Chat N Chicknfun Thread

[cluckcluckluke]

Quote:
haha, good luck!

 

[chickadoodles]

Thanks Lucky!

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Hey Alaskan. I see that you are interested in getting Heritage RIR's. I see you on the thread. I would just get them. You won't be disappointed. RC would be a good choice for you since you live in cold weather. I love mine. I have SC though.

 

[Alaskan]

The problem is that I want to pick as close to only one breed as I am capable of.

The Rhode Island are so dark though.....I am not sure if it is a cheerful enough color.

I want to pick a breed and work at improving it, and not buy chicks anymore.

But I am having such problems with the choosing. I have always had mixed flocks in the past, but I have never had any of the kinds I am now considering.

I am considering:
RC Dorking, white or colored

RC Ancona

Dominique

RC Rhode Island

And then one of the following:
Spitzhauben, Golden Campine, Redcap, or Golden Hamburg


Doesn't sound like just one breed, does it?

 

[Alaskan]

Oops, I forgot the Russian Orloff. I am interested in that one too.

And then the kids want Mille Fleur d'uccle and bantam salmon faverolles. (See, I can't get them to choose only one either...but at least *they* narrowed it down to two.)

 

[lilmynx13]

The problem is that I want to pick as close to only one breed as I am capable of.

The Rhode Island are so dark though.....I am not sure if it is a cheerful enough color.

I want to pick a breed and work at improving it, and not buy chicks anymore.

But I am having such problems with the choosing. I have always had mixed flocks in the past, but I have never had any of the kinds I am now considering.

I am considering:
RC Dorking, white or colored

RC Ancona

Dominique

RC Rhode Island

And then one of the following:
Spitzhauben, Golden Campine, Redcap, or Golden Hamburg


Doesn't sound like just one breed, does it?

.... my father atm would give you our rhode islands

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Oops, I forgot the Russian Orloff. I am interested in that one too.

And then the kids want Mille Fleur d'uccle and bantam salmon faverolles. (See, I can't get them to choose only one either...but at least *they* narrowed it down to two.)

Oh, Russian Orloffs are great!! I personally haven't had them my self.lol. But I just love them!

What does RC stand for with the Ancona's?
I have Ancona's they are wonderful, very flighty, mine are only 18 weeks old but have been laying for 1 weeks now, so early starters, they give me an egg a day and are real friendly.
I find RIR's to be to plain, I have two RIR bantams which are great though. RIR are pretty much your top dual breed.

I would choose the one that best suits you, if you can't contain flighty birds then don't get the Ancona's, cross them off of your list.
Just go through each breed and see what you want out of them.
It also depend on what your are trying to improve about the bird eg: Size, laying, feather quality etc.

I think I just went into a bit of a rant there, but hope some of that helps.lol.

 

[Tinybabes]

Last year I decided to concentrate on one breed. Anyway I got it down to cochin or japanese bantys. There is sooo much to consider --Took me months to decide so I can feel your difficulty in choosing your breed good luck with that and when you do decide please post a link to a picture of one. The only one I know for sure is RC and I am so nosy.

I would say please your heart life is too short to do anything else.

 

[Alaskan]

Last year I decided to concentrate on one breed. Anyway I got it down to cochin or japanese bantys. There is sooo much to consider --Took me months to decide so I can feel your difficulty in choosing your breed good luck with that and when you do decide please post a link to a picture of one. The only one I know for sure is RC and I am so nosy.

I would say please your heart life is too short to do anything else.

Oh, Russian Orloffs are great!! I personally haven't had them my self.lol. But I just love them! What does RC stand for with the Ancona's? I have Ancona's they are wonderful, very flighty, mine are only 18 weeks old but have been laying for 1 weeks now, so early starters, they give me an egg a day and are real friendly. I find RIR's to be to plain, I have two RIR bantams which are great though. RIR are pretty much your top dual breed. I would choose the one that best suits you, if you can't contain flighty birds then don't get the Ancona's, cross them off of your list. Just go through each breed and see what you want out of them. It also depend on what your are trying to improve about the bird eg: Size, laying, feather quality etc. I think I just went into a bit of a rant there, but hope some of that helps.lol.

RC just means rose comb. There are just a VERY FEW who breed rose comb Ancona, but they are out there. And my runs will be totally Fort Knox by the end of the summer, which will include all of the tops covered. So flighty wouldn't matter. I was actually thinking that a flighty breed and a heavier breed would ALMOST equal just one breed. Since the flighty ones would sleep all together on a high perch, and all the heavy ones together on a lower perch. But I just can't narrow it down!! I am also tempted to see if anyone would still sell me something so late in the season...but then keep talking myself out of it. I used to have over 30 chickens...but right now I just have 2 golden comets 2 production reds 5 white leghorns 2 light Brahma (soon to be only one, since one is an ugly male) 3 white Cochins And then 9 straight run bantams, all but one or two of the male bantams will be killed in another month or so. 7 Mille fleur d'uccle 2 buff brahma Only 13 chickens (plus 5 bantams, after culling ). Seems like so little. But then I keep trying to tell myself that the lower number will greatly reduce cleaning chores. I do have those five little Marans chicks in the bathtub still. I think they are two males and three females, but maybe three males and two female. I will only keep one Marans rooster, so add 4 max, maybe only three Totall going into winter will be 17 LF and about 5 bantams. I have an insulated 8x8 which is joined to an uninsulated 8x16 shed. And the shed joins to the 8x16 greenhouse that the chickens get in the winter time. In the past I had one low and one very high perch in the shed, for the overflow of birds. If I get more birds again, I am thinking I will insulate the roof of the shed, and put up poop trays under more perches, make lots of it two levels, maybe three levels in the corners. Anyway.....can't decide. I just made a small 8x8 area outside (so one micro run) pretty close to Fort Knox like. So now my poor birds can get outside. I think once I make more of my old runs into Fort Knox, and actually see the safe chicken area, that I will feel better about getting more chicks. BUT, by that time I will probably have to wait until spring for chicks. Not the end of the world.... Especially since I can't decide anyway what of the breeds I mentioned that I really really want. How to choose!!!!

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, Tinybabes, I just realized.....you didn't mention, did you decide on only Cochins? Or did you get Japanese Bantams too?

And Luke, that wasn't a rant, that was just a lovely ramble! (Can't you tell I love rambling? Sheesh, just look at my posts)

And Luke, that is my worry about the RIR, that I would find them too plain, not cheerful enough.

I like the pattern of the Ancona a great deal, and I would prefer an egg only chicken anyway, but I wonder a bit about the black and white......

I LOVE the color of the Golden Campine, totally perfect for me. Great color and pattern, very cheerful. BUT....... Isn't it a bit crazy for me to have a bird with a large single comb? I have had frost bite in the past. I am hoping that with my improved management practices that it will be less likely in the future. But, I will never be able to eliminate it completely since I have high humidity and cold.

So.....maybe the gold Hamburg instead? Except that their eggs are tiny. I like larger eggs, but maybe I could live with small to medium sized eggs, and breed for more of the medium sized ones. Dunno dunno dunno.

The kids really like chickens with crests, and the best crested chicken is the Spitzhauben. I like them, they sound like a good chicken. The Spitzhauben thread, one breeder said that the Spitz don't scratch! So the run that the Spitz are in has growing grass!!! Ooh! Just imagine! Chickens AND a beautiful run covered in grass! Ooh! Aaah!