Choosing a breed

[Stormhorse23]

I had chickens for a while and had to sell them because I wanted to free range and my poor little silkies and sebright mixes wouldn't survive in the the great outdoors (which they hated).

So what is a good breed to free range? I am looking to get about 20 chickens. Egg layers. Color isn't important. They will be put back up at night (ideas on getting them trained to do this?) and VERY hardy in the winter and the heat.

Ideas? Thank you!

 

[jeb251]

I would say sex links, and as far as training them to go back in the coop, just leave them in the coop/run for about a week, they should come there to lay and will come to roost.

 

[sonjab314]

Quote:
Diddo. I have some Cinnamon Queens that I have recently allowed to free range (they are two months old). They are doing awesome and you can't beat a sex linked for lots of yummy eggs.

 

[Stormhorse23]

Cool. I think I'll definitely get half Sex links.

Do RIRs do well in winters? I had some and they were so mean but gorgeous. I would love to do 10 Sex links and 10 RIRs.

 

[gryeyes]

How about some Plymouth Rock - Barred, aka: Barred Rocks? They're a great heritage layer in the dual-purpose category.

 

[Stormhorse23]

lol you guys have me making a list. I think I decided against the sex links and would prefer to do 10 RIRs and 10 Rhode island whites.

Has anyone had problems with comb frostbite on combs in these guys?

 

[Qi Chicken]

Check Henderson's chicken breed chart, it gives all the info for weather hardiness, foraging ability, egg-laying. Sorry I don't know the link, just google it!

 

[SkyWarrior]

I would recommend sex-links. I have four RIR, two are roos. The roos are aggressive. I like the hens, but they can get a little bossy.

I have 2 red/golden sex-links, 3 black sex-links, 2 BR, 4 RIR, 6 EE and 2 Brown Leghorns. Of all of them, the only ones I wouldn't recommend are the leghorns because of their flighty personality.

 

[vscampbell]

I have a number of different breeds and all are free ranged. The Welsummers are great, and I like the Golden Sex Links... I find these to be very similar in behavior.... My favorites are the Sussex... they are very sweet, follow me around, easy to catch if they do get out... but they rarely try to get out of the fenced area unless there is a fence break.... they are not fliers. I will never get Barred Rocks again. They are hardest on the other birds... very dominant... they are always trying to get past the fence and they fly like crazy.... and very hard to catch when they do get out.... of all of my chickens theses are the only ones I have to clip wings... with out it they easily clear a 6' fence and will launch themselves off of even a black berry vine to increase their flight path....

Val

 

[Tiramisu]

I've only had 3 chickens, a Black Australorp, Golden Laced Wyandotte and Buff orp. All of them layed well and did pretty well outside, in their 'coop'. It was more like just a wooden box

we had several storms where it got to -25 windchill, weeks with it in the negatives. They still layed some through winter too.

they were all heavy/dual purpose breeds from what I found.