Euskal Oiloa ( Basque Thread)

[woody743]

I would love to get a start of these. Does anyone have hatching eggs at a good price?

 

[FROMWHITEDOGHILL]

....Aspen......I hope some of the babies I hatched from your eggs turn-out to look like him........

His breast sticks out like a Bresse!!! Hatch some eggs out of some hens bred to him..........

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Dang, Aspen! When I looked at this pic I thought you had a pushme-pullyou!!!

Look out, Cornish Crosses - Mrs. Fluffy Puffy has double breasted EOs!!!

OMGoodness!!

~ Aspen

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

....Aspen......I hope some of the babies I hatched from your eggs turn-out to look like him........

His breast sticks out like a Bresse!!! Hatch some eggs out of some hens bred to him..........

I plan to. Still trying to get all my pens in order for the new year.

~ Aspen

 

[PatS]

Hi Basque fans! I'm still searching for the "perfect" homestead chicken and was wondering how the Basque ranks.

So far, I've been most pleased with the personalities and traits of the Orpingtons we've raised. They are broody and make good moms, but I haven't been overly impressed with how many eggs I'm getting from them. My flock is 1-3 years old and first year layers do well, but rate of lay really has dropped off after that. (But they do lay very good sized eggs.)

The Delawares started laying at a young age and are laying regularly even with the short daylight hours and chilly weather, but they are loud and complain all day long, plus they are mean to the other chickens. This is despite the fact they have a clean hen-mansion, 2 acres, and plenty of fresh food and water.

The Ameraucanas are nice but very skittish. At least I don't have to worry about stepping on them!

How do the Basques do for folks who want a chicken who is a good forager, not too noisy, a good layer, a nice bird for meat (and I'm used to heritage birds, not expecting the breast of a CornishX here), and will have maybe a fifth or a quarter of her hens go broody and raise chicks sometime during the spring or summer. We don't have cold winters here but we can have weeks of close to and over-100* days (but cool nights) and need bird who can take the heat.

Which of these trait do you feel your birds possess? More importantly, which do they not?

Thanks!

 

[ronott1]

Hi Basque fans! I'm still searching for the "perfect" homestead chicken and was wondering how the Basque ranks.

So far, I've been most pleased with the personalities and traits of the Orpingtons we've raised. They are broody and make good moms, but I haven't been overly impressed with how many eggs I'm getting from them. My flock is 1-3 years old and first year layers do well, but rate of lay really has dropped off after that. (But they do lay very good sized eggs.)

The Delawares started laying at a young age and are laying regularly even with the short daylight hours and chilly weather, but they are loud and complain all day long, plus they are mean to the other chickens. This is despite the fact they have a clean hen-mansion, 2 acres, and plenty of fresh food and water.

The Ameraucanas are nice but very skittish. At least I don't have to worry about stepping on them!

How do the Basques do for folks who want a chicken who is a good forager, not too noisy, a good layer, a nice bird for meat (and I'm used to heritage birds, not expecting the breast of a CornishX here), and will have maybe a fifth or a quarter of her hens go broody and raise chicks sometime during the spring or summer. We don't have cold winters here but we can have weeks of close to and over-100* days (but cool nights) and need bird who can take the heat.

Which of these trait do you feel your birds possess? More importantly, which do they not?

Thanks!

1. They are great foragers.
2. They are the quietest of my breeds
3. They have the beast breast meat so far. Processed at 20 weeks and the dressed weight was close to 4#
4. I have one of three seriously broody
5. The heat in the summer did not phase them. I gave them shade and nothing else. They barely panted when it was over 100. The other breeds needed to have misters.

The Rocks and the Basque are the only ones laying right now too.

 

[FROMWHITEDOGHILL]

...I am kinda new also to Basques but...it gets over 100 here quite often...and like Ron says..it didn't phase them. My babies thusfar have been very durable...I haven't lost hardly any when they were tiny....and my adults have super personalities. It amazes me that my rooster is so gentle...it shocks me not to have to keep an eye on him when I get in the breeders pen....he, and the hens, are cool with me gathering eggs or cleaning feeders, or whatever..and he is large enough to run me out if he wanted...he's just "kicked-back". I personally think you would love them. I've kept chickens since 1957.........and they are without a doubt...My Favotite ever......and you have some good breeders in California to help you get started...............Mike

 

[masked rider]

Hi Basque fans! I'm still searching for the "perfect" homestead chicken and was wondering how the Basque ranks.

So far, I've been most pleased with the personalities and traits of the Orpingtons we've raised. They are broody and make good moms, but I haven't been overly impressed with how many eggs I'm getting from them. My flock is 1-3 years old and first year layers do well, but rate of lay really has dropped off after that. (But they do lay very good sized eggs.)

The Delawares started laying at a young age and are laying regularly even with the short daylight hours and chilly weather, but they are loud and complain all day long, plus they are mean to the other chickens. This is despite the fact they have a clean hen-mansion, 2 acres, and plenty of fresh food and water.

The Ameraucanas are nice but very skittish. At least I don't have to worry about stepping on them!

How do the Basques do for folks who want a chicken who is a good forager, not too noisy, a good layer, a nice bird for meat (and I'm used to heritage birds, not expecting the breast of a CornishX here), and will have maybe a fifth or a quarter of her hens go broody and raise chicks sometime during the spring or summer. We don't have cold winters here but we can have weeks of close to and over-100* days (but cool nights) and need bird who can take the heat.

Which of these trait do you feel your birds possess? More importantly, which do they not?

Thanks!

I have a very small flock of EOs, but WOW.. I love this bird. Everything that ronott1 said except I have not had enough to process yet. They seem to grow faster than a BLRW (which is my current homestead breed) or my Marans flocks.

That being said, they are not a silent bird. My birds are always chatting with each other and at me when they see me coming. One other point is they seem to always be under foot. I don't mind and I don't baby my birds, so I like that vs the Ameraucanas. I like the fact I don't have to run one down to hold in hand for quick look. Most of the time, I can just reach down and pick them up. Very friendly birds... I would put them right under my silkies as far as friendly.

Good luck and I hope you find some good birds close..

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I agree with Ron. However I have not processed any, or had any of the girls decide go broody thus far, but as far as personality, egg laying and foraging abilities go they are amazing! Not to mention how quiet they are. You will love them!

~ Aspen

 

[naturespace]

I have a girl that went broody a couple of months after she started laying. I let her sit on 8 eggs. One got stepped on and 7 hatched. She has been a great mom. They are 9 weeks old and she is still protective of them. I only have one pure EO from that hatch and she is beautiful.