what you'll wind up with. It's my first time breeding her to these males. Right now she lays a purplish egg but there's no telling what her progeny will lay. My guess is it'll be some shade of green.

You should not have any problems mixing your flock as long as you aren't trying to breed pure. Most of the year my birds are running and cooping together.

I would suggest making a list out of what you are looking for in a bird and why you are getting them. Eye Candy? Egg Color? Egg Production? Meat? Showing? Breeding? Personality? etc. etc.

Btw, I just went to the show in Chehalis and am gonna try to make it to Stevenson. I'd recommend going to the show if you can. Ask a lot of questons. Folks are very friendly and glad to help. You might pick up some good pointers there.

Oh, but be sure to bring some cash because I bet you won't go home empty-handed!!

Hope that helps.

God Bless,

 

[magikchick]

Tailfeathers has some good points. I started with feed store birds. After being on this forum for a while I wanted to upgrade my flock. It didn't take long to realize that some of my flock wasn't pure breed. So I started selling off some and getting better stock from breeders.

 

[()relics]

If you a really interested in eggs leghorns, in my opinion, are the way to go. If you have several varieties you will have the color factor. Treated right they will lay nearly all year and with their body size taken in to account probably are the most economical feed to egg chicken, again my opinion. Remember leghorns can be skittish and can fly fairly well; for a chicken.