I get to order more chickies! What should I get?

[HeadHen]

I ordered birds awhile back and we are loving it!
However because of a recent incident I had to add on to my coop and then ended up finding a new home for the flock instead (see post in emergencies if curious why).
I had ordered araucanas because my mom loved the idea of blue eggs, however they turned out to be roos. So I find myself in the unexpected position of getting to order more birds

(my mom really wants those blue eggs and I don't have the heart to get rid of my 2 roos).

So I am going to order some araucanas for spring and I can also get a few other breeds and I would love any input anyone wants to add on what I should order.

I already have 5 RIR and 9 Black stars and 9 Red Stars
Thinking about some Cuckoo Marans.
I have three young children that love the birds so no flighty or mean ones, and I live in a warm/hot climate (Houston). Don't have to be heavy egg producers, can have a few that are just fun.
What do you think?

 

[Year of the Rooster]

How about some Wyandottes? or Orpingtons? I've heard good things about them. OH! You should get a Black Australorp, mine is the most loveable thing in the world

 

[gritsar]

Make sure you order sexed and not straight run so you don't end up with too many roosters.
I've heard of personality being both ways in the Cuckoo Marans, wild and crazy or sweet and lovable.
The buff orps would be sweet, but not sure how well they would do in the Texas heat.
Love my brahmas. Very sweet and docile, do very well in the heat of summer which can't be said for all the LF breeds.

 

[PortageGirl]

Well, I’m ordering a mixed bag of chicks this spring, and I am making my choices for a combination of wanting mostly brown egg (though easter eggs are good too!). Here is my list of criteria, and what I'm looking at and why. I suggest a list of what's most important and then crossing out the ones that either don't fit your list or just aren't intersted in.

1) ability to handle the cold winters well including egg laying
2) mostly brown eggs
3) good temperaments
4) good foragers/thrifty keepers.

I grew up having chickens here, and since moving back home to care for my 90 year old pop, I find I miss them.

Here are the varieties I’m looking at getting, in varying numbers of each, to total around 30 or so total. I plan on having roos and will feed them with as few additives as possible, would love to go organic but it’s just NOT easy. Figure letting them forage will have to do!

Araucanas (Americaunas) [fun colored eggs] [winter hardy, good natured, good foragers]

Barred Rock [brown eggs] [good keepers, good layers, winter hardy]

Black Australorps [brown eggs] [medium size, good nature, not sure about winter]

Cuckoo Maran [chocolate brown eggs] [ok for winter, have heard they are good natured, and good foragers]

Lakenvelders [white eggs] [VERY good foragers, can be wild but if handled when young good to have]

Welsummer [dark brown eggs] [good foragers, large eggs, good natured]

Wyandottes, Silver or Golden Laced [brown eggs] [good keepers, winter layers, good temperament]

I may not get them all in the end, but they are my leading choices so far.

 

[coloradochick]

I picked up 2 NN Turkens out of the pullet pen at the farm store this last spring. Of course one turned out to be a roo

A big beautiful, ornery roo. And the other is the sweetest girl. I bet the kids would love to have a couple of them. Something different.

 

[gritsar]

I had read that the turkens were very sweet, if different. Also, cold hardy.
Here's the Henderson chart for picking breeds, if you haven't seen it already:

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

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

A nice breed would be standard Light Brahmas. They are very friendly calm docile birds, so are Salmon Faverolles.

 

[austinhart123]

idk but i heard if u mate hens to a ee roo, the offspring might lay green eggs

 

[needmorechickens!]

Wheaten Marans - They lay dark brown eggs and the birds are so pretty!
~Rebecca

 

[menageriemama]

Silkies and Marans!

edited for brain fart