Deciding Which Breeds to Get

I would suggest Australorps for the fourth breed. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds, including all of those on your list), and they are extremely hardy in both cold and heat, calm and gentle (my children and granddaughter made lap pets of them), and the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. A Black Australorp holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days, and while none of mine have ever reached that kind of production (and likely never will), I've still had some of them lay over 300 eggs in a year. Just a word of warning--your feed store RIRs will not meet the APA standards for RIRs and will most likely be Production Reds rather than true RIRs. And while they will be very good layers, hatchery quality RIRs (Production Reds) are sometimes aggressive.
 
Howdy everyone. I'm going to be buying some chicks from the feed store within a week or so, and I'm having some trouble deciding which breeds I want. I will be buying four chicks, and I've pretty much decided the breeds for three of them. 1 Rhode Island Red, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Barred Rock, and I'm having trouble on the fourth one. I've been seriously considering a SL Wyandotte, but I'm not certain that the feed store has that breed. The store is not very close, so if I go there I'm buying chickens! Is there any common breed that you would recommend instead of a Wyandotte? Thank you!


I would get buff Orpington, Australorp, EE/ Ameracauna, & barred rock. Make sure you try to get sexed pullets. Since most straight run are full of cockerels. Being from the central coast, I wouldn't be surprised if your hatchery was belt hatchery since they are on of the closest hatcheries. They have nice quality hatchery birds.
 
I would suggest Australorps for the fourth breed. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds, including all of those on your list), and they are extremely hardy in both cold and heat, calm and gentle (my children and granddaughter made lap pets of them), and the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. A Black Australorp holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days, and while none of mine have ever reached that kind of production (and likely never will), I've still had some of them lay over 300 eggs in a year. Just a word of warning--your feed store RIRs will not meet the APA standards for RIRs and will most likely be Production Reds rather than true RIRs. And while they will be very good layers, hatchery quality RIRs (Production Reds) are sometimes aggressive.
I did research Australorps, but for some reason they don't really jump out at me. IDK why, I think it's probably because I haven't had experience with them. I do think they are a great breed, just not for me. It is a good point you make about the RIRs, I'll talk with the owner and see whether or not they are heritage. I don't care as much about how pure they are, but I do want them to be as productive and friendly as possible. I'm in california, around a bunch of hatcheries, so I might be fine. Thanks!
 
I did research Australorps, but for some reason they don't really jump out at me. IDK why, I think it's probably because I haven't had experience with them. I do think they are a great breed, just not for me. It is a good point you make about the RIRs, I'll talk with the owner and see whether or not they are heritage. I don't care as much about how pure they are, but I do want them to be as productive and friendly as possible. I'm in california, around a bunch of hatcheries, so I might be fine. Thanks!

You're welcome. Whatever breeds you end up getting, good luck with your flock.
 
Nice thing about ca coast is almost any breed will be good and their are lots of varieties both heritage and hatchery nearby to choose from. Mine comprises of both feed store and local breeders.
What area of the coast? Do you have any recommendations? The feed store I was thinking of is pretty inland. I didn't know of any closer, except Tractor Supply haha.
 
I did research Australorps, but for some reason they don't really jump out at me. IDK why, I think it's probably because I haven't had experience with them. I do think they are a great breed, just not for me. It is a good point you make about the RIRs, I'll talk with the owner and see whether or not they are heritage. I don't care as much about how pure they are, but I do want them to be as productive and friendly as possible. I'm in california, around a bunch of hatcheries, so I might be fine. Thanks!

Three times, going back to when I was a child I had RIR's and never had any problem with them. The first time they were my 4-H project but when I left for college, my parents incorporated them into the main flock which were probably mixes, but we just called them brown egg layers. Then later we had small backyard flocks of RIR hens only so they never reproduced themselves.
You might also want to consider the buckeye which was developed in Ohio by a woman (Her name escapes me at the moment.) Initially she was trying to develop a more cold hardy variety of the RIR, but over time they became a separate breed. They seem able to take our hot humid summers as well as the frigid winter, are friendly, get along well in a mixed flock and lay very large eggs. I was surprised, I expected their eggs to be more brown like the RIR but mine lay a paler version, almost a pinkish, which I like better. In talking to several buckeye people, they said that is one of the buckeye egg colors.
 
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/563727/california-central-coast

They could probably help you with local breeders. I like the local feed stores over TSC whenever possible. Usually you can use google maps to find close feed stores. Not sure which part of central coast you are since it covers a wide area. I know inland you will find more local feed stores and SLO has one due to the university being ag based. I think the have a better handle/ knowledge on their chicks. A lot of central coast & valley feed stores use belt hatchery since it is only a couple hour drive away. I don't live on coast, I'm in Fresno area. I have lots of friends on coast and friends and family all over Ca.
 

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