Help me pick some good farm breeds! :)

[punky rooster]

from what i see marans are not good layers

 

[Cowgirl71]

Thanks for all the replies!

What do you all think of Sand Hill? Their prices are really high compared to other hatcheries, but if the quality's there...

Or are their birds not any better than other hatchery's? As much as I love to hatch eggs, I haven't yet developed a knack for it (might have to do with the fact that my incubators are LG 9200

). My hatch rates are pretty low, even with non-shipped fresh eggs (the best I ever got was 39/48

).

Sandhill's Delawares look VERY interesting ("excellent choice for free-range broilers," and high production of extra-large eggs).

I was SHOCKED though to see they don't have Barred Rocks. I REALLY want Barred Rocks. I have fond memories of when I was really little playing with my Grandma's Barred Rock chickens.

Here's a link

: http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/chickens.html

 

[Cowgirl71]

I found another source for Delawares from a current BYC thread: http://www.whitmorefarm.com/content/5089
They do sell chicks...

What do you think of these birds? The more I read about Delawares, the more I'm liking them.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Actually I count more on my Black Coppers than I do my Ameraucanas, Brahmas, or even Wyandottes. . .

But I don't think they're too heat tolerant. At least, mine aren't.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Honestly I used to like Sandhill, then, . . . . I learned from a lot of people that most of their stuff is just the same as other hatcheries, in fact the rarer the breed you get from them, the better chance it's just a mutt.

You can always PM speckledhen or kathyinmo and ask her - They're big on Delawares.

 

[kathyinmo]

grass-fed Black Angus, huh? Wellllllllllllllllll, that sounds awfully good to me!

I'm gettin' tired of chicken .... fried chicken, chicken soup, chicken and noodles, roasted chicken, BBQ chicken ...... GEZ, all the dang roosters I hatched turned out to be great freezer filler. BUT, enough all ready. I want some of your beef!

OK.... back on topic ....
You are here in Missouri, I see. Nice place, yes? Well, maybe I can help you out with some of the breeds you mention an interest in. You say you want to wait until spring? I have these breeds (none are hatchery stock): Delawares, Buckeyes, Light Sussex (and Coronation Sussex), Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, and ..... well, that's probably enough huh....

Just let me know if I can help. Feel free to PM or email me.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
I have some FBCMs and some GCM X Delaware hens.

They lay HUGE eggs and are decent layers and their boys are BIG.

 

[punky rooster]

sorry I don'y have any but i know they are not the best layers though

 

[cubalaya]

Quote:
i like sandhill and they have some good quality delawares. they dont have barred rocks but they have barred hollands and dominiques.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Alright! After giving it a lot of thought, these are the four breeds I've chosen.....
- Delaware (they sound like a great all-round bird!).
- Barred Plymouth Rock (I have a soft spot for them, and I like how they're color sex-able when young, and they're also a great all-round bird).
- Rhode Island Red (This is another great all-round bird).
- Buff Orpington (docile, and great broodies).

With these four breeds I'll have a very nice color assortment.

Also, RIRs and BOs crossed with BPRs and Dellies would make sex-links. BTW, I would have DEFINITELY picked Buckeyes if I were farther north.

Where should I get these breeds from?