Favourite breeds discussion

[Egg Snatcher]

Ooh yes bantams are cute, never had Polish but I think they look funky.. (in a good way, I like them)

Here’s some of my polish

 

[Geckolady]

My favorites are what I ended up with. They're cuckoo/exchequer leghorns. I bought a quad of cuckoo colored birds from a show breeder and was told there was some bloodline in their background that would mess with the color, I think he said exchequer but I never had chickens before when I bought them and wasn't listening that close. Anyway, their offspring are half cuckoo and half white with cuckoo colored spots. I was told this coloring is undesirable, but I like them and am not going to show them, so I'm enjoying them as is.

The Dorkings are sweet and like attention, but trying to get in and out of the coop without them following me out can be a real challenge. The smallest Dorking hen thinks she is in charge, and she and the rooster have had a few arguments.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My favorites are what I ended up with. They're cuckoo/exchequer leghorns. I bought a quad of cuckoo colored birds from a show breeder and was told there was some bloodline in their background that would mess with the color, I think he said exchequer but I never had chickens before when I bought them and wasn't listening that close. Anyway, their offspring are half cuckoo and half white with cuckoo colored spots. I was told this coloring is undesirable, but I like them and am not going to show them, so I'm enjoying them as is.

The Dorkings are sweet and like attention, but trying to get in and out of the coop without them following me out can be a real challenge. The smallest Dorking hen thinks she is in charge, and she and the rooster have had a few arguments.

Your little Dorking hen sounds like a real character!

 

[cmom]

I like most of the breeds. My favorites for egg laying are my Rhode Island Whites and my White Leghorns. They may take a brief break but for the most part are pretty consistent layers and I sell eggs.

 

[Silkie Princess]

My favourites are Silkies, bantanm Cochins and Salmon Faverolles

 

[Croft5Homestead]

Ooh, I can’t choose between barnevelder and barred rocks. Yes, barred rock is kinda cliché, but we had one named Spock. She was the smartest chicken we’ve ever had! Guess we jinxed her

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Never owned Dorkings, read all about them and they look really cool!
If you have any... mind sending some photos

I definitely have pictures I can share! I have mostly Silver Grays from Meyer Hatchery, plus my twisty-legged Red hen and a 'Dark Gray' from Sandhill. My Silver Grays are definitely the standouts of the group, but that's my absolute favorite coloration on hens, so maybe I'm biased toward them anyway.

The Dorkings are sweet and like attention, but trying to get in and out of the coop without them following me out can be a real challenge. The smallest Dorking hen thinks she is in charge, and she and the rooster have had a few arguments.

I've never had issues with mine rushing the door, but they're in my big flock with anywhere from 40 to 60 other birds at any given time, so they have a huuuuge fenced in area that keeps them scattered and away from the door most of the time. I love how yours sound, even the feisty little one! Where did you get them? Meyer Hatchery announce a couple months ago that they would no longer carry their Dorkings after this year, so I'm in the market for a new source of Silver Grays, I guess.

 

[cherrynberry]

I am into mutts currently. I do love SFs, but currently, there is no room for more birds! Once the new coop is built, that may change! My dream is to start a breeding group of my own. Currently thinking about Wyandotte's.

I do have a lot on my list of breeds I want though.

 

[Geckolady]

I definitely have pictures I can share! I have mostly Silver Grays from Meyer Hatchery, plus my twisty-legged Red hen and a 'Dark Gray' from Sandhill. My Silver Grays are definitely the standouts of the group, but that's my absolute favorite coloration on hens, so maybe I'm biased toward them anyway.

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I've never had issues with mine rushing the door, but they're in my big flock with anywhere from 40 to 60 other birds at any given time, so they have a huuuuge fenced in area that keeps them scattered and away from the door most of the time. I love how yours sound, even the feisty little one! Where did you get them? Meyer Hatchery announce a couple months ago that they would no longer carry their Dorkings after this year, so I'm in the market for a new source of Silver Grays, I guess.

Nice hens! I will PM you some info on where you can get some good, healthy, non-hatchery breeding stock.

My silver grey Dorkings came from two places--two from a BYC friend on my state's chat thread, and two from a startup hatchery that was located very close to me but failed. I bought a bunch of chicks from that hatchery, but they were pretty sick and only two survived. The hatchery closed right after I got my chicks.

I have 4 Dorkings total, all girls. The feisty little hen is called Mari. I drove down to Maricopa to get her from the BYC friend, so she is Mari from Maricopa. The other one that she gave me is Dora the Dorking. Yeah, not much imagination.

The other week Mari and the rooster (a Leghorn) got into it. She was squawking and spreading her wings at him. I came back a few hours later and she had some peck marks on her comb and was a lot quieter. My guess is he'd finally had enough of her antics after weeks of this. He's actually a sweet roo, and will walk over on the perch to get his feathers stroked. Not aggressive at all.

Daffodil and Buttercup, the other two Dorkings, are the ones that will rush the gate. Sometimes Mari will come toward me at the gate with her wings out and squawk at me, but I just spread my arms and squawk back and she usually turns around in a hurry. It's the other two that will try to get out.

 

[FriendlyWyandotte]

As a matter of fact a group of my girls is the picture of the week this week!

Photos...hmmm I don't think I don't have any on my cell phone... yeah right!! Nothing but!

Wow, how gorgeous
But now way! I have a rooster of that breed I think, and I never knew what breed he was though! Also yeah, you sure don’t have any photos of him....
Here’s a photo of my boy, King