Help choosing a flock to manage..

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

OK, so nothing extreme. That means you can have pretty much everything. The Mediterranean breeds are built for a warm climate, so maybe not those (even though there's really no issue, besides them being at a slightly higher risk for frostbite). Sussex, brahma, their bantam versions, australorp, EE, Ameraucana, their bantam varieties, would all work great

New England can be wicked in the winter - cold hardy chickens for the win! I'm in CT and have gold laced wyanottes. They will be 3yrs in spring. I block winds in the winter and they do well.

 

[fluffycrow]

Variety is the spice of life.. words I try to live by. No plans to breed.. thanks

Wise words. They are wise words for humans, however, not for chickens. Having a variety of breeds will definitely give you spice, just not the good kind. Even the miniscule differences between birds will be enough to single them out. If you have two of each breed (for example), you'll be creating three sub-groups

 

[tsgarvey]

Wise words. They are wise words for humans, however, not for chickens. Having a variety of breeds will definitely give you spice, just not the good kind. Even the miniscule differences between birds will be enough to single them out. If you have two of each breed (for example), you'll be creating three sub-groups

Alrighty...any recommendations for a specific breed based on the info provided in this thread?

 

[fluffycrow]

New England can be wicked in the winter - cold hardy chickens for the win! I'm in CT and have gold laced wyanottes. They will be 3yrs in spring. I block winds in the winter and they do well.

Good to know. GLWs and SLWs would be a good choice, I definitely agree. Chanteclers are also an excellent choice for winter hardy birds

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

If I was in a suburb type area I think opening the coop door during daylight hours would potentially resolve all of this. With proper fencing, a few Brahma hens and chicken-proofing the backyard they would have a nice area to wander around

During winter; free range is less often so definitely more time for misbehaving. My chicken keeping attitude is similar to having a dog; lots of 'walks' in between lousy weather episodes. Even if they just step out of run and shake those beautiful feathers, take a nice poop and look around. All helpful to get through long new england winters.

 

[tsgarvey]

New England can be wicked in the winter - cold hardy chickens for the win! I'm in CT and have gold laced wyanottes. They will be 3yrs in spring. I block winds in the winter and they do well.

It can be wicked sometimes.. but not often nowadays.. thankfully. Our property is wide open to the westerly winds and have a constant breeze/wind throughout the year. So, I definitely need to consider that for the winter. Thanks!

 

[fluffycrow]

Alrighty...any recommendations for a specific breed based on the info provided in this thread?

Chanteclers would be good, but probably a little too dual purpose for you. Wyandottes are a really good suggestion. Ameraucana and Sussex too. Those would be my top four choices. From there, I'd narrow it down based on looks, and then make the final cut taking into account on egg laying ability, and temperament

 

[fluffycrow]

Brahma would be amazing, but they have feathered feet, and will need extra maintenance, so not everyone's cup of tea. I personally love the look, but hate the upkeep

 

[Alagirl]

how many people do you expect to eat eggs?
2 years ago I got 5 chicks in anticipation of 3 people eating eggs on a regular basis.
Then, as they started laying, my husband became gravely ill and my son didn't trust my system so it's only me now. I have on average 2-3 eggs a day from the 5 girls, even though they are moulting right now.

I have feed store chicks, 2 bared Rocks, 2 Ameraucana types, and one RIR (and she is the smallest bird in the flock)
I should give 3 away, but since they got named.....
So I would not name them again, it makes those decisions easier. I have to second the idea of starting small, with 3 birds, then adding more the next year. If for nothing else that you can goo and gaa over the troughs at the store again, having room to put another 2-3 chicks in.
I found it practical to have a variety of birds. I didn't know what I had no clue of. Having the chance of a variety of eggs makes it easier to pinpoint any issues.
Although having hatchery eggs, there are still surprises. I thought the RIR layed the brown eggs, but it was one of the Barred Rocks.

Plus stay well under the suggested minimum square footage.
my run is 8x8, on paper plenty big for 5 hens. this summer I encountered some behavioral issues that would probably not have manifested with more space.

I can also not let them range without supervision, as I know I have a hawk in residence in the neighborhood.

 

[tsgarvey]

Chanteclers would be good, but probably a little too dual purpose for you. Wyandottes are a really good suggestion. Ameraucana and Sussex too. Those would be my top four choices. From there, I'd narrow it down based on looks, and then make the final cut taking into account on egg laying ability, and temperament

Thank you. I'm not against dual purpose. It seems a lot of breeds at the box stores are dual. I cannot remember why but I recall someone saying not to get dual purpose if all you want is eggs... Maybe get too big or not as many eggs?