Is this a suitable selection?

[AccidentalFarm]

Some of you may know that I bought Easter chicks this year- only to find that instead of laying hens, I ended up with either all 4 being roo's or with 3 cornish X and 1 RIR roo. Too soon to tell for sure, but neither is what I had in mind. I've resigned myself to the fact that butchering is in my very near future, either way. What I wanted was eggs, not meat. So, I decided to order chicks. I choose 10 birds, 2 each of the following:

Golden Laced Cochins
Buff Orpingtons
Ameraucanas
Buff Brahmas
Dark Brahmas

I choose these for temperment, broodiness, and of course, beauty. I read much about the birds and the only thing I really wonder about is that they are all large birds, with the exception of the Ameraucanas, which are stated to be about half the size of the others. I hope this will not be a problem. I wonder, too about putting a roo on the hens..does it really matter if you have an RIR roo with the above breeds? I'm thinking if I am right about my one little chick that I suspect to be the RIR roo, then I will keep him.

So, any comments/suggestions/wisdom on the breeds I chose are much appreciated.

on edit: The above will join a small flock of 5: 2 black sex-links and 3 white leghorns

 

[speckledhen]

Those are nice selections and the Ameraucanas should be fine with them. And you can certainly have a RIR rooster with any of the hens, but his temperament will probably not be as laid back as the breeds you mentioned. Still, it is an individual thing, so who knows?

 

[kalisgirl]

I have a lot of big girls, Brahmas included, with my three Easter Eggers(Ameraucanas). They get along great.

 

[wynedot55]

anytime you gamble an buy easter dyed chicks.your most likely 100% buying roos.the hatcheries can dye them an sale emm real cheap.

 

[Picco]

The chicks are dyed while still in the egg and since there is no way of knowing the sex of the chick while still in the egg so I do not think the dyed chicks have anymore of a chance of being a rooster. I think you just had bad luck in selected the chicks.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

The chicks were ordered (by the local feed store) from Ideal. I called Ideal and asked a few questions. They sell 2 types of dyed easter chicks: 1) Cornish Rocks, all pullets or 2)An assortment (their choice) of Roos.

The feed store could not tell me what exactly they ordered. Considering that there is obviously at least 2 different breeds they are selling, and that they were sure there were *some* pullets in the mix, I assume they ordered both types Ideal sells.
How they know what to put in either assortment is beyond me.

This is neither here nor there, really, since I do not need all roos, nor any meat birds.

And yes, bad luck indeed. I trusted the feed store owners wife to pick pullets for me (because, "she can tell them apart").

 

[Kimblee]

Quote:
Those feeds tore wives.... the one down here assures me all nine of my chicks are hens.... Sure hope she's right.

Good luck to you, and Ameraucanas are tough little creatures, my dad has a fondness for the breed and his little Ameraucana roo once gave a good beat down to a fighting cock he bought to teach his dog a lesson.