I feel like I have been asking variations on this theme, so forgive me. But until I actually have my real live fuzzy butts I have to obsess and try not to add more fuzzy butts to the ones I haven't got yet. I should at least get THESE chicks before I start getting more... So I am going to have more chicks than I planned on. I am trying to decide if I can bring myself to get rid of two of them before I become too attached, while simultaneously finding new chicken breeds that I MUST HAVE! There are three adults in the household. We don't want to supply eggs for the world. We know the eggs will be smaller. We want to have fun with our egg laying pets. These are the chickens that I should have by Wednesday: Araucana* Araucana* Barred Rock Brahma Cochin D'anver Silkie Welsumer Wyandotte *Yes they are really, truly Araucanas and not EE. They are from a breeder and the rest are hatchery. If you were to take two off of this list, which would it be. If you couldn't live without one of these chickens which would it be? If you feel I need to add a chicken, which would it be? Would adding or subtracting two of these make a huge difference?
hmmmmmmm. thats a tough one. maybe subtract D' anver's and welsummer's and add white faced black spanish???????
Quote:That is an interesting answer. I understand the D'anver...(That is one that I am considering "rehoming") But why replace the Welsummer with the Spanish? Thanks, Julie
Take the D'Anver off the list, as well as the Silkie. Add Golden Sebright to the list. Or Silver Sebright.
It's all up to you. Look through some breeds and see what YOU like. If I were you I'd take Barred Rock and Cochins off the list, but that's because common chickens bore me. I like my birds different, pretty, and unique. I'd add Silver Laced Polish, White Crested Khaki Polish, Blue Wheaten or Buff Ameraucanas, or Houdans or something of the likes to the list. Something with neat or different color, shape, egg color, and of course - A good personality. Too bad they're bantams, I'd totally go for French Marans, but, they're not in bantam form yet.
Quote:I was limited in what I ordered because I didn't want 25 Roos... So I ordered what they had and figured a variety would give me a chance of getting enough eggs most of the time. I didn't REALIZE they had so many breeds.... I would love one of everything, but I am trying to not let the chicken math get me...yet... Polish is one I am drooling over... the Marans too. I thought they didn't lay very well..but I seem to have been confused about some of that. I thought Cochins didn't lay well, but someone told me theirs do. Do you think the eggs would be sufficient if I did as you suggest?
If it came from a hatchery, it will lay sufficient eggs. That's the whole goal of hatcheries. In 3 years it is another story, but, that's in 3 years.
Did you say bantam flock, not LF? The Welsummer bantams will NOT be found in hatcheries, only from a breeder and they are pretty strict about that. However they will not lay as dark as their LF cousins. More like a light tan in color. What are you looking for? Egg production? Silkies, Cochins, Brahmas, and D'Anvers are not known for egg production. Barred Rock, Wyndottes, Welsummer Bantams (breeders only, not hatchery stock) would lay a bit more eggs than the breeds I mentioned earlier. Araucanas and Ameraucanas, it varies because I had the Ameraucanas and some of them lay as good as the other, its individual LOL!