"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[TBJumper0514]

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I wish my 2 Buffs were nice! They are meanies!

Really?? See that's why it's hard to tell someone what kind of birds they should get cause everyone has different experiences with different birds!! MY meanest birds are the Silver Laced Wyandottes and my Barred Rocks (Sometimes!)

My silver laced kicks everyone off the nest. The Barred Rocks are okay. My Black Sex Link is very sweet too. I am hoping my BLRW that I am raising will be sweet. The older ones are curious, but not overly friendly. But they are so beautiful!

 

[NonnasBabies]

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Really?? See that's why it's hard to tell someone what kind of birds they should get cause everyone has different experiences with different birds!! MY meanest birds are the Silver Laced Wyandottes and my Barred Rocks (Sometimes!)

My silver laced kicks everyone off the nest. The Barred Rocks are okay. My Black Sex Link is very sweet too. I am hoping my BLRW that I am raising will be sweet. The older ones are curious, but not overly friendly. But they are so beautiful!

I haven noticed that there is more bickering and pecking at each other in the pen with all the mixed breeds than there is in the 2 pens that have the Golden Cuckoo Marans & Speckled Sussex seperated in there!!

 

[EaglesPoint]

Hello peeps,,, I'm on the hunt for a few birds ,,Spangled Old English Bantam,, D uccle Mille Flur Bantam,,for 4-H Show birds an 120 hatching pharaoh quail eggs a few Bob Whites or Jumbo Coturnix eggs would be fine also..! I live in Colfax so if you know of anyone around here that may have for sale Let me know THANKS.....

 

[kuntrygirl]

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OK serious question here, Julie,--and anybody else! --- out of all these breeds you have, what is your favorite? in overall general terms - the ones that are nice & lay well & are just all around, you know, "good chicks" -- which breed do you like the best?

Asking for a young friend of mine who is trying to get started in chickens! I only have experience w/my Welsummers & Ameracaunas so I am no help!!! She wants a nice chicken who will be a good layer but be nice to her young children. (I promised her I'd take out any bad roos!)

Well................................... I don't have a "favorite" because each of my birds offer at least 1 thing that I like and the 1 bird that offers more traits than the others lacks the 1 trait that the others offer. Does that make sense?

So, I couldn't have a bunch of them for other reasons.

I love the Rhode Island Reds (my #1 layer), Buff Orps, Black Australops, New Hampshire Reds and Barred Rocks for egg laying.

My Golden Laced Wyandottes (bantams) get 1st Place for having all of the traits that I need as far as being the most beautiful birds (in my opinion) that I have. They are EXCELLENT brooders (mine brood 3 times a year EVERY year). They would set on 100 eggs if they could cover them all with no fussing. EXCELLENT mothers, VERY calm and tame, NEVER aggressive. You can walk up to them and pick them up and they won't jump out of your hand and try to fly off. I set them on my shoulder and walk around the chicken yard with them and they never fly off. They enjoy being touched and rubbed. Mine literally will walk over to me when I call their name. However, having the bantams, they lay small eggs, so I don't use their eggs for hatching or selling to my customers. I place fertile eggs from my other ladies under my GLWs and they hatch them for me. My GLWs are responsible for about 90% of the chicks that are hatched at my place.

The breed that gets an "F" as far as not being friendly and flighty are my Buff Orpingtons. They need meds - preferrably Prozac. They are krazy. They are the 2nd best broody mothers at my place and if you stick your hand into their brooder when it's time to feed and water and change the bedding, they will tear your eyes OUT. I can't stand them when they are broody.

So, I'm sure that didn't answer your question, but that is just my take on the breeds that I have. It all boils down to that I used the ones mentioned above for breeding and laying eggs and then I grab those eggs and let the GLWs take care of the rest.

This year, I will be ordering the Standard GLWs to see if they have the same temperment as my bantam GLWs. I have priced them and they are about $3.00 for a pullet depending on how many you order. I will be ordering them from either Cackle Hatchery or Ideal.

 

[Whiskey Bay]

My preferences are Orpingtons,Barred Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes and BLR Wyandottes,and Silkies/Showgirls. When it comes to laying.The Silkies have it bar none.The eggs are not large eggs,but they are layers.None of my birds are laying right now except my silkies like a champ.And one lil bantam hen,lol..All of my guys are big sweethearts.They coming running when I come out and just all over my feet all the time.Actually kindsa pain in the a...es sometimes if you ask me..lol....

My experience with several (many) different breeds.....
ORPINGTONS in general(blue,black,lavender,buff,white) have always been really hearty sweet birds with the exception of maybe 3 buffs I have right now.BUT they did not act like this before I sold them.I think because they had to scavenge and fight for food they got a lil aggressive.It's just a couple hens that will beat up on some other birds.As far as people they are fine.They come running for treats just like the rest.I have more colored roosters than hens right now and you'd never know.A couple tossle with amonst themselves but love people.

Barred Plymouth Rocks (barred rocks) The few flocks I have owned have been nice birds great layers.Never had any problems with the roosters.

Dominique looks just like Barred rocks with a rose comb (or flat like comb for newbies,lol.) Hens are usually pretty good.Lay a tad bit smaller egg.Roosters can get VERY volitile! I have never had a good experience with a dom roo. Wont own them myself.

Rhode Island Reds are about the same way.Much better laying birds but the roosters are infamous for being maneaters.

Americanas Good layers but.....Now I've had people tell me there is a big difference in americanas and easter eggers (besides the pure bred part) I've come across MAYBE 3 EE that were fairly calm natured and didn't freak out run all over try to fly off when you got near or even walked past.Even as raising babies.I bought some B/B/S eggs from a member of the Americana breeders assoc. BEAUTIFUL birds he has.....Hatched a perfect hatch....hand raised just like everyone else on the yard and these freakin psychos!!! I had to sell em.I like to let the birds out to roam and I couldnt stand having to herd birds every night and having them act like very idiots if i walked within 50 feet going the opposite direction!!

New Hampshire Reds and production reds about the same in laying.Roosters are a bit calmer,but still some bad apples.

Sex links are eggcellent layers.Never had any problems with any roos,but I've only had 1.

Black Astrolorps are supposed to be pretty gentle.Never had any problems with them.Overactive roosters,but never had one attack.

Brahmas I didn't have long.Just didn't like them.The roos I ended up with were aggressive amonst each other bad and a couple to us.

Leghorns are great for laying.No problems with any of the roos we had.We never free ranged these though because all of the leghorns we've ever had have always been real flighty/stubborn.Also seemed to get sniffly easy if left out overnight?

OEG are not a bird you would want for EGG LAYING. Game hens choose when they want to lay...lol... they choose when they want to set....they choose if they want to stay home...lol..they choose if you are going to get them out the tree without a rifle...lol... The roosters are a 50/50 shot I've had hundreds that were big teddy bears.But I've had almost as many come up that were TRUE MANEATERS. These guys are more hobby birds than for eating eggs.You can eat the eggs of course,but true gamebirders dont....

BCM So far my experience with these guys is bad.Not for the roosters....they have always been very docile so far.I have 3 now.But don't seem to be prolific layers? I haven't gotten an egg yet from my 14 1/2 hens and they are supposed to be about a year and I've had them awhile now.

SLW and GLW and BLRW So far experiences with these guys have been good.Never any real issues.We got the SLW as a started flock around 7 mos and they said the roo acted up once,but we never had any problem with him.I have heard the SLW roos can get a lil fiesty once in awhile. Not too many people around here have GLW and none have ever seen the BLRW until I got the few I had.

 

[Whiskey Bay]

Julie....I really must say...I know you really dispise the silkies...lol...But when it comes down to broodies...They are tops barnone !!! Those and cochins if you MUST have the feathers...lol...but seriously,the silkies really are wonderful setters.I love my girls.I can put anything under them.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Terri, do you have any good recipes for persimmon jelly or persimmon bread or anything else. I have a bunch of persimmons that are ripening and I need to find as many things to make as possible.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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I'm sure they are but I am terrified of them. They really (no joking) scare me. I wouldn't be able to go out in the chicken yard to feed the animals. If I saw one come running by, I would turn into a fainting goat and pass out.

And yes, I MUST have the feathers.

 

[Whiskey Bay]

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I'm sure they are but I am terrified of them. They really (no joking) scare me. I wouldn't be able to go out in the chicken yard to feed the animals. If I saw one come running by, I would turn into a fainting goat and pass out.

And yes, I MUST have the feathers.

Standard cochins!!!! I know the bantam cochins are great setters. The standards get HUGE!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

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I'm sure they are but I am terrified of them. They really (no joking) scare me. I wouldn't be able to go out in the chicken yard to feed the animals. If I saw one come running by, I would turn into a fainting goat and pass out.

And yes, I MUST have the feathers.

Standard cochins!!!! I know the bantam cochins are great setters. The standards get HUGE!!

Yep. I am on the notify list at one of the hatceries. They are sold out at this time. I can't wait to get them. They are so purdy.