I want ONE breed...DUMB???

[762]

Welcome to BYC.

Nothing wrong with wanting one specific breed, especially since you want to breed your own replacements. I personally started with a mixed flock and, while I still want to keep some spare layers for egg sales, I intend to primarily breed my Blue Australorps because I absolutely fell in love with them.

Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, so if you put your location into your profile people can give you better-targeted advice.

For example, while chickens are, in general, hardy, adaptable animals, some breeds are more cold-tolerant, others more heat-tolerant, etc.

Thanks. I was also looking at Australorps for a variety of reasons, but I read they typically are not brooders. Has that been the case for you? I like that they forage and that the roosters are very protective. But if I open the gate and let them into the woods, I feel like they are sitting ducks...or chickens. Ha. Same problem with Orpingtons I guess.

 

[PandaGirl]

We are in St.Louis and get ALL the wether. From 0 degrees to 102. The Orpingtons got a little hot on the 102 days, but they lived, and they still came out in the snow!

 

[3KillerBs]

Sorry I am in central Virginia. We get ALL the weather, but our snow is pretty minimal. It can get in the teens but most winter days stay in the 40s. I'll adjust my profile!

from the NC Sandhills.

Summer heat will be more of a concern to you, so you might want to avoid the breeds that are specifically bred for cold climates like Buckeyes and Chanteclers. Features that are supposed to help chickens do well in the heat include clean legs, tight feathering, and large single combs.

My best birds in the heat are my Australorps, but for some weird reason Brahmas are strangely heat-tolerant. The very best in the heat are the Mediterranean breeds, but they're lighter-bodied and not so good for meat (not that anything compares to a Cornish X).

Here's my article on hot climate chicken-keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

Thanks. I was also looking at Australorps for a variety of reasons, but I read they typically are not brooders. Has that been the case for you? I like that they forage and that the roosters are very protective. But if I open the gate and let them into the woods, I feel like they are sitting ducks...or chickens. Ha. Same problem with Orpingtons I guess.

About half my Australorp girls have gone broody, but I haven't had any raise chicks for me yet because I can't get them to graft to a new nest in their designated maternity ward (I'm not sure why), and I can't let them hatch in the main boxes because of their design.

I don't free range because we have a rather high predator load here and because I like my garden unmolested.

 

[TooCheep]

Orpingtons and Australorps appear to check all of your boxes. Either would work well. Plan on getting an outside rooster occasionally to keep your genetics fresh.

 

[Shevraeth]

They might not go broody enough for your plans, but I think Bielefelders would be a good pick for many of the other reasons. I wasn't able to get any this summer when I placed my chick order, but they're high up on my list for next time.

 

[3KillerBs]

PS, if you are willing to eat or rehome spare birds, I'd suggest that you get about twice as many as you want, raise them to point-of-lay, pick the ones that best suit your needs, and sell or eat the rest.

The gentleman in my avatar photo was the best of 5 candidates.

 

[BlueBaby]

They might not go broody enough for your plans, but I think Bielefelders would be a good pick for many of the other reasons. I wasn't able to get any this summer when I placed my chick order, but they're high up on my list for next time.

I have 2 of them right now out of 7 that are currently broody.

 

[762]

They might not go broody enough for your plans, but I think Bielefelders would be a good pick for many of the other reasons. I wasn't able to get any this summer when I placed my chick order, but they're high up on my list for next time.

Well I'd say being broody enough is super high on the list. Otherwise I'll be buying from a hatchery again, which is exactly what I don't want to do.

 

[Tami2]

Getting ready to find some new chicks and build a coop while they start to mature. Seems like it would be nearly impossible to prohibit interbreeding without a lot of work, I want to find the right breed of dual purpose bird. I don't want to cross-breed anything because I want the natural traits of the birds I choose to remain intact. We want brooders that produce a good amount of eggs but also, eventually meat.

I want one breed because I do not want to depend on a hatchery to provide brooders for my egg layers, etc. If I have more than one breed of rooster, there will be no way for me to know which rooster has fertilized which eggs, etc. My ideal is to buy chicks once, and create a sustainable flock from those chicks.

From what I've read, Orpingtons seem pretty perfect. Forage well, generally too big for hawks but relatively quick on the ground for their size, 4-5 large eggs per week, great brooders and mothers, and good size for eating. Still researching breeds, though.

Regardless of which breed I go with, am I naive in thinking this can be done?

My sister had chickens for years & only had RIRs. She was perfectly happy with that.
Until she got 1 silkie & fell in love with that breed as well.

 

[3KillerBs]

Well I'd say being broody enough is super high on the list. Otherwise I'll be buying from a hatchery again, which is exactly what I don't want to do.

I'd like to have my broodies raise chicks. But I got an incubator for Christmas.