Help me pick please!!!

[ninny]

Okay my biggest dream is to breed chickens but i can't decide what to do.

Im leaning three ways

Heritage Breeds
Bantams
Ornamental Breeds

I love bantams like crazy but the hubby wants big chickens.
I would like to raise rare breeds
I have a old two car garage and a huge 25 x 50 ft run for it. I can easily turn it in to breeding pens.

My biggest worry is that if i do bantams i won't be able to sell them.

Anybody got any tips? What sells best? I really don't want to be stuck with extra birds.

Or best yet are their any ornamental heritage bantams?

 

[walkswithdog]

Here bantams sell well as pets. But bantams don't produce meat or eggs.

I started in Plymouth Rocks but am shifting to Delawares as they're larger, quicker growing and even better at foraging. Was trying to see about marans but after two disaster hatches, not sure that is ever going to work out. Found a guy breeding wheaten ameraucana nearby, might try a few of those.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Heritage breeds is a good way to go. As more and more people are starting backyard flocks- I think there will be a demand for them. You can get starter birds from breeders or places like Sand Hill (or is it Creek?)Preservation.

 

[amazondoc]

Who says that bantams don't produce eggs??? My bantams beg to differ.

I say get some of each. There's nothing like a bit of variety to keep life interesting!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Sounds like you have plenty of room to have all three, although heritage could encompass either or both large fowl or bantams.

I think you need to make a list of the attributes you are looking for, then narrow down the breeds you want based upon those. If you're looking for dual purpose, eliminate the breeds that are primarily meat or eggs and focus on the breeds that will give good yields of both. If you want only eggs, eliminate birds that are primarily meat or that have low laying rate. Etc.

Some folks loke the look of featherlegs and/or crests. Others dislike the "strange" look, and want a chicken to look like their concept of a chicken. Some like the clean lines of gamebirds, others prefer the fluffiness of a cochin or silkie.

Once you have a consolidated list of characteristics that you like and dislike, find the breeds that match closest and select from there.

 

[feather leg farms]

BAN-TAMS, BAN-TAMS, BAN-TAMS!!!!!!!!!! They are the best. Go with silkies, showgirls,buff orps, barred rock, leghorns,cochins, show silkies,sumatras, and more.

 

[SproutGirl]

Some chickens are considered very rare or endangered, such as the Dorking. You could breed those.

Probably you should go with whatever kind of bird you like best, though, since you'll have lots of them around!

Edited for typos!

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

My favorite and oft linked chicken breed chart

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

There is some market for cross-bread chickens, but best prices are for birds that meet the description of one of these breeds.

If you are breeding to meet a standard for a breed, you will hatch a lot of birds that do not quite fit in with your breeding program. If you have no room to keep them and cannot sell them, you will need to have an alternate plan, like eating them or allowing someone else to eat them. For that reason, I prefer the large fowls to bantams.

You must think about all your "Plan B" situations. Like what you are going to have to do to a chick that is not doing well.

Don't mean to be a downer, just think it through, make sure you know what your goals are and what you'll have to do to get there.

Good Luck, it sounds like you have a great place to start!

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
I love my son's Dorkings! They were not easy to find because of their rarity, which is one of the reasons that they're so wonderful. So far, they're the nicest, most easily handled breeds we have. He's going to use one for showmanship in 4-H.

 

[ninny]

Um I like them all. That's the problem. I have a plan B. All hens that are not sold as pets go into my free range flock. All roosters not sold as pets and if no room in the flock go into freezer. The rest hopefully will sell as breeder stock etc.. We have a good 4h and FFA program here. I've been leaning towards heritage breeds and silkies. But also thinking of doing all bantams and call ducks too. Large fowl will take up a lot more room then bantams. But i don't have to have a million of each breed either.

What do 4hers and ffa kids show the most? bantams or standard?