Consolidated Kansas

[tweetybaby2005]

So I have been looking through breeds and reading all about them, now I have come back here to ask. What birds do you like? We are looking for egg layers and show birds for 4-H but they must earn their keep too. I was wanting to do a few meat birds a couple times a year but the county did say no to the tractor and I am not sure about a stationary coop/run for those stinky things, suggestions on that would be great too.

I think Trish and Hechicken have given you great advise to start with. You have done great so far by researching local laws and chicken breeds. I didn't even do that. My DH just went and bought a whole flock from someone... LOL.

My goal, first and foremost, is food for the family. So breeds with great egg production is a must for me. Then I go from there to having docile, calm, and friendly birds. I've plenty of mutts but that's OK with me since my goal is to get the eggs and maybe their meat eventually. Extra roosters from my hatch usually end up in the crock pot or freezer for the family. One breed I do like a lot is Salmon Faverolle. I got some from Trish earlier this year and they are just lovely. Very calm and friendly. I want to try to get some Welsummers and Copper Marans next year though. I would like to get some darker color eggs.

You are definitely going into this chicken craze the right way. Pretty soon you will be the chicken nuts just like the rest of us.

 

[HEChicken]

Theresa you said there are some breeds that you have had but didn,t like what are they? I have never had a flock of leghorns but I usually have one or two and with the other hens I do not find them flighty. I don,t pick up or carry my hens but when I bring in feed I trip over leghorns also. I know Hechicken has some (I will not even try to spell) leghorns, how are they working out?

That's so funny you remembered. Yes, I have Exchequer Leghorns which are a black and white checkered pattern, hence the name. Around here we just call them "the black and whites" since I always trip over the word "Exchequer" myself LOL.

I find them to be VERY flighty. They were brooder raised and generally my brooder raised chicks are fairly handleable but these guys are a little bit of crazy. The only time I would have a hope of being able to handle them at all is if I get them off a roost at night. I have a half dozen who insist on roosting where they are not supposed to and every night I have to lift them down and place them on the roost. Over time they have become used to this and don't squawk too much when I pick them up but they clearly don't enjoy it either.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and the doctor said that things continue to look good. He didn't do a pelvic exam, but he did measure my belly. AS he was doing so, he felt for Baby's head and said that Baby was lower than last week. He said he wouldn't be surprised if we didn't make it until next Tuesday's appointment.

On another note, I just got word that my dad (who has Parkinsons) tripped over the bathroom rug when getting out of the shower and felt something tear in his shoulder. My mom took him to the ER and the XRays said that he didn't have any broken bones. However, my dad has a pacemaker (for his brain, for his Parkinsons) and therefore can't have an MRI. So, they're putting him in a sling and sending him home with pain meds. If he doesn't get better in a week, they'll scope his shoulder to check for a torn rotator cuff. This is definitely not ideal timing for such a thing as neither me nor my sister (who is also pregnant - due 11/27) should really be traveling that far. It's a good thing it didn't turn out any worse, but a torn rotator cuff could require surgery, and this isn't a very good time for that either...

Lizzy... just can't wait to see your new baby! I'm sorry to hear that your dad fell and may have torn his rotator cuff. I agreed it is bad timing. Hopefully the sling will help and he doesn't need to have surgery.

Take easy these last few days of not having a baby who demands 100% of your time. Oh... before I forget... welcome to mommyhood.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Oh... before I forget... welcome to mommyhood.

lol! Thanks!

 

[chicken danz]

Theresa you said there are some breeds that you have had but didn,t like what are they? I have never had a flock of leghorns but I usually have one or two and with the other hens I do not find them flighty. I don,t pick up or carry my hens but when I bring in feed I trip over leghorns also. I know Hechicken has some (I will not even try to spell) leghorns, how are they working out?

I've had just about every breed imaginable at one time or another. And eventually I end up selling or changing my mind based on the birds. I have had several types of bantams but I am just not a person who can enjoy a tiny bird with little eggs and little or no meat.
I have sold several breeds for many reasons. I sold my salmon faverolles simply because I didn't have buyers for them and the eggs were smaller. I had Pheonix and Yokahomas which were both beautiful birds but too hyper for my taste. I had marans of several different types and colors but other than the nice dark eggs they produced I wasn't impressed with the meat they produced and I needed space for other breeds. I had lots of LF cochins. I still have a couple. They are gorgeous and easy going and lay much better than they are said to but it was a place I did make cuts. They are too pretty to butcher and more feathers than meat. Ultimately I decided to keep what produces the best, grows the biggest and is the easiest going. The breeds all in all I have to keep are the orpingtons, the brahmas, the sussex, and the Breda fowl. The Bredas are one of the very oldest birds that were nearly extinct. They aren't good meat birds because they take so long to grow to full size. Their eggs are small and white, but they are totally gorgeous and wonderfully calm. I don't recommend them for a utility breed but more just as eye candy. They are my exception to the rules.
Originally Posted by lizzyGSR

Thank you all. I feel like I am pointed in a better direction now. I was very overwhelmed at first and I hate feeling like that. I wrote down all the questions HEChicken suggested and that helped out tons. I didn't ask the right question but got the right answer, love that. I have a much narrowed down list now. I also finished my coop plans, measured my minimum lines from property edges. Going to start clearing land tomorrow afternoon, unless it rains again.

I have to agree with Trish and HeChicken. There's a couple other breeds that didn't get mentioned. For laying and all around sit in your lap good nature I recommend speckled sussex. For excellent meat and huge good egg laying I highly recommend brahmas. They are awesome gentle birds. Salmon Favorelles are excellent easy going birds as well but their eggs aren't as large as the previous two I mentioned.
I have some heritage barred rocks like Heather and they are gorgeous enormous birds and easy going. I also have one of the New Hampshires but I only use it to breed sex link chicks with.
Orpingtons are big lap babies, good meat birds and good layers. You really need to get exhibition quality orps if you are going to show though. The hatchery birds aren't at all to standards.
I wouldn't recommend hatchery birds to anyone interested in showing for 4H. Granted there will be others that will but why bother if they aren't going to win?

Yesterday was a busy busy day for me. I have tons to get done today but have been busy on the phone trying to tie up some loose ends.
When I finally decided to get out and get busy yesterday I accomplished quite a bit. I installed three new nest boxes in three different coops. I also installed a new roost in both sides of a divided coop. I put one in there some time ago on the other side of the coop but no one was using it. I guess they have their preferences. I was glad to see when closing the coops last night that all the birds were sitting on the new roost. I guess it made them happy. Now if they'll just use the nest boxes!
I messed with the power in the peafowl pen so I could put a heat lamp on the young peafowl. I couldn't get it to work. I tried everything. I tried a the old bulb...no light. Then I tried a new bulb...no light. Then I retraced the extension cords to verify I had power. Then I put in a new heat lamp fixture... no light. I finally went in and grabbed an electric drill and plugged it in. It worked. So then I went in and got another new heat lamp. It worked. I could have saved myself a lot of frustration by just getting a meter and checking the outlet for power but I guess that was too simple a concept to grasp.
I took the old chicken wire I ripped of the side of the new peafowl pen before I put the tin on the day before and got one side of the hog panels on the old garage covered with it...that was after several pints of blood poking myself with broken wires. It was pretty torn up but it still covered the panels with a little stretching and pulling. I intended to get the other side done but didn't get that far before dark.
I also got the duck pond pumped and cleaned out and finally refilled just before dark.
I got the veggies out of the wheel barrow and have them laid out on a table for now. I need to get back to them and see what I can salvage. I wish they would all just ripen laying there.
I need to get a birthday cake baked for my DH today too. I swear there just isn't enough time in a day.
I talked to Cleansquared this morning. She is having trouble getting reception on her cell phone so she hasn't been able to post since she has her new home. Unfortunately she relayed that dogs got into her chickens and killed all of them except one of her cream legbar hens and one cream legbar rooster before they got them moved. She also has a bunch of baby barred rocks and they were kept elsewhere so they are fine. She did say she has all the barred rocks together and can pick out the ones from me easily even though they are all together. She says she can tell by how fine and distinct the barring is. That makes me feel really awesome. The legbar hen that was sick is one of the survivors. They are staying with a friend and working on the house as they can. Hopefully in time they'll get things worked out with internet and phone reception and she'll be back here posting again.

 

[Trish44]

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and the doctor said that things continue to look good. He didn't do a pelvic exam, but he did measure my belly. AS he was doing so, he felt for Baby's head and said that Baby was lower than last week. He said he wouldn't be surprised if we didn't make it until next Tuesday's appointment.

On another note, I just got word that my dad (who has Parkinsons) tripped over the bathroom rug when getting out of the shower and felt something tear in his shoulder. My mom took him to the ER and the XRays said that he didn't have any broken bones. However, my dad has a pacemaker (for his brain, for his Parkinsons) and therefore can't have an MRI. So, they're putting him in a sling and sending him home with pain meds. If he doesn't get better in a week, they'll scope his shoulder to check for a torn rotator cuff. This is definitely not ideal timing for such a thing as neither me nor my sister (who is also pregnant - due 11/27) should really be traveling that far. It's a good thing it didn't turn out any worse, but a torn rotator cuff could require surgery, and this isn't a very good time for that either...

I'm glad things are progressing well with the baby, keep us up to date, we're all waiting to see those baby pics! I'm sorry to hear your dad fell, I hope it doesn't turn out that he has to have rotator cuff surgery right now. I had that about 3 or 4 years ago & it is really the hardest surgery I have ever had to recover from. You don't realize how much you use your shoulder till you can't, it's very painful. Let's hope his is not that type of injury.

As to what breeds of chickens I found out I really didn't like well the Lakenvelders are one of them. I got a couple from a BYC member with some other birds & I have just said I would never get them again. I only have one left now & she's getting older, when she's gone I won't replace her. They are so flighty you just can't imagine, they never warm up to you no matter how long you have them. I can't get within 10 feet of that bird or she runs off or flies off. I also tried the Anconas & they are pretty much the same, very flighty. I do have some leghorns & plan to get a couple of HEChicken's Exchequers soon, but don't expect them to be friendly calm birds because they're not. I can get closer to them than the Lakenvelder, they come up to me for old bread & I do have a white one that follows me around when I'm distributing old bread to all the pens & yells at me for more. I have them because I really like the really big white eggs they lay for a change from all brown. For layers they are very dependable & lay a lot of nice big eggs, for pets or friendly calm birds, not so much. I also am not fond of the amount of time the Australorps spend in being broody. I have one silly hen right now wanting to sit this time of year, I have to take her eggs away every day because I don't want mutt chicks & I don't need any more now either. So I guess what I'm saying is you have to look at what your goal is with the chickens. My laying flock is just that for producing eggs, they're not pets they're here to produce eggs for us to eat & for me to sell the extras. I do have my favorites out of that flock of course, but they're here to do a job so to speak.

Danz you were posting as I was I guess, you make me so tired, I can't accomplish half of what you do, you're like the energizer bunny! Yeah I forgot about the Speckled Sussex when I was mentioning breeds & that is one of my favorites too, I just love those birds. I only have the one hen left now but I hope to have some more maybe next year. I had a disaster with my chicks this year & lost them all in a flash flood, it was heartbreaking. I raised them last year & they were just awesome.

 

[ctrymama]

Well I got the plans for the coop drawn out and the framing plans too, next I have to get a materials list together (my least favorite part). We have narrowed our chicken list to 5 breeds; Dominique, Orpington, Columbian Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, and Speckled Sussex. The kids will choose from this list who wants which breed and then we source them, hopefully locally. I also got a line on a bunch of reclaimed lumber.
I have also been asked by a few of the local home school moms to offer a chicken education lesson over here after we get them, so I will be working on some lesson plans as well.

LissyGSR- good luck on the baby, new babies are always such fun.

 

[Trish44]

Well I got the plans for the coop drawn out and the framing plans too, next I have to get a materials list together (my least favorite part). We have narrowed our chicken list to 5 breeds; Dominique, Orpington, Columbian Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, and Speckled Sussex. The kids will choose from this list who wants which breed and then we source them, hopefully locally. I also got a line on a bunch of reclaimed lumber.
I have also been asked by a few of the local home school moms to offer a chicken education lesson over here after we get them, so I will be working on some lesson plans as well.

LissyGSR- good luck on the baby, new babies are always such fun.

That sounds like a plan, be sure to take pics along the way as you build & share with us. We love to see new coops people build. The Dominiques aren't as common as they used to be. You really can't tell them apart from a Cuckoo Maran easily, they look very similar. I didn't say it before, but I do like the Wyandottes myself as well. I used to have some Columbian Wyandottes but they were killed by a raccoon before I got my GPs, that was one of the reasons as well as a possum attack on my birds that I got my dogs. I now have Silver Laced & Gold Laced Wyandottes & they are good layers & pretty too. Rhode Island Reds are a bit bossy, they tend to be at the top of the pecking order because of that. Be sure if you get them that you're truly getting those & not production Reds. While they are still good layers you wouldn't be able to show them if they were the production type of birds. Hatcheries do tend to sell what they call Rhode Island Reds, but they're really production reds instead. I agree with what Danz said earlier, if you want to show birds you really need to buy them from breeders & not hatcheries because they tend to mix things for better production & they don't meet standards for the breed. I'm not trying to be a snob, just giving you the facts so you can make good decisions.

 

[chicken danz]

Well I got the plans for the coop drawn out and the framing plans too, next I have to get a materials list together (my least favorite part). We have narrowed our chicken list to 5 breeds; Dominique, Orpington, Columbian Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, and Speckled Sussex. The kids will choose from this list who wants which breed and then we source them, hopefully locally. I also got a line on a bunch of reclaimed lumber.
I have also been asked by a few of the local home school moms to offer a chicken education lesson over here after we get them, so I will be working on some lesson plans as well.

LissyGSR- good luck on the baby, new babies are always such fun.

What Trish said! I'm not far from you and there is Frizzled Pink who is in your area. There is also Pikeman whom we haven't heard from in a while that lives near Olathe. Pikeman doesn't do any breeding. Frizzled does. I had Dominiques. You can tell them from barred rocks and cuckoo Marans by their comb. It will be very difficult to find a good Dominique though. I'd look for a Dominique breeder club and see if you can find a breeder nearby. I didn't find them especially friendly but they were good layers. If you want a Rhode Island Red you also need to find a good breeder. A good RIR is going to be a huge bird and almost a blackish red color. Not a simply dark red like most people around here have or hatcheries offer. I've not had great luck with Wyandottes. They are pretty but they seem to be some of the easiest birds to get overheated in hot summers. Mine were however hatchery birds and some local birds so heaven knows if that was part of the problem. I finally sold all of mine because they just weren't hearty enough. Orpingtons and Speckled sussex are awesome as far as I am concerned.
I'm just expressing my findings and opinions here. I think every one needs to try a few different breeds to decide which ones really meet their needs.
I started out and raised hatchery birds for years. There is nothing wrong with them. But when I started selling to 4H kids I started getting higher quality birds so the kids could do well. Before that I was just trying to choose those that would show the best for the kids. I still breed some for 4H kids but I also breed some unique birds that are way too expensive for the kids. I have to enjoy what I have for myself too.

It's been raining all day. I spent the rest of the afternoon outside working in the rain. I was so wet when I came in it was ridiculous. I did get a cake baked in between times for DH's birthday. I cleaned up the brooder bins in the house. Moved the rest of the red stars to the old garage pen, moved a couple of older peachicks to the peafowl house outside. I got the birds fed and watered although it has probably been a waste by now. This old clay dirt is like ice when it gets wet. I nearly fell multiple times.

 

[Frizzled Pink]

Well I got the plans for the coop drawn out and the framing plans too, next I have to get a materials list together (my least favorite part). We have narrowed our chicken list to 5 breeds; Dominique, Orpington, Columbian Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, and Speckled Sussex. The kids will choose from this list who wants which breed and then we source them, hopefully locally. I also got a line on a bunch of reclaimed lumber.
I have also been asked by a few of the local home school moms to offer a chicken education lesson over here after we get them, so I will be working on some lesson plans as well.

LissyGSR- good luck on the baby, new babies are always such fun.

Ctrymama,

Welcome to the chicken world. If you are wanting to show, absolutely put in some research time either by buying the American Standard of Perfection (warning its pricey) or you can look a club/group of that particular breed online, here at BYC or on facebook, so that you know exactly all the little details to check before you take the bird home (comb points, what type of comb, split wing, leg color, number of toes, base skin color and the list goes on and on). There is nothing worse to be all excited about your new baby and then posting a pic-TA-DAA just to be told it isnt what you were told it was

Personally i would buy only from a breeder if you are using for anything other than a pet. I am not saying hatcheries or swap meets are bad-i am only saying the odds of getting a high quality SOP bird from those sources doesn't generally happen and i dont want you to have a heartbroken kid that got DQ'd.

I am close to you, however i dont have any of the breeds you are listing --we did the orps but they are just not the right match for us but there are a lot of people that love them. I have gone more in a development of new color and pattern aspect so in the coming year most of mine would only be able to be shown AOV (any other variety) and as such cannot win outside of their category.

For your shows make sure you are getting a recognized variety(color) of that breed for the kids. That way they will be eligible for all categories-variety/breed/best of show.
Some club/groups now have "juniors" where some of the top breeders nationally mentor and provide birds to promote jr interest in the breed, with the stipulation that they then pay forward again and help other jrs get their start with that pairs offspring. I know Cochins wasn't one of your breeds, but if you look here http://www.cochinsint.com/junior-news.html it will give you a good idea of what some of those junior programs entail.