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Aloha, Jacque, and welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. I actually answered you on your PM, but as I said there, I have had dozens of breeds since I first moved to Hawaii 23 years ago, and up until a couple of weeks ago, I had 25 hens; 7 Black Sex Links, & Black Australorps, 4 Buff Orpingtons, and 7 Easter Eggers. I sold my entire flock to a friend in preparation for our move to Kalispell, Montana the first week in September. Free ranging is a risky issue on the big island. I currently live on Oahu, but I managed a farm in the Puna District on the east side of the big island when I first moved to Hawaii. The mongooses may not be as bad in the Kona district where you live (not having lived on the west side I can't say for sure), but they were so bad in the Puna district that free ranging them was virtually impossible. I had to keep my entire flock (nearly a 100 birds at times) in enclosed runs or I would have lost them all. Even when the mongooses didn't kill the adult birds, they killed the young ones and raided the nesting boxes when I tried free ranging them. Unfortunately, the productive breeds purchased from hatcheries and breeders lack the survival instincts of the feral game birds that are found throughout the islands, and the feral game birds lack the productive laying abilities of the hatchery bred birds. Which breed would be best for you depends on your priorities. If egg production is a priority, I would recommend Black Sex Links (Rhode Island Red rooster X Barred Rock hen) which are very friendly and hardy, egg laying machines. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds and hybrids), and they have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 eggs per hen per year. I've ordered the BSL chicks (pullet orders) a number of times from Ideal Poultry in Cameron, TX, and have been happy with their birds and service. I've never lost more than 1 or 2 chicks in shipping, and since they've always put 2 or 3 extra in the box, I've always gotten what I've paid for. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in anyway we can. Whatever breeds you decide to get, good luck wi' da flock.
