Friendly chicken breeds and layers of Lg - Ex Lg eggs lay year round

[eaemnc]

Any info. is helpful!!

I'm looking for good natured chickens for spring 2008.
Are Ameraucana hens nice / friendly? I'm planning to order 11 of them wondering if I should go with more or less. The other breed I'm going with are Red Stars. I'd Love to know if their eggs are large / extra large?
Not sure if I should add any other breed to the mix for variety? I'm looking for egg size (the bigger the better) and year round laying ability. I'm sure it will slow down or stop during molt and probably in very hot weather but in the long run want a good breed that lays a long time (years).
Anyone have Ameraucana's or Red Stars from Meyer's in Ohio? Wondering if they are breeding quality Ameraucana's and Red Stars?

Thanks,

Ann

 

[Dawn419]

Check out Henderson's Chicken Chart. It has alot of good breed information. HTH

Dawn

 

[buc]

I really have become very fond of my Buff Orfingtons.

They are gentle hens, that lay large eggs.


I came across this piece yesterday, I have not read all of it as yet.

http://www.newfarm.org/features/2005/0605/pasturechix/index.shtml


"Check out Henderson's Chicken Chart. It has alot of good breed information. HTH

Dawn"


dawn is correct about the above , I have it in my fav's.

 

[Windy Ridge]

Meyers doesn't have Ameraucanas; they have Easter Eggers. For some reason I don't understand, hatcheries try to make their customers think they're buying the breed (Ameraucana, or sometimes the different breed Araucana), when they're just getting a chicken that probably has a blue egg laying gene. EEs lay eggs that can be blue, green, pink, brown, etc. Ameraucanas only lay blue or blueish eggs. They also have other basic breed standards they must meet, just like any breed of chicken. Calling any chicken that might lay a blue egg "an Ameraucana/Araucana" is like calling any chicken that might lay a white one "a Leghorn/Andalusian." I don't know why the hatcheries are so dishonest on this point.

My Ameraucanas are the friendliest, most loving chickens I have... which is a little surprising to me, because they have a sort of smallish, Mediterranean build, so I thought they'd be flighty. They fly, but they fly straight to my shoulder, if they can.

I haven't had Red Stars, but they would certainly meet your requirements for laying ability. They're hybrid birds. I've heard people say they're generally friendly, too, but I can't speak from personal experience.

Most of my birds I ordered as eggs from various breeders, but I got some Speckled Sussex from a hatchery. They're extremely nice birds... easily handled, very friendly, quite calm, and are surprisingly quiet. Mine haven't started laying, yet, but the breed has a reputation for being good layers, and good winter layers, too. They're very active foragers, and don't seem to eat as much as my others.

 

[speckledhen]

My Ameraucanas are very friendly and sweet, but they are more of a medium-size egg layer, in general. Easter Eggers will have varying egg colors, sizes and temperaments since they are crossbreeds.
Hard to say if a Red Star is a quality breed since it's a hybrid of two other breeds. Depends if you want purebred birds or crossbred birds. Some people don't care about that; in that case, a red or black sexlink is a good layer, but their temperament can vary, from what I've heard.
My Buff Orps lay extra large to jumbo eggs at their age-going on two years old now. My Barred Rocks lay extra large to jumbo eggs and are very friendly and personable birds. I have a Speckled Sussex, but she hates to be caught and hasn't laid her first egg yet at 29 weeks old.

 

[Windy Ridge]

OH, NO!

I hope my SS don't wait that long to lay! However, mine are quite easy to pick up and handle (some more than others, of course), even though I don't feel I particularly spent a great deal of time with them trying to tame them. Maybe they just watched my Ameraucanas and took their friendly lead...

 

[herechickchick]

Quote:
I can tell you that this is TRUE! Lexie's eggs (one of Cyn's Barred Plymouth Rocks) are giant, and I have never heard anything bad about the Barred Plymouth Rocks. I hated my Sex link! She was mean and retarded.

 

[Wynette]

My black sex link, Halle, is very tame and lays large-sized eggs (I weigh them all!), but has only been laying for 4 weeks. I THINK she's laying 4-5 eggs per week.

 

[JenniferJoIN]

I ordered a 'brown egg laying assortment' from Meyers back in September. I have: barred rock, golden laced wyandottes, speckled sussex, rhode island reds, and delewares. Mine aren't of laying age yet, but so far the speckled sussex are the friendliest. The Barred Rock and the speckled sussex are both very well feathered out and very fluffy!!! The speckleds are also VERY soft.

 

[speckledhen]

I should qualify my comment about my Speckled Sussex, Nelda, by saying that she will come up to me and eat out of my hand, just hates to be picked up. She is very pretty.