Buff Orpington or Austerlop?

[Kataloo]

I am a very new member who is so excited to start out. I won't get my chicks until the end of March. Eggs are really a secondary reason for me to have chickens. My most close-to-my-heart reason is to have a good experience with the chickens for both me and my grand kids. I only want to have four hens. No crowing please, remember the neighbors! I am debating between all buff opringtons or a mixture of buffs and austerlops. Any advice?

 

[DraigAthar]

If you're getting them to have fun with them, I say get four different breeds, one of each! I've had both buff orps and black australorps, loved them both. If you get all four of them different breeds but roughly the same size hens, you'll have a fun flock and they'll be easy to tell apart.

 

[dekel18042]

A suggestion if you're looking to have fun with the grandkids. I agree with DraigAthar who said get four different breeds. Not only can you tell the hens apart easier (I'm sure the grandkids will want to name them.) but you can go for four different egg colors including perhaps one that lays a blue or green egg, always fun for kids to find, or even a rosy hued egg.
Good luck. There are lots of neat chicken breeds out there (And I want one of each.)

 

[Kataloo]

If I got four different birds, 1 buff orpington, 1 austerlop, what would be good to mix with them? Would an Easter Egger work? Is this the same bird as an Ameraucana? Are they as friendly as the other two? This is priority one. Next, they need to be cold hardy. We can get to 20 below. Another question. If a get an Easter Egger, are their eggs always the same color? Or can they lay a brown egg one day and a blue egg another?

 

[DraigAthar]

Ameraucanas are a specific breed, Easter Eggers are not a standard breed, just a mix that lays colored eggs. Both are fine, though. I had a super friendly Ameraucana. I also have one Salmon Faverolle, she is one of my favorite chickens because she has the most personality. Tame as can be and she loves to TALK to you all the time, it is hilarious, we love her to bits. I've never had Marans, but they are the right size and would give you a nice chocolate egg for a colored egg basket. I had two Wyandottes, a silver laced and a gold laced. They were good hens but a little less tame. Still quite docile, just slightly skittish. I had two Speckled Sussex hens that would do ANYTHING for a snack, haha.

 

[dekel18042]

Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas are usually the same thing, although technically an Ameraucana is a recognized breed while an Easter Egger is more of a hybred. Usually Americanas (spelled with an i) and Easter eggers are the same thing while an Easter Egger and Americauna can be different.
My Pet Chickens differentiates between the two as follows. Easter Eggers can lay blue, green, olive, rosy or cream eggs while their Americaunas are blue egg layers.
Plus, I think their little muffs are adorable.
Both, with their pea combs are cold hardy and friendly. Today my Easter Eggers came from their coop in the backyard around the house and are hanging out on the front porch for treats plus I can refresh their water frequently in this frigid cold. We have over a foot of snow down with an ice glaze thick enough to support a person.

 

[Kataloo]

Different question. If I water twice day during winter is that enough?

 

[DraigAthar]

Different question.  If I water twice day during winter is that enough? 

Depends on how fast it freezes. We use heated waterers all winter, otherwise we'd be cracking ice out of water dishes a dozen times a day.

 

[dekel18042]

It does depend. In sub zero days I usually change water three or four times a day. I did get one of those microwavable discs to put a bowl on but since I've been mostly home I haven't used it yet.

 

[donrae]

I've watered twice a day in the winter and the birds have been fine. Livestock has historically been watered twice a day before electricity and survived just fine. More often is probably better, but they'll do okay on twice.