Grr, okay, what breeds should I get?

[10 point]

Quote:
gold black or my favorite red sexlinks are the best layers. they lay almost everyday and lay extra large sized eggs.

 

[HeritageHens]

My BO Cashew is a bossy top dog of the flock. I'm not too fond of her but she is a good layer. When she has something to say, she is LOUD about it (like "what took you so long to get out here?").

Quote:
Keep in mind that the Black Australorp is so dark that they reflect green. They are really quite striking. My Australorp (Elle) was the first to lay and she started almost a month before anyone else in the dead of winter (very early January). Personality wise, she's a hoot. She's very friendly and curious. If I'm outside eating something while supervising the flock, she is the first to notice this and always flies up to my shoulder to partake in the treat with the others getting the crumbs that she drops. And that beautifully set head with her regal walk - it's really a strut! I would highly recommend them. Mine is not nearly as big as the BO so I suspect they would eat a little less food but are great layers.

I do love my dark Brahma (Fiona) too. She hasn't started laying yet but I'm told they are very consistent. Her personality is great too. She's a big lapdog who loves to be slowly stroked on her back until she falls asleep.

The Blue Cochin is stunning but won't ever be an egg machine. She earned her name - Gabby - talking all the time. She does have her blond moments and it takes her a lot longer than the others to figure out things. I had to teach her how to go up and down the ramp to the coop.

I put her on the ramp and gently patted her butt until she would go up and down. After I repeated this about a dozen times in a row, she finally got it.

My barred rock (Adriana) is the most skittish thing. It amazes me that she grew up in the same group as the others so it's obviously just her. My Speckled Sussex (Abby) has a friendly and curious personality and is great at foraging. She was digging up worms long before the others so she's good about finding her own food (as are all of my heritage breeds). She's small, perhaps somewhat of a runt, and hasn't started to lay yet. The flock is 6.5 months old and it is winter.

My Welsummer, Easter Egger, and Gold Lace Wyandotte all turned out to be roosters and have been rehomed.

I would have loved to get a Salmon Favorelle, Buckeye, and Jersey Giant too but don't have room. Good luck in your search!

 

[scarcollector]

Thanks for the info. I'm also in the Puget Sound area and trying to figure out what breeds to get, too.

I'm new to all of this and haven't figured out all of the abbreviations in the previous posts. Does "EE" mean Easter Eggers? "RIR" mean Rhode Island Red? What is a "BO"?

 

[kstaven]

When considering layers and capabilities you need to go beyond the question of breed and add in lineage of the birds. Get the same breed from 3 different sources and you likely get 3 different sets of characteristics, applying to long term laying, health, cold tolerance, and personality.

 

[Lensters]

Quote:
BO - body odor, well most places here it probably means Buff Orpington

 

[scarcollector]

Quote:
Thanks, kstaven.
So how do I go about finding the right birds for me?

 

[jackyB]

I suggest Gold Sex Links or Blue Australorps.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
Thanks, kstaven.
So how do I go about finding the right birds for me?

Is your primary goal, eggs, meat, both?

Are the birds ranging over a large area, small area, or penned?

Large flock or small?

Do you need a quieter bird because of where you live?

Do you want a heavy weight standard 10 lb. up or a slightly smaller bird?

Answering these five questions helps cut down the options. Check the breeds database here.

One thing to note is that the egg hybrid birds may lay more eggs per week but will have a much shorter laying span.

Once you narrow it down ask some questions of the breeders in the breeds threads. You may be surprised how much good stock is available here.

 

[drdoolittle]

I like the sexlinks---------the red ones I got laid through the winter.

 

[scarcollector]

Quote:
Thanks, kstaven.
So how do I go about finding the right birds for me?

Is your primary goal, eggs, meat, both?

Are the birds ranging over a large area, small area, or penned?

Large flock or small?

Do you need a quieter bird because of where you live?

Do you want a heavy weight standard 10 lb. up or a slightly smaller bird?

Answering these five questions helps cut down the options. Check the breeds database here.

One thing to note is that the egg hybrid birds may lay more eggs per week but will have a much shorter laying span.

Once you narrow it down ask some questions of the breeders in the breeds threads. You may be surprised how much good stock is available here.

Thanks kstaven,

I'm looking for pets that are also egg-layers (flock size of 3-4). My main concerns are personality and the care/space demands of the hens. I would like easy going, friendly, low-maintenance, hardy birds who don't mind being handled and are OK with being cooped up in their house and run on rainy days (basically all winter and much of spring, in western WA where I live). Egg size, color, and production rate isn't a big concern for me. Since I live in the city, noisy birds would probably irritate my neighbors.

My coop is about 4W x 5L x 8H, utilizes the vertical space well, has about 6.5 ft of available roosts, and has two 12in x 12in x 14in nesting boxes. Attached to the coop is a secure 4W x 5L x 5H run with a 4 ft long roost and partial roof for shade/rain coverage. They will have access to the run at all times and be allowed to free-range in my back yard when it's not too wet. The size of the hen door from the coop to the run may be a problem; at 12in x 11in, it may be too small to accommodate the larger breeds.

Thanks for your advice!