Help me Decide on a Breed!!!

French Marans. They've handled the heat of Texas and Florida and they're naturally a cold hardy breed, especially with their large, poofy size and feathered shanks.

Marans are very quiet, calm, and friendly; The roosters are almost never aggressive; The eggs are very large, and depending on quality, can be GORGEOUS!

They are a dual purpose breed, as most hens can reach 7 lbs or over, and the roosters can reach over 10 lbs. (although the proposed standard calls for less)

Blue Wheaten cockerel



Black Copper cockerel



Wheaten hens foraging



Their gorgeous eggs

 

I say Dominiques or orpingtons


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Illia~ Those eggs are gawgous!!!

 

Orpingtons and/or Plymouth Rock - Barred.

 

Depends a lot on how many of your birds you want to go broody. If you want half or more of them to go broody in the summer, then Buff Orpingtons sound like the perfect breed for you (eggs may be scarce though over the summer due to broodiness).

If you only want about 10-25% of your birds to go broody, then Black Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, Dominiques, and Barred Rocks would make excellent choices.

I did a lot of research and asking around on BYC cause I was looking for good farm breeds with very similar traits to what you want. Except for the Dominique, these are the breeds I've chosen. I nixxed the Dominique for myself only because a friend of mine has Barred Rock hatching eggs, and I saw no point in having both breeds. I'm going to try these four breeds, and possibly narrow it down further within a couple years. Delawares also looked very interesting, but I thought their white plumage would be to noticeable for predators...

Remember though that no matter what you feed them, no dual-purpose bird will be as large and have as much breast meat as the Cornish X meat birds in the store.

Here's a link to a great chicken breed search tool...
http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

I don't want to get in trouble, but the chocolate egg breeds are not as good of layers as brown egg breeds. I've heard that to get that beautiful dark color, the egg has to spend more time in the hen getting re-coated several times with the brown coloring to become so dark, thus lessening the number of eggs that the hen is able to lay per year.

Those really are some pretty eggs and birds Illia! If I were ever to have a flock of chickens just for beauty, I think I'd know who'd I ask for hatching eggs.

 

Delawares! Hands down, Delawares!!! Super friendly, even as chicks. They will run up to you, hang our with you, sit on you, ride around on your shoulders. Great big light brown eggs. Excellent meat. A Heritage bird. Check out the club website: www.delawarepoultryclub.org

 

Delawares and Rocks. I have both. Can't beat them as an all-round great breed, great layers and personalities. I also love my Blue/Black/Splash Ameraucanas.

 

Quote:I don't think those meet the criteria of a "True Heritage breed," that the OP asked for. Pretty though.

I agree with joletabey and speckledhen ..... Delawares! Plymouth Rocks, as well! You would love them both.

 

I'd recommend Buff Orpingtons to fulfill your expectations.

 

Australorps are great, but I don't know that they are broody enough for what you're wanting. Marans aren't "heritage", but they would be a GREAT choice. Delawares are a decent choice.

I personally don't like rocks - they are "bland" of personality to me. And my orpingtons didn't handle heat very well.