Need Some Helping choosing Breeds

[Newchickey]

I think I initially got this into the wrong section, so I am reposting here hoping for some more help.

Okay, I got the gist of chicken math right away and it has hit me big time. What started as "I want a few chickens for me and my family" has turned into alot of people in our new town saying we will buy from you, farm community so I never expected that at all.. So I started looking at things a different way. And what they really want is a rainbow carton. So I added more, this is what I have ordered.

Hatch date the 6/16
Pullets:
2 - Lt. Brahma
2- Welsummer
2 Golden Laced Wyandotte
1 - Barred Rock
1 - Easter Egger
2 - Black Marans
1 - Blue Maran
1 -Lt. Brown Leghorn
1 - Blue Orpington
1 - Ameraucana

Roos
1 - Salmon Farvorelle
1 - Lt. Brahma


Hatch date 6/23 ( I am constantly watching trying to get these four over to my 6/16 hatch date)

Pullets:
1 - Cream legbar
1 - Ameraucana
1 - Lavender Orpington
1 - Olive egger


I do want a roo, but from reading I think I will go down to just one. Yes when I first choose I did it some on, Oooo that one is pretty! lo My coop and run will be big enough for about 30 , but I am think I need to cut a few for now. Suggestions? At this point I just feel confused! I am thinking of changing my roo to either a Black Copper Maran, so learning the Marans go broody and I will have three hens, maybe I can sell chicks. I got myself into a place where my head is spinning over it. (explaination, I have a head injury, and when this happens I really can't sort it out, I always need help pulling myself back on track, I need someplace to start from)

 

[Odelia]

If you are considering a roo so you can hatch eggs and sell chicks I would go with a Cream Legbar roo. They are an unusual breed and will sell for more. It doesn't matter what breed goes broody for you. If you have a broody hen she will hatch any eggs you put under her not just her own. Good luck.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I think I initially got this into the wrong section, so I am reposting here hoping for some more help.

Okay, I got the gist of chicken math right away and it has hit me big time. What started as "I want a few chickens for me and my family" has turned into alot of people in our new town saying we will buy from you, farm community so I never expected that at all.. So I started looking at things a different way. And what they really want is a rainbow carton. So I added more, this is what I have ordered.

Hatch date the 6/16
Pullets:
2 - Lt. Brahma
2- Welsummer
2 Golden Laced Wyandotte
1 - Barred Rock
1 - Easter Egger
2 - Black Marans
1 - Blue Maran
1 -Lt. Brown Leghorn
1 - Blue Orpington
1 - Ameraucana

Roos
1 - Salmon Farvorelle
1 - Lt. Brahma


Hatch date 6/23 ( I am constantly watching trying to get these four over to my 6/16 hatch date)

Pullets:
1 - Cream legbar
1 - Ameraucana
1 - Lavender Orpington
1 - Olive egger


I do want a roo, but from reading I think I will go down to just one. Yes when I first choose I did it some on, Oooo that one is pretty! lo My coop and run will be big enough for about 30 , but I am think I need to cut a few for now. Suggestions? At this point I just feel confused! I am thinking of changing my roo to either a Black Copper Maran, so learning the Marans go broody and I will have three hens, maybe I can sell chicks. I got myself into a place where my head is spinning over it. (explaination, I have a head injury, and when this happens I really can't sort it out, I always need help pulling myself back on track, I need someplace to start from)

I would go down to 1 or no roos personally. My reasoning is that hatchery sexing is only 80% successful so odds are you will end up with a roo anyway. If you miraculously don't, roosters are easy to get for free later and you will be able to be picky and get a good one with a nice personality rather than rolling the dice and getting a hatchery quality roo. Just my two cents! Also, if you are looking to trim a couple you might consider trimming the wyandottes. They can be a bit mean and most of the other breeds you have picked out are docile breeds. Some people love wyandottes, so you never know though!

 

[SavageDestiny]

I would go down to 1 or no roos personally. My reasoning is that hatchery sexing is only 80% successful so odds are you will end up with a roo anyway. If you miraculously don't, roosters are easy to get for free later and you will be able to be picky and get a good one with a nice personality rather than rolling the dice and getting a hatchery quality roo. Just my two cents! Also, if you are looking to trim a couple you might consider trimming the wyandottes. They can be a bit mean and most of the other breeds you have picked out are docile breeds. Some people love wyandottes, so you never know though!

My Wyandotte is by FAR my friendliest bird.

 

[ChickCrazed]

My Wyandotte is by FAR my friendliest bird.

Oops, I should clarify that I meant mean to the other birds (which my Wyandotte is, she is a REALLY bad bully). She is also not very friendly to people either. I have heard people say theirs are also aggressive bullies, and some people say theirs are really nice. You probably run into that will any breed. But orpingtons, favorelles and brahmas are known for being SUPER docile, and they generally warn you from putting bully breeds in with the docile breeds because they get so picked on.

 

[SavageDestiny]

Oops, I should clarify that I meant mean to the other birds (which my Wyandotte is, she is a REALLY bad bully). She is also not very friendly to people either. I have heard people say theirs are also aggressive bullies, and some people say theirs are really nice. You probably run into that will any breed. But orpingtons, favorelles and brahmas are known for being SUPER docile, and they generally warn you from putting bully breeds in with the docile breeds because they get so picked on.

My Buff Orp is actually my biggest bully, lol. My girls are all friendly with people (especially my Wyandotte) but the Orp picks on the other girls a lot.

 

[donrae]

If you're new to chickens, keep things simple.

First thing to keep in mind....yes, all those folks might be saying they'll buy eggs from you now, but when you're calculating prices and find you need to charge at least $3 a dozen to cover the cost of feed, folks might balk and decide the Wal-Mart eggs aren't so bad after all. Sad, but true.

Second, if you've got production/layers in mind, ditch the Brahmas. They're big, take a long time to mature, eat a lot and don't lay enough to offset the amount of feed they eat. Same for that Faverolle rooster.....if you're going to breed chicks for layers, you want a production based rooster. A Rock, a Leghorn, some hatchery Red, something like that. An Easter egger rooster might not be a bad way to go, to add some color variation to your next generation. Looking back at your breeds, you could also go with a Marans rooster. Over those blue egg laying hens, you'd get some olive eggers, which are quite popular now. Plus, some pure bred Marans chicks wouldn't be a bad thing.

For your hens you seem to have a nice selection. I'm going to say you won't see a whole lot of difference between your lavander and blue Orps (if your blue bird is actually blue, you could get black or splash), so you might want to ditch one of those.

Don't max your space out with your first birds. The birds you buy this spring/summer will molt and quit laying next fall/winter (2015), and you'll have to decide next spring if you'll want to get more chicks, or hatch some out. Either way, you'll need more space. If you max out your space now, you'll be hurting next spring.

Remember, a chicken flock isn't static, it evolves and changes all the time. You lose birds, you buy birds, you hatch chicks. Sometimes a specific breed strikes your fancy and you focus on it. Sometimes you get a breed thinking you'll just love it, and find well, not so much. The good thing is layers are easy to sell if/when you want to change things up.

 

[Newchickey]

Okay here is what I ended up doing, Donrae, your thought process helped me, I liked the idea of breeding the Marans, didnt think about being able to get Olive Eggers to! Awesome!

Interesting thing here is, people in town right now are paying $5 a dozen for their rainbow carton, so if I charge 3, they will be happy I will be happy! lol

Hatch date 6/16
1- Lt. Brahma (this was the first one I liked and choose, so will keep one just for me! lol)
2- Welsummer
1 Golden Laced Wyandotte
1- Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
1 - Easter Egger
2 - Black Marans
1 -Lt. Brown Leghorn



Roos
1 - Lt. Brahma


Hatch date 6/23 ( I am constantly watching trying to get these four over to my 6/16 hatch date)

Pullets:
1 - Cream legbar
1 - Ameraucana
2 - Lavender Orpington
1 - Olive egger

Roos
1- Black Copper Maran

 

[donrae]

Cool if folks are already paying a decent price for good eggs!

sounds like a nice, colorful flock with a good range of egg colors. I think you'll be very happy with them!