Is this a good selection

[Traw]

Hi
I am new to the BYC, we will be moving to Bracey VA in the next 2 months. My thoughts are these

1) Looking good egg layers
2) A nice mix breeds for plumage and egg color
3) Will purchase pullets for the first year.

My list so far

Jersey Giants, Black Australops, RIR, Barred Rock, Easter Eggers, Black sex links, White Leghorns, Buff Orpington, Cuckoo Moran. light sussex

I am thinking 2 or 3 of each. if we get two of a few breeds I would make the 25-30 flock with nice recommended bantams.

Question

1) Are these chickens compatible with each other ?
2) Are they all classed as egg layers. ?
3) What would you add or take away.
4) Where to buy such a mixed bag.

many thanks

 

[cavemanrich]

First

You have a nice assortment for a colorful flock. They are all dual purpose birds. The white leghorn is a little short on the second purpose. Not much good for meat afterwards, but THE BEST EGG MACHINES WORLDWIDE.. The Jersey giants....... Well If you are planning to get bantams as well, You may have a David and Goliath showdowns. I'm not sure David will win. My suggestion is to start small and add as you gain more knowledge and experience. Don't over do things in the beginning. A good place to get these is at your local feed store in the spring time. If you get an assorted mix from a hatchery, you need to get a pretty good number. Have all things prepared ahead of time before you get your chickens,, Coop being #1

 

[QueenMisha]

Sounds like a good list. I personally would remove either Jersey Giants or Black Australorps. They're nearly identical (Giants are bigger and the feet colors are different, that's the only difference) and there's honestly no reason to have both. I would also replace Rhode Island Reds with Red Sex Links or New Hamshire Reds. They're both prettier and don't have the kind of nasty personalities RIRs can tend towards. Not to mentioned that the idea that RIRs are the best layers in the world is a falsity. A Red Sex Link will outlay a RIR any day of the year. And NHRs lay about the same as an RIR, but they've got a significantly nicer personality.

I would also replace White Leghorns with Brown Leghorns or potentially Hamburgs. Leggys have horrible temperaments (imo) and the Browns are prettier than Whites, which makes up for their personality to some extent. Hamburgs, on the other hand, lay just as well, more of a medium egg than a large but just as many of them, but they are so gorgeous. And although their temperament is extremely flighty, like a Leghorn's, it's less of a "oh my god scary humans!! Run!!" and more of a "Don't touch me, peasant human!" Very independent birds, and like I said, just gorgeous.

All your breeds are compatible. Any breed can be mixed except gamefowl and some bantams.

Most of your birds are classed as layers or DP. Your best layers will be the Sex-Links (both Black and/or Red), Leghorns, and Barred Rocks.

A couple of suggestions I might add to the list; Naked Necks and Wyandottes. Both great layers; the Naked Necks lay the biggest eggs I've ever seen, and the Wyandottes have a really stunning coloration in addition to being good layers.

If you want pullets, you're going to have to search pretty far and wide. Not a lot of retailers for pullets. Some hatcheries sell them, but with shipping it's $20 a bird, easy. Heck, out here where I live, $30 is a standard price for a point of lay bird. $10-15 for an 8 week old. As for chicks, most hatcheries will carry the breeds on your list. Easier to get the exact assortment you want that way, as well.

 

[Michael OShay]

It's a nice mix of breeds, but my thinking is similar to QueenMisha's. You will not be able to tell the Black Jersey Giants and Black Australorps apart without looking at the bottoms of their feet. I would personally go with the Australorps as they will eat less and lay more. If you're wanting some really large birds in your flock, I would get Brahmas instead of Jersey Giants. I also agree with QueenMisha that if you're wanting some red birds in your flock, I would replace the RIRs with Red Sex Links. RSLs will outlay RIRs, and generally have a little better temperament than RIRs (at least in my experience). I have a slight disagreement with QueenMisha regarding the Leghorn issue. In my personal experience, all Leghorns (white, brown, or otherwise) are flightly and high strung (it's why I quit raising Leghorns), but if you're going to get Leghorns, the white strains sold by hatcheries for commercial purposes are the very best layers. Personally for layers, I would just stick with Black Sex Links, which are very friendly and hardy, egg laying machines. I raised them for years (along with all the other breeds on your list), and my BSLs have been my very best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 large brown eggs per hen per year with double yolks not being uncommon. I have especially been impressed at their persistence in laying in really cold winter weather. Finally, I wouldn't mix bantams with the standard sized breeds as they will likely take a beating from the larger birds. We has to remove our Silkies from the main flock and keep them in their own separate enclosure for that very reason. Whatever breeds you decide to get, good luck with your flock.

 

[Traw]

Many thanks for all replies. I will take the advice offered,

1) Take off the Jersey giants.
2) No bantams
3) Replace the RIR with Red sex links

Are the white leghorns mean birds ? for that matter are nay of my selections mean to the point where is should consider a more docile bird.

The Hamburgs are really nice lookers so will add a couple of those. The roosters really do grab my eye. Would the Hamberg Rooster be a good selection ?

I will be running the flock totally free range, with a coop of 16" x 12". with 8 or 9 nesting boxes. Electric and water to the coop.

As always many thanks for your time....

 

[QueenMisha]

Many thanks for all replies. I will take the advice offered,

1) Take off the Jersey giants. 
2) No bantams 
3) Replace the RIR with Red sex links

Are the white leghorns mean birds ? for that matter are nay of my selections mean to the point where is should consider a more docile bird.

The Hamburgs are really nice lookers so will add a couple of those. The roosters really do grab my eye. Would the Hamberg Rooster be a good selection ?

I will be running the flock totally free range, with a coop of 16" x 12". with 8 or 9 nesting boxes. Electric and water to the coop.

As always many thanks for your time....

Leghorns are not mean, persay, but they are very antisocial. They don't want to be pet, cuddled, snuggled, or even caught or touched really. Also, @Michael OShay, I could have phrased that better. I didn't mean to imply that Brown Leghorns are less flighty than Whites. They aren't. But if you're gonna buy a Leghorn, they're a bit prettier, which sometimes makes their attitude a bit more tolerable for those of us who dislike Mediterranean breeds. In my experience though, the Browns lay as well as the Whites. I had both RC and SC Browns a couple years back and they were my best layers in the whole flock, just as good as my couple of Whites. If they weren't so crazy-nuts I'd still have em, but they didn't stay too long after I realized just how much I disliked them, lol.

I think a Hamburg rooster would make an excellent choice, especially if you're free ranging. Actually, I'd really stock up on Hamburgs if you're doing a 100% free range operation - they're really world class free rangers. They're good at escaping from predators, and they are very active, spending most of the day scratching and searching for bugs.

 

[Michael OShay]

Also, @Michael OShay, I could have phrased that better. I didn't mean to imply that Brown Leghorns are less flighty than Whites. They aren't. But if you're gonna buy a Leghorn, they're a bit prettier, which sometimes makes their attitude a bit more tolerable for those of us who dislike Mediterranean breeds. In my experience though, the Browns lay as well as the Whites. I had both RC and SC Browns a couple years back and they were my best layers in the whole flock, just as good as my couple of Whites. If they weren't so crazy-nuts I'd still have em, but they didn't stay too long after I realized just how much I disliked them, lol.

Gotcha. ) My White Leghorns typically were a little better layers than my browns, but I suppose it likely depends on which strain you purchase from which hatchery.

 

[Traw]

OK so seems like we have a line up

Black Copper Marans

3​

Hamburgs

3​

australops

3​

Red Sex Links

3​

Barred Rock

3​

Easter Eggers

3​

Black Sex links

3​

white Leghorns

3​

Buff orpington

3​

Cuckoo Moran

3​

30​

Silver Laced Hamberg Rooster

1​

Many thanks for your help