Favorite breed!

[MissChick@dee]

Guess it depends on ‘what’ you have your chickens for. Once again Leghorns didn’t make the list if you want tough hard as hails hardy birds that lay xlg eggs. And have sassy & sweet personalities well.... Ima’ gonna go with LH’s

 

[BlackHackle]

By Purpose, my top picks would be:

Eggs:
Leghorn
Andalusian

Meat:
Indian Game
Chanecler

Dual Purpose:
Australorps
Plymouth Rocks

Personality:
Cochin
Orpingtons

Cold Hearty:
Chantecler
Australorp

Heat Tolerant:
Leghorn
Andalusian

Exhibition:
Wyandotte
OEG Bantam

Free Rangers:
Ameraucanas
Rocks

 

[New2Chicks97]

What breed interests you the most? Being fairly new to chickens and breeds of chickens I am still figuring out what I like.

So far my Easter Eggers and the Favaucana are my favorites. Since both are obviously Ameraucana crosses, it leads me to believe that Ameraucanas would be a good choice for myself.

Of the choices you listed.....
I am not a fan of our Orpingtons.
I find our Silver Laced Wyandottes beautiful they aren’t my favorite personality wise. Our Marans are too new to me to judge how they settle down. And I have no experience with the others. If it were based on looks though I would probably vote Cochin as they are so fluffy & cute!

 

[BlackHackle]

I am not a fan of our Orpingtons.

Are they true Orpingtons? Or the crossbreeds the hatcheries sell?
What don't ya like about them?

 

[BlackHackle]

Like these aren't Orpingtons:

These are:

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Are they true Orpingtons? Or the crossbreeds the hatcheries sell?
What don't ya like about them?

True Orps bought from breeders... I no longer keep them... not as friendly as everyone claims, too large bodied for how many eggs they put out, to slow growing for eating... was my experience.

Guess I didn't see you were gonna breed them... You MUST breed something you really like... as it's a lot of work... especially if you will be making selections to better your stock and doing the breed a favor.

Partridge is pretty in the Rocks... and I like the whites a lot. Growth rate is good and laying is decent... I had one broody Rock, but not excessively like some other breeds.

Cochin weren't the smartest... at least the one I had... though she was a fun girl and my friend cried when I got rid of her (we are in our 40's!). Though they may be said to lay a little more often than Rocks, their eggs were smaller... so it was a wash to me.

Delaware could use some serious help... a person breeding who cares about keeping and improving stock! Birds are NOT the same in person as they are on paper... What I started out thinking I was gonna love... Swedish Flower and Orpington... I no longer keep at all!

If selling is your intent... know your market... for me what is rare doesn't sell nearly as well as what is popular. I sold a few Swedish Flower... but my Silkies sell out as fast as I can hatch them. But Silkies are TRUE labor of love... one of the dumbest breeds I have raised and WAY excessively broody. Wyandottes are also too broody for me. Marans I can also sell as fast I can hatch... but not cuckoo, mine black and blue copper French (feathered legs and dark eggs).

Of the breeds listed... the RIR seems like the work horse of the bunch, with great laying ability and good carcass size. You can cross Delaware to Red and make sex links I think.

It really is a personal choice... cool that you get to hear from peeps who raised them instead of just what's on paper.

 

[New2Chicks97]

Are they true Orpingtons? Or the crossbreeds the hatcheries sell?
What don't ya like about them?

Yes, they are Buff Orpingtons we purchased locally through our feed store. When we were picking out chicks the “chicken guy” said they were a friendly breed that was great with children and liked attention. Sort of like the “Golden retrievers” of chickens.

Ours just aren’t that type of chickens. They aren’t bad birds but ours certainly aren’t friendly. Though one of the BO has developed the habit of trying to peck my feet any time she gets near her. I learned quickly not to wear open toed shoes to collect eggs!

I know lots of people like Buff Orpingtons but they just wouldn’t be a breed I would choose for myself again.

 

[BlackHackle]

Yes, they are Buff Orpingtons we purchased locally through our feed store. When we were picking out chicks the “chicken guy” said they were a friendly breed that was great with children and liked attention. Sort of like the “Golden retrievers” of chickens.

Ours just aren’t that type of chickens. They aren’t bad birds but ours certainly aren’t friendly. Though one of the BO has developed the habit of trying to peck my feet any time she gets near her. I learned quickly not to wear open toed shoes to collect eggs!

I know lots of people like Buff Orpingtons but they just wouldn’t be a breed I would choose for myself again.

What I was actually mentioning is that a lot of birds sold at hatcheries and feed stores aren't actually the real birds. Their BO's could pass as Leghorns

 

[New2Chicks97]

What I was actually mentioning is that a lot of birds sold at hatcheries and feed stores aren't actually the real birds. Their BO's could pass as Leghorns

No idea then as ours came from the feed store and that is what they said they were. Maybe they weren’t quality BO, then? Ours definitely aren’t as fluffy as the one in the picture. So are they just bad examples of the breed or ?

I don’t plan on breeding them or showing them. So honestly, as long as they lay their eggs and don’t escalate beyond the toe pecking, they can stay until they die of old age.

 

[BlackHackle]

No idea then as ours came from the feed store and that is what they said they were. Maybe they weren’t quality BO, then? Ours definitely aren’t as fluffy as the one in the picture. So are they just bad examples of the breed or ?

I don’t plan on breeding them or showing them. So honestly, as long as they lay their eggs and don’t escalate beyond the toe pecking, they can stay until they die of old age.

The hatcheries actually cross their chickens to get better egg laying in them

I understand lol. Most people don't raise the real thing, and that's okay.