Choices of breeds for newbies

[Ladyknieval]

I hope to get into chickens in the future. I am reading everything I can get on them, and have new books on the way in the mail.

I plan on having only 5-10 chickies to start, even though I have plenty of room for a coop. I would like friendly breeds for eggies and just for the joy of it! Any suggestions? I will build an expansive coop with nest boxes accessible from outside, a large run, and maybe a chicken tractor so they can move around and forage a little. I live in northwestern Iowa, so a cold-hearty breed is a must, but I will insulate the coop. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[BeckyLa]

I love Marans, but I've heard that Buff Orpingtons are great pets, cold hearty, great layers of brown eggs, and like to go broody and raise a family. If you like the feather-footed types, Cochins are great, too. Then there's Rocks. I'm sure others will join in with their favorites. But it all comes down to your own preferances and do you want all the same breed or a mixed colorful bunch? It's all up to you. The important thing is to HAVE FUN!!!

 

[Ladyknieval]

Can you mix different breeds if they are all the same age, such as getting day old chicks at the same time?I will probably get all pullets if I can.

 

[BeckyLa]

Oh yes, no problem. I'm sure you'll find most of us around here get a good mix when we order chicks. It's more fun that way if you're not a breeder.

 

[The Harvest Moon Chicken]

if you go to mypetchicken.com there is a link all the way down at the bottom on the left hand side that says breed selection tool.

It's amusing, and helpful, it lets you choose characteristics like broody, cold hardy, docile, the color of the eggs and how many eggs they lay and things like that, then they give you a list of chickens that fit your requirements.

i, at any rate, found it helpful.

 

[akcskye]

My mix is a Buff Orpington Roo, 2 Black Australorps, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Brahma, and 1 Rhode Island Red.

Actually does quite nicely...I have the more 'aggressive' foragers (the Australorps), Billy (the Roo) is a good protector, Marti (my RIR) has decided to be broody which will be nice if I ever decide to have some babies hatched, and then the variances in eggs are great, 2.

I either have medium or large brown eggs and they are more yolk than white.

 

[Hotwings]

Buff Orpingtons are great biginer birds, as well as Australorps and Barred Rocks. All are good foragers and cold hardy birds. The Buffs and Australorps are quiet birds. Bantams are good too. You wouldn't think they would be foragers but we have 5 0ne year old hen Mille Fluers and they get along with the standards and they came through the cold Michigan weather better than the big birds, they free range and lay alot of nice small eggs. I hear Buffs are serious brooders. You may want to take this into consideration if you don't want to raise chicks.

 

[keljonma]

Any standard breed with a rose or pea comb should do well in your winters. Wyandottes are great egg layers, foragers, and have mild temperaments. We love our four.

I don't know anything about them, but since you're in Iowa, a good heritage breed might be the Iowa Blue. It was developed in the early 1900's especially for your state's weather.

Regardless of the breeds you finally decide on, you may be able to find local farmers willing to sell you some day-old chicks or some started birds, which may possibly be less expensive than getting them online. You also then have a local poultry connection, usually with a wealth of information on getting "chicken stuff" locally, (best place for feed, best avian vet, etc.).

You can order a mix of breeds. Our flock last year from McMurray was ONE of each breed listed. We ordered all pullets and ended up with 2 cockerels ...
Pullets-
Silver Lakenvelder
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Silver Laced Wyandotte
White Wyandotte
Columbian Wyandotte
Araucana/Americana
Dominique
Barred Plymouth Rock
Partridge Plymouth Rock
White Plymouth Rock
Rhode Island Red
New Hampshire Red
Jersey Black Giant
Buttercup
Ancona
Buff Orpington
Delaware
Silver Spangled Hamburg
Golden Penciled Hamburg
White Faced Black Spanish
Silver Grey Dorking
Speckled Sussex
Rose Comb Brown Leghorn

Cockerels-
Golden Campine
Single Comb Light Brown Leghorn

We declined the free exotic chick. McMurray sent us 2 White Plymouth Rock pullet chicks instead of the 1 we ordered. We got our day-old chicks in June, so no extra "for warmth" birds were added.

Good luck and have fun!
regards,
keljonma

if edited, probably for typos...

 

[Ladyknieval]

Thanks for all the replys. They were very helpful. Sorry, I don't check this site as often as most because I travel so much!