Chicken Buyers Remorse

[gimmie birdies]

People are putting up lists of chicken breeds they want I wanted to get peoples opinions of breeds they may have been excited about, but now they are over it.

I have 2 blue andelusians. One I like, she is blue. One is a splash. I am not crazy about the splash. I am not going to rehome anyone. but I think I am done with the BA.

I also have AC. They are pretty and I would never give them up. But as far as buying more, I don't think I will. Their eggs are small and they are so busy brooding they have not time for eggs.

My birds are just for pets though.

Which chickens do you think you are no longer interested in and why?

 

[kat_and_hens]

I don't think I'll get another Orpington. I like our current bird, Sweet Pea, who is a lavender Orpington, but she is kind of a bully to the others and doesn't have much going on upstairs compared to her flockmates haha.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Dark Brahma.

Don't get me wrong. I love my Dark Brahma, they are hands down my smartest free ranging birds. There's a lot to like about my dark brahma, and their pattern is one I find particularly attractive as well.

But if you look to the left, you will see I'm in North Florida. The Brahma is not well suited to high heat - its the lack of comb. Nor are they well suited to muddy - its the feathered feet. They aren't efficient layers - took about 7 months, eggs are medium to medium large, and somewhere between every other day and two days out of three. Neither do they bulk up fast, so not great as meat birds - though they eventually get very big, the feed conversion has to be one of the worst in the poultry world.

So, for my needs? Never again.

But I am using them in my breeding project in hopes of getting some of their size, and the lacing, as well as lightening the egg color of my other layers. Would be nice if their offspring keep some of their predator awareness, as well.

For others, they may be just the thing.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have no buyer's remorse over having a few Brahmas -- because I consider them the most beautiful of all chickens.

However, my head knows that I need to have most of the flock be more practical breeds so I will not have another Brahma rooster because I cannot have slow growth, late development, and moderate egg-laying as the genetics for half my flock ongoing.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

^^ Said it better.

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

I have buyer's remorse over my Wyandottes and my Andalusian. My wyandottes never lay and honestly not worth it to me. The one wyandotte that does lay once a week it's ALWAYS in the run and never in the nesting boxes. I can't understand it. She'll be 2 this spring. My andalusian on the other hand, is a MEAN chicken. She literally made my blue splash marans stay in the coop for 2 DAYS in summer because she wouldn't let her out in the run! Thankfully she does lay an egg almost every day in the summer AND it's in the nesting box, but I would NEVER order a Wyandotte or Andalusian ever again.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've a few (see sig) SLW - pretty pattern, gold would have been better. TINY eggs. Fast growers, mine learned from elder birds and now lay where they should, and free range very well. I want some of their genetics - particularly the fast growth and lacing - in my future flock, too - but lose the comb and the tiny eggs. Egg color is good though. Mine seem to be laying pretty consistently (3/4 eggs/days), more than I expected, perhaps there's just a lot of variation in stock?

 

[ScratchNbawk]

I don't think I'll get another Orpington. I like our current bird, Sweet Pea, who is a lavender Orpington, but she is kind of a bully to the others and doesn't have much going on upstairs compared to her flockmates haha.

I feel exactly the same way about my Orpingtons.

 

[theoldchick]

Though I love the itty-bitty bantams I just don't have the facilities to house them in the winter and keep them alive.

 

[3KillerBs]

^^ Said it better.

Just a different phrasing and different personal style.

I'm on sand so I don't have problems with the foot feathers and just enough further north that I haven't had serious issues with the heat (up to a point I think that those thick feathers protect the birds against the sun).

I'm hoping that they'll compensate for their other drawbacks by brooding chicks for me in due time.