Breeds no farm flock should be without

[muscovy94]

Sikies!!! A farm isn't complete without the silkies!

 

[boykin2010]

orpington silkie cochin easter eggers these are my fav

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Sorry about that.

This is why I like the breeds of birds that I listed. I am a huge fancier of friendly breeds and this was a major factor when I was choosing the breeds that I was looking to work with.

Welsummers: They are gorgeous, pretty friendly, but not snuggly and definitely not flighty. Beautiful eggs, but not prolific layers, I get maybe 3-4 eggs per week per hen, they are great foragers and do well freeranging. My Welsummer roosters are great protectors of their flocks. I love their egg song, even the roosters join in and sing, so, if pretty noisy and sometimes loud chickens are what you are after, these guys will put a smile on your face. I have never experienced a broody Welsummer, they are not known for their brooding abilities, but some have had the pleasure of a broody Wellie. I have heard they do not make the great mothers. It's been my experience that they are very hardy birds both in health and over winter. They seem to tolerate the mild heat spells that we may be blessed with here in the rainy PNW and are my only birds that will purposely stand in the way of the sprinkler. I've never noticed a decrease in egg production during the heat here with them either. Hopefully another will come along with opinions on this for you.

Delawares:
I am just starting out with Delawares but have been a long time and huge fan of these birds. I will be raising them for conservancy purposes. I am attracted to their very friendly dispositions and I mean friendly, they are only about 2 weeks old and they will crawl all over me, they eat out of my hands and are very inquisitive. I wish I could give more input on them for you but without alot of history with them I feel I would do you an injustice, I know other great BYC'ers who are Delaware lovers will chime in and share their experiences with them.

Marans: I originally got them for the beautiful eggs and was immediately drawn to their dispositions as well, then I got Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans and I was hooked bigtime, there is no going back for me with these birds! My Marans are better layers than my Welsummers.

My Marans roosters are also great protectors of their flocks and very gentle with the ladies. They like to sing along for the egg song as well but they are nearly as loud as my Wellies. Marans can and will go broody and IMO make excellent mothers. I have a very friendly Marans roo, Bill, who I often use as a babysitter for chicks upon their first outings after they leave the brooder, he will take them under his supervision, show them stuff to eat and talks to them the entire time. I love watching him with chicks. I also have a Marans hen that will take any chick, anytime...don't know why, but she will and she has never gone broody, however, she is the most spoiled rotten bird that I have here besides my Bill, wonder if that has something to do with it. IMO, they are very hardy birds again both health and over winter and tolerate the very wet climate that I live in very well. They do okay in our mild heat waves with very little interuption in lay.

Barnevelders: Soooooooo friendly, OMgosh! Barnies are not prolific layers either, but IMO, what they don't lay, they make up for in beauty. They too are great foragers and get along well with all of my other birds. I have not had any health issues with them, it's my opinion they are pretty hardy birds, though I have noticed they tend to take their time maturing. I have just started out with Barnevelders as well so I don't have a ton of input on them either and I am sure others will be happy to share theirs, BYC is the greatest place!!!!!!!

Hope this helps! Good luck with your chickens, you will enjoy them for sure!!!!!!!

 

[geebs]

The class clown....D'Uccle... Everyone needs a token D'Uccle... they are such muppets. Oh and of course on silky... to relieve stress for the rest of the flock...lol

 

[sunflowerenvy]

leghorns egglayer white large size egg eat less. they eggs are double yolk for me
orpington they are meat/layer color of brown eggs should be good brooder/ mother
Australorp /Cochin mix, they are meat/layer color of brown eggs should be good brooder/ mother

campine niosy, bosses[hehe] but will alert u to throuble lay a med size white daliy for me.




above i got these from the local farm supply place

local framer market below iam justing getting these eggs every other day

easter eggers color eggs got two green egger

barred rock lays brown egg

a another thing to think aboutto get a breed to make sure they can handle the climate

you dont want to get a fl chicken for penn climate.
laura

 

[J.Pryce]

My favorites are Isa Browns & Leghorns for the eggs. My best layers. I also have some EE's & Barred Rocks, S.L Wyandottes, & Marans. But I prefer the Isa's & Leghorns.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Quote:
I should have known!

But what of the famed Orfinton?

 

[Minniechickmama]

I LOVE CORNISH!!!! and I don't mean the meat crosses. They were my first and I will always have them! Why? Because I think they are beautiful and an overlooked breed for dual purpose. My hens have laid consistently, almost every day during the winter when they began laying at 20 below. They were also friendly and you could handle them. Why am I using past tense? My dogs thought they were play things. I am going to be adding them back in the spring. For now I have a gorgeous, broad, beautiful roo named Dumbledore.

Next is Orpington for all the same reasons everyone else loves them. They are big old fluffy butts with great personalities and a decent enough layer or meat bird when you end up with too many boys.

Cochins. Big and fluffy, gentle and sweet, friendly and great mommies.

Silkies. Because they are just so stinking funny to look at and sweet little buggers too.

Any kind of green or blue layer, be it an Easter Egger, or Ameraucana or Araucana. I don't know anyone who doesn't notice the green or blue egg in the carton if you sell or give eggs away.

If I were to go strickly with chickens for eggs, I would go with Red Stars or Golden Comets or the like.

If you read my sig line, you will see I am totally addicted to chickens of many breeds

 

[speckledhen]

Plymouth Rocks, any variety, but I love the barreds most, followed by the blues. And Delawares--fabulous layers, very friendly, very active foragers just like the Rocks are.

 

[PepsNick]

Barred Rocks, DUH!