I can't stand it, I haven't had chickens in two years!
I can now have them, but have to plan my coop first and wait out winter. Not going to lie, I have had my order picked out for spring for like 4 months.
I will not go another winter with no promise of chickens in spring! I would much appreciate any ideas or suggestions y'all have. I am planning on 6-8 birds, 3 chocolate Orpington hens, 1 chocolate Orpington rooster, 1 Delaware hen, and 1 Buff Orpington.
Maybe a turkey. Or 2 Easter Eggers. Or 2 Barnvelders. Or 2 Welsummers. We shall see. Anywho, I am open to suggestions/ideas on how to make this the best coop design yet.
Sounds like a plan!
I never had Orps but people who own them love their calm temperaments.
EEs will give you different green-blue eggs from the varying light brown Orp eggs ~ though I hear owners have been disappointed their EEs did not necessarily lay green-blue eggs but tinted or white. We were afraid to risk an EE for that reason & went w/ a true
Blue Wheaten Ameraucana for guaranteed blue eggs.
Ameraucana blue eggs & Breda white eggs
We are ordinanced for only 5 hens/no roos so we had to be more picky about breed choice if we wanted different egg colors. An honest hatchery will post disclaimers that sometimes their EEs might lay 4 different colors ~ pink, white, mint, or blue eggs.
We stayed away from Delaware & Barnevelder only because they are larger & reportedly less friendly reputation breeds but everyone has their favorite breeds either for personality, eggs, meat, or eye candy. For white eggs w/ friendly personality I would pick Barred Rock or Dominique over Delaware but that's me.
Use time to research general breed temperaments before mixing your flock. Some breeds are top of the pecking order & some are timid in nature. Alike breeds tend to pal around so get 2 minimum of each breed if they will be confined in a closed run. If you have a large open range rather than a confined run then mixing breeds should be less problematic.
We had a Cuckoo Marans for dark brown eggs but she was so mean that I wish we got Welsummer instead ~ the Wellies' terra cotta eggs w/dark brown speckles are unique & different from other brown egg layers.
Marans, White Leghorn, Breda, 3 Silkie eggs
A turkey? By itself? Dunno
, never had any, & my folks' farm never did either. But it sounds interesting. I found someone who bred bantam white turkeys teehee! Bantam turkeys around chickens sounds better than big turkeys?!
In the end pick your heart's desire & then learn like the rest of us what worked best in the end for you
! Can't wait to see what you get!
