chicken breed suggestions + discussion

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

My flock is only 7 months old. So not much info yet.

If you have enough shade, airflow, and clean cool water, then most chickens should be able to tolerate average summers. Being able to dig in cool dirt in the shade is a necessity.

I'm giving a broody Marans pullet a frozen water bottle during the hot part of the day so she's comfortable in her nest (the bottle can't reach the eggs). My Marans are so sweet, most likely to let me pet them (I can literally lift up this broody marans, and no pecks. Maybe it's just her. I only bother her if I need to, like if she went in the wrong nest.) But... probably not heat hardy. She did pick a bad time to go broody, though.

I have 2 Mottled Ancona pullets that I'm really glad I got. They are kind of flighty, and they're probably not "sit in your lap" birds. But they're so adventurous and curious. They are usually the first to come see what I'm doing. And to complain when they want more free-range time.
Given their size and more sleek feathers, they might handle heat a little better than some birds.
Mine do lay well. (Can be a con.) Eggshells are white, and supposed to be Medium sized.

I have 1 Austra White (australorp x white leghorn) who I like. She really is in between the two body types. Tall, not too sleek, not too floofy. And she went broody. Always went back to the correct nest, even when she had to pass other nest with eggs in them. (She's co-raising some chicks. No eggs from her in 6+ weeks.)

Some of the really fluffy chickens are more likely to get poopy bums (if there's just too much floof in back) so I'd watch out for that.

I'll recommend Bantam Ameraucana, just because I want to get some.
Bantam Dominique
Bantam Rhode Island Red
Bantam Barred Plymouth Rock

I like the classic birds everybody seemed to have.
Rhode Island Red (mine is so sweet. But she's very dual-purpose built.)
Barred Plymouth Rock (she has quite the personality)
I've thought about getting the "exhibition type" of both RIR and BR.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Do you know where you're getting the new chicks from yet? That may affect some of our suggestions.

I've been pretty happy with my buckeyes for both heat tolerance and decent egg laying. If your pea combed ameracaunas do ok with your heat I see no reason buckeyes wouldn't be able to handle it as well. Bonus, buckeyes have been very calm chickens in my experience! My uncles, who are used to RIR, BR, leghorn etc commented on how unusual it was that they came right up to the fence whenever they saw people.

My olive egger has been pretty hardy, very friendly, and a fantastic layer. But, much like easter eggers you really never know what you're gonna get there. Still, might be worth looking into.

Speckled Sussex are another great suggestion. Mine were docile and never caused problems in my flock, except maybe absconding with the best treats (we called them "the butterballs" because they were very round and loved treats). Small to moderate single combs should make them relatively heat tolerant.

For similar aesthetics to salmon favorelles you might look into silver or wheaten ameraucanas.

 

[Rosewood Roost]

Do you know where you're getting the new chicks from yet? That may affect some of our suggestions.

I've been pretty happy with my buckeyes for both heat tolerance and decent egg laying. If your pea combed ameracaunas do ok with your heat I see no reason buckeyes wouldn't be able to handle it as well. Bonus, buckeyes have been very calm chickens in my experience! My uncles, who are used to RIR, BR, leghorn etc commented on how unusual it was that they came right up to the fence whenever they saw people.

My olive egger has been pretty hardy, very friendly, and a fantastic layer. But, much like easter eggers you really never know what you're gonna get there. Still, might be worth looking into.

Speckled Sussex are another great suggestion. Mine were docile and never caused problems in my flock, except maybe absconding with the best treats (we called them "the butterballs" because they were very round and loved treats). Small to moderate single combs should make them relatively heat tolerant.

For similar aesthetics to salmon favorelles you might look into silver or wheaten ameraucanas.

I'm not quite sure where I'll be purchasing my chicks from, but it will very likely be a hatchery. This was actually another question I meant to ask. I'm in South Carolina, so if anyone knows a good hatchery that sells purebred breeds and is closer to my location, I'd love to hear recommendations. I've read that many hatcheries don't actually sell true breeds for example, Salmon Faverolles—so you aren't really getting the same bird.

 

[Zenmonkey]

I don't think the issue is with the hatcheries not selling pure breeds. Rather most hatcheries aren't going to be selling show quality birds.

Additionally sometimes a hatchery is pretty sloppy at even selecting breeders that match the breed standard. If you search a particular breed and hatchery combination here, and if they're particularly bad at it, you'll likely find a comment or three about it.

For example, I've got more jersey giants than anything else. I've got birds from 3 sources. One is a fairly well known breeder, they were expensive hatching eggs, and they were exactly what I was looking for.

Another source was Hoover's Hatchery through the agency of Tractor Supply. They're good birds. They lay well. One of the hens produces an egg that is closer to white than brown, and they seem like the produce a bit smaller eggs than I might want from a breed that I believe is described to lay large eggs.

They're not small eggs, but they're not huge.

Additionally some of the birds are chicken sized. Which is fine. But not really screaming the "giant" part of their name.

The 3rd source was ebay. I got lucky. The eggs didn't cost a fortune, and the birds are excellent. The roosters are huge (TSC sold only pullets), the hens are large, and they lay large light brown eggs.

If I only had the TSC birds, I would have been quite happy with them. Having since acquired better specimens, I'm only going to hatch eggs from the better stock.

So I wouldn't hesitate to buy from a hatchery if they've got what interests you. And if you later find better birds, i also wouldn't hesitate to upgrade your flock. It all depends on what you want, what you're willing to pay for and willing to wait for.

 

[123RedBeard]

Generally the Mediterranean type class of birds do very well with heat, they are smaller framed than the typical American or English class birds, tend to be a bit more flighty ...

https://blog.meyerhatchery.com/2019/07/the-6-different-classes-of-chickens/

Generally a hybrid will be healthier with the "hybrid vigor" ... But it can be over done too much like the Cornish Cross which usually doesn't have a long healthy life, but it's bred to be on the table in 6-8 weeks ...

 

[Zenmonkey]

That's solid advice, @123RedBeard

I might suggest though that while the Cornish Cross is definitely a hybrid, it was heavily selected for traits other than general health and vigor.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

There is a guy in Inman SC who sells pullets. He gets them from various hatcheries I believe. I got some Buckeyes from him recently but he always has birds and he’s great to work with.
https://www.iamthechickenman.com/

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I don’t know about eggs sorry. There are a couple places in NC with “landraces” that sell eggs I believe. One is in Fletcher, just north of SC but I can’t remember the name.

 

[Buckeye Amy]

I'm throwing in my 2 cents! I've been raising chickens since 2008. Without a doubt, Easter Eggers are among my top 3 favorites. Hardy in all weather, healthy, reliable layers. I've got a 5 year old hen that still lays 5 eggs a week, and they are the most beautiful aqua! Last year I added green EEs and am enjoying the dusky blue/green eggs they lay.

Sapphire Gems have been a great addition this past year. Tough as nails, excellent layers and friendly. I regularly get XL and Jumbo eggs from them. Excellent foragers and intelligent to boot.

Welsummers will always be in my flock. Great temperament, gentle and great foragers. I love their dark eggs, and for breeding your own Olive Eggers, they can't be beat. I use my male to breed my own OEs and they are so much smarter and nicer than those dang flighty CCL crosses.

Buckeyes petered out in their 3rd year for me and I didn't replace them. Great for cold weather, terrible in the heat. Wonderful temperaments too, like puppies.

I avoid production hybrids; they tend to lay themselves to death.

My favorite breed, although I have none at the moment, are Barred Plymouth Rocks. I will be getting more next year.