(((Help-What BREED should I get???)))

[chickenlovefever]

Well, I currently have some 2 year old adult chickens that I just don't feel pleased of. I have been mix breeding them And plan on keeping 8 hens of the 30 baby chicks and selling the rest along with this other batch of eggs that are to hatch in 11 days, but I don't know which of the chicks are males or females, so I will have to wait. I have been wanting to mix breed them, because I heard in book that mix bred hybrid chickens produce more eggs and are more productive in their lives. True???
SO I have this Chicken selling idea thing of mine down pat.I am going to keep only three of my hens to get eggs from until these chicks start laying. Then, after they do, the three other grown hens will be "ofted." But I want something other than these chicks i am going to just raise for my food on the table. Something I can keep breeding purebred rather than mixbreds, something that people or breeders would want to buy.
SO for Christmas, I have spoken to my parents already, I plan on getting a 100 $ gift certificate to Meyers Hatchery. I am going to start working with some meat turkeys, but i want some sor of chicken.
SO I need YOU GUYS' Help. Please go to www.meyerhatchery.com and help me choose a breed of chicken to buy. I want something unique-No Barred Rocks or ISA browns, or something like that. I want something rare or pretty or endangered, something like that. I have been really thinking about a type of Maran, or Campines. But I plan on breeding and selling these chicks. So can you help me decide?????
TY.

 

[chickenlovefever]

 

[magicpigeon]

Me, personally would lean towards the Sicilian Buttercup or the BLR Wyandotte. That said, they are hatchery birds so don't expect very high quality.

 

[Rosto]

Ty,
We really need to know more about what you are looking for in chickens. There are so many different variables to take into consideration when choosing breeds--- egg color, bird size, laying rate, temperament, broodiness or not, your local temperatures. I would say you should start reading as much as you can on here. Do your homework. Make a list of the things you want in a chicken then find something that you really like to look at that has all or most of your requirements. Since you want both meat and eggs, I would recommend a dual purpose breed. Go to the Livestock Breeds Conservancy and look at their lists. There are many breeds that are endangered. Whatever breed you choose I wish you the very best with them.
Amy

 

[thatoneguy]

silkies are a good breed

 

[CrestedGirl]

Well, we have many many breeds, large and small, we used to have some marans and they were really sweet, we have some endangered breeds like crevecoeurs, dorkings , buttercups, and sumatras. Sumatras and buttercups are a bit flighty and noisy but really smart and crevecoeurs are really sweet. I would recomend dorkings,I have silver gray, they are the sweetest things in the world and let u hold them!!!! Plus they are a critically endangered breed and date back all the way to ancient roman times!!!!

 

[CrestedGirl]

I don't think Meyer sells dorkings though, dominiques are also a really great breed and I know meyer sells those

But, what are you looking for in a chicken, do you want eggs or meat, or dual purpose? Do you live where it's hot cold? Do you want a small, medium or large breed? Do you want your breed to have feather feet or crest or neither? It all depends on what you want and can have

 

[Urban Chaos]

Tell ya what I did when selecting my chicks. I went to the breeds list section on here

https://www.backyardchickens.com/breeds/breed-chart


on this chart you can sort by characteristics - so you could sort first by climate - if there are too many that work for your area, sort by purpose - etc. This way you can get an idea of the birds that will fit what you need. THEN go to the hatchery site and see what they offer - or better yet, try and find a local source or two for your birds.

Good Luck.

 

[chickenlovefever]

Quote:
Well, I like BIG birds. And I Reaaaalllly like unusual. Like, for instance, in my chicken book I have here,Pocketful Of Poultry, It says that Campines' Conservation Status is Critical. They are also Ornamental Birds. I like Ornamental, pretty birds. I don't want any bantams, though, And I don't want just Regular Chickens, or the "usual", Barred Rocks, RIRs, Americaunas, Leghorns, Anything like that-Basically things I have already had or breeds that A plenty of other people have around. I like the idea of Marans, Maybe. I really want a big breed.

 

[RingedTeal]

Jersey Giant though I'm not sure if they are endangered.They are BIG.