Need a breed....

[1Matt]

I was (am still am) set on dominiques and breeding to the SOP with that breed but I can't have them where I am right now....I live on to little land and they are flighty birds....But I would like to have a self-sustaining flock of chickens. Something I wouldn't have to buy chicks from a hatchery every year cause lack of broodiness, won't jump or try to run through the fence cause the grass is greener on the other side, and something that would lay great all year round including winter without a light....suggestions on breeds? I don't like buckeyes or rhode island reds.....to me they are ugly. in personality and looks....BTW if they get out of the fence my neighbor is a sue happy jerk.....his yard is like gold...He will NOT buy eggs off me for $2 a dozen but will go to the feed store and buy them for $6 a dozen cause they "know" how to raise the chickens and the eggs are better than anyones......so what I want is brrodiness/ mothering abilities, eggs through the winter, and are not flighty.....wont try to cross the fence for a juicy bug..... *edit* they need to look good too....

 

[chicks13]

I really love the breed Silkies! They are beautiful chickens and are very sweet. They also are great broody mammas and are very fluffy. They are great with small land and are so cuddly! One downside is they don't lay as much as a lot of breeds but, they are one of my favorite and I really recommend them!

Good luck I hope you find the perfect breed!

 

[Freeloading slacker]

I'm sorry but I don't think any chicken matches your qualifications. ALL breeds of chickens will go through a fence for a tasty bug. But if you just want eggs, broodiness and not being flighty I would suggest the Brahma chicken. They're also quite big and might not be able to fit through your fence. I would also suggest the Barred Rock they look like Dominique but are not flighty.

 

[Freeloading slacker]

I really love the breed Silkies! They are beautiful chickens and are very sweet. They also are great broody mammas and are very fluffy. They are great with small land and are so cuddly! One downside is they don't lay as much as a lot of breeds but, they are one of my favorite and I really recommend them!

Good luck I hope you find the perfect breed!

Another problem with silkies is that they get cold really fast and can die from being too cold

 

[Angileen]

I was (am still am) set on dominiques and breeding to the SOP with that breed but I can't have them where I am right now....I live on to little land and they are flighty birds....But I would like to have a self-sustaining flock of chickens. Something I wouldn't have to buy chicks from a hatchery every year cause lack of broodiness, won't jump or try to run through the fence cause the grass is greener on the other side, and something that would lay great all year round including winter without a light....suggestions on breeds? I don't like buckeyes or rhode island reds.....to me they are ugly. in personality and looks....BTW if they get out of the fence my neighbor is a sue happy jerk.....his yard is like gold...He will NOT buy eggs off me for $2 a dozen but will go to the feed store and buy them for $6 a dozen cause they "know" how to raise the chickens and the eggs are better than anyones......so what I want is brrodiness/ mothering abilities, eggs through the winter, and are not flighty.....wont try to cross the fence for a juicy bug..... *edit* they need to look good too....

You're not going to get many eggs in the winter with out a light, doesn't matter what breed you get. I live in northern Minnesota and have a mixed flock of Black and White Jersey Giants, Lavender and Buff orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Speckled Sussex, Calico Princess, Dominique, Midnight Majesty Marans, and Buckeye. I do not find my Dominique's to be flighty but I do spend a lot of time with them and have held them a lot. All my breeds are winter hardy and docile. I have 29 hens and 4 Roosters. My hens laid up to 24 eggs a day this past winter but I had 2 heat lamps on when the weather was below zero. So the light is what triggered them to lay so well. On rare occasions I would get 27 eggs but the average was around 20. If you want a mellow breed that doesn't want to jump a fence I would go with Jersey Giants or Orpingtons. I found my white Jersey Giants to be larger then my Black. I have one black who is setting on some eggs now and I had a white who wanted to set but I did not let her. They also are easily tamed I hold mine all the time, except for my Roo, he doesn't like to be held. My Orpingtons are really laid back and probably the most winter hardy of my breeds but they do lay a smaller egg. My Roos consist of 1 Black Jersey Giant, 1 Lavender Orpington, 1 Midnight Majesty Marans and 1 Buckeye. My Buckeye Roo Is my favorite because he is one of my cuddle buddies. he is the mellowest Rooster of the bunch more so than my Lavender who is also very mellow. I do not think he is ugly he has beautiful rich mahogany colored feathers that shine in the sun he also has a magnificent pea comb. My Lavender is by far the largest. Next year I am going to breed him to my white Jersey giant hens too see if I can get even bigger birds. I don't care if they are pure they are my pets who give me and my family and friends eggs to eat.

 

[1Matt]

You're not going to get many eggs in the winter with out a light, doesn't matter what breed you get. I live in northern Minnesota and have a mixed flock of Black and White Jersey Giants, Lavender and Buff orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Speckled Sussex, Calico Princess, Dominique, Midnight Majesty Marans, and Buckeye. I do not find my Dominique's to be flighty but I do spend a lot of time with them and have held them a lot. All my breeds are winter hardy and docile. I have 29 hens and 4 Roosters. My hens laid up to 24 eggs a day this past winter but I had 2 heat lamps on when the weather was below zero. So the light is what triggered them to lay so well. On rare occasions I would get 27 eggs but the average was around 20. If you want a mellow breed that doesn't want to jump a fence I would go with Jersey Giants or Orpingtons. I found my white Jersey Giants to be larger then my Black. I have one black who is setting on some eggs now and I had a white who wanted to set but I did not let her. They also are easily tamed I hold mine all the time, except for my Roo, he doesn't like to be held. My Orpingtons are really laid back and probably the most winter hardy of my breeds but they do lay a smaller egg. My Roos consist of 1 Black Jersey Giant, 1 Lavender Orpington, 1 Midnight Majesty Marans and 1 Buckeye. My Buckeye Roo Is my favorite because he is one of my cuddle buddies. he is the mellowest Rooster of the bunch more so than my Lavender who is also very mellow. I do not think he is ugly he has beautiful rich mahogany colored feathers that shine in the sun he also has a magnificent pea comb. My Lavender is by far the largest. Next year I am going to breed him to my white Jersey giant hens too see if I can get even bigger birds. I don't care if they are pure they are my pets who give me and my family and friends eggs to eat.

Can jersey giants sit and hatch their own eggs without an issue? I have heard they are to big and crush their eggs and make terrible broodies/mothers.....?

 

[Angileen]

Can jersey giants sit and hatch their own eggs without an issue? I have heard they are to big and crush their eggs and make terrible broodies/mothers.....?

I have read that also. This is my first year with my girls so I will let you know if she hatches any. It is still very cold here in Minnesota, still snowing. So I hope that doesn't affect the eggs. She is also a young hen and a little small for a Jersey Giant. My white Jersey Giant is way bigger she climbs in and out of nest boxes all the time that have eggs other chickens have laid, haven't found a broken one yet. She went broody about a month ago, too early. so I kept pulling her out of the nest boxes, took me over 2 weeks before I broke her broodiness. So far out of all my breeds they are the only ones who have show strong signs of broodiness, some of my other breeds have shown mild signs.