Love some help with what breeds to buy

[stav1981]

Hiya, I have my coop finally constructed after 2 years! initially i had my heart set on sussex breeds ie light and speckled. maybe an orpington or new hampshire. I chose these breeds as they are native to the uk i believe.

However upon searching and searching for a breeder I am out of luck, also upon researching I have found the sussex breeds can go broody which is not what I want. Do i now go for a different breed or is the broodiness thing not much of a problem? I am after good layers but also native breeds to the uk as I feel they would withstand the harsh weather conditions.

Would really love someone to tell me the broodiness thing with the sussex chickens is not much of a problem, I would also love someone to say get (x) number of this breed because they are good layers and friendly and get (y) number of new hampshire because they have this particular advantage.

This is becoming more stressful than I thought I just want my chickens now

Cheers in advance

 

[Judy]

At least in the US, hatcheries have been breeding away from broodiness for ears and years, to increase egg production. In the end, though, broodiness is the luck of the draw. I've had Sussex and Orps and have not had one go broody -- not that that really means much, though.

Harsh weather? Chickens tolerate cold much better than heat, and require shade and good breeze in the summer in most areas. Maybe your weather isn't as harsh for chickens as you anticipate. They can do fine in weather well below freezing without heat, if their coop is ventilated well enough, but every summer, we read about some losing their lives to the heat.

Maybe you would be interested in posting in our UK thread, here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/2199/anyone-in-england/0_20

 

[Ridgerunner]

The Sussex and Orpington were developed in the UK. Dorking is another popular UK breed. The New Hampshire were developed in the States as a meat bird. It was named after our state, not your county.

The problem with broodies if you don’t want to hatch chicks is that when they are broody, they are not laying eggs. They still eat and drink some, though not as much as normal because they are mostly living off of stored fat while broody, but still some food you have to buy. They also can disrupt the henhouse, though usually not. And they can require special handling, either to hatch chicks or to break them from being broody. Some people like me love a broody hen but for many it is an aggravation.

Whether or not a hen goes broody is pretty much the luck of the draw. But the tendency to go broody is inherited. If you get your chickens from a flock that tends to go broody, yours will also have that tendency. If you get your chickens from a flock that tends to not go broody, yours are less likely to go broody. That goes with hatchery flocks as well as breeder’s flocks. Broodiness has as much to do with strain as with breed.

In this case, strain means if the person that selects which chickens get to breed bases that decision partly on whether or not they go broody, that flock will wind up with a strain tendency, which may or may not agree with what are normally considered breed tendencies. Judy’s idea of posting on the UK thread could help you out.

Good luck with it.

 

[stav1981]

Thanks very much I love you all, your advice and guidance is always appreciated, I think I will endeavour to find sussex and maybe a rhode island red I cant wait