NEWBIE questions about chicken varieties

[paulpig]

Love the Hendersons chart.......I scratched most off my list!!!!!
The Orpingtons--------Plymouth barred rocks-------Sussex---------Red partridge Welsumer all produce med to large eggs, easy to maintain, allow human contact, and are cold hardy.....
A few egg layers will be fun in addition!!! Our coop is going to be 10 x 10 in four walls with another 12x `12 wired in area..........They will also be turned out in our horse field in the day time............Does this sound okay???

 

[NancyDz]

That Sounds like a good list, you may want to check out Australorp too, they are my best layer and fav chickens

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

Well, I can only tell you about the birds I have experience with.

My RIR's are great layers of large brown eggs and I find them to be friendly (some people don't think so) but they are awfully noisy.

My Buff Orps are also very good layers of large brown eggs (they seem larger than the RIR's) but I have limited experience with them--they only started laying this winter--but they are much quieter than the RIR's. Very nice birds.

And, if you want color in your egg basket, the EE's are great and good layers, too. I have one that just started laying recently and she got off to an uncertain start but she just laid 8 days in a row (light green eggs), so that's pretty good! The hatcheries usually call them "Araucanas or Ameraucanas". Those are true breeds but what they are selling you are "Easter Eggers" that are really mutts. I love them anyway.

White Leghorns are supposed to be good layers of large white eggs, but I haven't had such good luck with them. They can be very flighty, also.

Hope this helps!

Genie

 

[cmom]

From another post.

It's difficult to say what you should get for breeds. If you asked a lot different people you would probably get many different answers. Some may agree on the breeds. Also do you want dual purpose or just good egg layers. Here is a great reference book, Gail Damerow's 'Storey's Guide to Chickens' is an excellent resource, as well as this web site which is an excellent source of information.

These sites are especially helpful in selecting breeds.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/breedQuestions.aspx
Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html

Also here are some other good sites and info and more good links.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/aboutChickens.aspx
https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I don't let my birds in the pasture, but my brother does allow his birds into his pasture and they love to scratch in the manure piles.

 

[paulpig]

WENT CRAZY!!!!!!!!! 4 barred rocks
6 buff o's
6 EE's
2 RIR (easter bunny delivered)
2 silkies
LOVE them all!!!! Can't wait for the eggs...........I am going to have to take pictures!!! and recruit one of the kids to download on the website.......... Thanks Everyone!!!! Now naming the coup.............
either--- Team EGGstreme
Fuster Clucks

Paul

 

[tunaoftheland]

haha, Fuster Clucks

Definitely share pics!!!