Ok, with our free hatchery order we are going to get more chickens, of course. I need help picking breeds. The only things I'm not into are silkies, polish, or cochins (no offence, I just prefer normal feathered chickens. Its a personal thang lol) I have a REALLY big demand in my area for eggs, so I am looking for good layers with the following atributes: 1) Good brown egg layers that aren't tempermental, like to be handled, do well with other chickens when added to a flock, and lay medium to large eggs. 2) Good white egg layers with the same as above. 3) I'd also like some banties for smaller eggs. Suggestions on good breeds that meet what we're looking for? 4) If some of the above would also be good as dual birds, that would come in handy. We are going to be moving our flock to Organic feeds and will eventually get them certified as Organic birds. If/when I do that, I plan to sell meat chickens as well, so a few good dual purpose birds would be nice. I already know that I'd like a few Marans for the rich chocolate brown eggs, but I dont know much about the breed.
Consider Speckled Sussex and Faverolles. For the life of me, I can't figure out why EVERYONE doesn't have these breeds for backyard, dual-purpose chickens. They should be as popular as the Buff Orpingtons (which I also recommend).
I don't have alot of expierence in alot of chicken breeds. My friend Denise has just added some Isa Browns. I read they are good layers but I don't know from personal experience. She has 5 Mille Fleur bantams and they lay alot of eggs! You would think them being a fancy bantam they couldn't forage, but they do. They free range along with her standards. I don't have any personal expierence with alot of bantams either, but I really love the Mille Fleurs. They are so comical and the hens are really beautiful with all their speckles and such. They seem to be in demand as pets too. Her local feed store sold out of all their Mille Fleur chicks!
i have rir's,opingtons and red sex links. they all are very good layers of brown eggs and the orpingtons are a good table bird
Llysse...what color eggs do the Speckled Sussex lay? Brown, I'm guessing? I looked them up and I like the look of them, both the roos and hens, so they may be an option. I didn't do it....I also really like the Red Sex Links. I also just looked up the Isa Browns and they are LOVELY! Do they lay brown or white eggs? PS....Are Leghorns the only layers of white eggs?
Now I'm trying to decide if I should choose specific breeds, or just order a Meat-and-Egg combo, where I'd get 15 Cornish X Rocks, and 10 pullets from their Rainbow and Brown egg layers....hmmm....decisions, decisions!
I have heard great things about the "Red Sex Links" from MM. The cockerel chicks they sent me (extras) are very robust and growing faster than my other breeds. Andy
Yes, the Sussex lay brown eggs. The hens tend to get more and more speckledy as they get older, too, especially around the head. Not sure about the roos... however, they're supposed to be (typically) quite nice. I've also heard good things about the sex links, but I've always had a hankering to raise my own birds, and the sex links won't breed true. If you don't care about that, then it shouldn't matter. A friend of mine has raised goats and chickens for 30 years, and he has the best animals I've ever seen. The reason is that he only breeds for what he likes. He doesn't show. He's interested in breeding friendly, healthy birds that are gentle, easy to confine to his run, and lay eggs all year long. I don't know how well they conform the the standards of their breed, but just looking at them you can tell they're happy, healthy birds with shiny plumage. He currently has Brahmas and Orpingtons. I'd like to have the same quality in my birds: not show quality, but backyard flock quality. That's why I'm so interested in the Faverolles and the Sussex, because they seem to be my idea of a good breed to start out with. PLus, they're rare, and if I can help preserve a heritage breed, then all the better.
I've never had any of these breeds so I can't speak on temperment, but according to the books they lay white eggs: Leghorns (come in white, brown, red, and silver) Blue Andalusians Anconas Silver Spangled Hamburgs Minorcas (buff and black) Phoenixs Sumatras Silver Grey Dorkings Golden Campines Lakenvelders Buttercups And I'm sure there are dozens more, but these should be common enough for you to find more info on. Good luck, and be sure to post lots of pics!
I have three red sex links and they are the friendliest of the bunch. I like their coloration as well. My husband had them as a teenager and they were the one type he insisted we get this time. Great egg production. My Dominiques are a little more skiddish, but beautiful! They are also brown egg layers.