Help me choose breeds

SunnyAlberta

Songster
8 Years
Mar 30, 2012
617
33
161
Canada - Garden Zone 3
I'd like four laying hens as pets and for eggs in my suburban yard. They will not free range. They must be hardy to dry heat and cold winters. They should be quiet and friendly. I cannot keep roosters here, so breeds that can be sexed young are my preference. Here is my list: Ameraucana, Marans, Cochin, Faverolle, Red Caps, Araucana, and Orpington. Am I on the right track? Would it be appropriate to have four different breeds?
 
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sounds like you are on the right track. And yes, keeping four different breeds is great. I keep a mixed flock, and love it.



I do think you will have a hard time finding true auracanas and ameraucanas though. And cochins are not great layers. I do not know how heat hardy they are. Sexlinks are also great egg producers, and they are quite friendly, and very sexable.
 
Thank you for the heads up about Cochins and information about Sexlinks. There is a breeder of purebred Ameraucanas nearby, but they are sold out til July. Your birds are STUNNING; if Hubby knew there was a possibility of keeping a Bobcat, instead, I'd be out of luck in the pet chicken department.
 
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Orps do make a lot of noise, they tlk to themselves, but they arent too loud

Cochins are TECHNICALLY a meat bird, so they arent right for you
Amerciancaus, well your not gonna get those unless you get tem from a breeder. If you get an 'Americana" your gonna get an EE, they (well ours) also talk to themselves and are some what loud
 
But dont give up on them, Orps and EEs are great layers,and if they arent free ranged they wont be heard too much.
Marans are good layers, and we've never had them but ive never heard they were noisy
 
my orps are chatty, but they are quite...I guess it's better to say they are more low volume...one of my orps is so quite that when she's talking to herself (or me) its like she's purring to herself. I have not heard of cochins as meat birds....just more ornamental as in low egg production, but super friendly and wonderful pets. They do not grow at crazy rates like cornish cross, so it's not like you have to process them.


...as for my bobcat, its only because I am a permitted wildlife rehabber....he stays in a wildlife facility. I do alot of work with them, but they are not "mine"...nor are they good pets...they can be very grouchy!
 
...as for my bobcat, its only because I am a permitted wildlife rehabber....he stays in a wildlife facility. I do alot of work with them, but they are not "mine"...nor are they good pets...they can be very grouchy!

Hubby can be very grouchy, too. LOL

I've pre-ordered young pullets, one each of Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock, Maran, and Buff Orpington. I may be picking my coop up tonight. I could get birds as soon as this weekend or wait til the end of April, I guess it all depends how quickly I can get my coop and tractor ready. This is getting exciting! Thanks for your help.
 
nvm, my sis was crazy, they are ornamental, my sis told me they were meat birds but i told her they were ornamental, but i found they ARE ornametnal! muahaha, score: me, 1, sis, 0!
 

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