Hi all! New to the site and wanted to say hello! Nickname is Peaguy but I do not raise or have peafowl the name does come from a peacock, though from another bulletin board, I am investigating getting a small flock of hens for egg purposes primarily so am looking at good large brown layers, leaning toward Astrolorps. I am open to any suggestions/comments/recommendations/advice, any or all of the above. I have almost 80 acres here in Brown County,Texas.
Hi Peaguy, welcome to the board. The most proficient layers of brown eggs are production reds. However, these are hybrids and have a nasty tendency to burn themselves out after two or three years. This is one reason why I tend to lean towards pure breeds. You could also look at the Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock chickens, amongst others. Hendersons Breed Chart is really good for comparing different breeds of chickens. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html Hope that helps, Helena.
Hi, Peaguy and welcome to BYC! What area are you in? Some egg layers are better than others when it comes to being cold-weather hardy. (edited: Oops, missed that you are in Texas... ) I personally think Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps are good choices. JMO! Good luck and keep us posted!
welcome to the site my all time favorites are rirs they are calm and lay loads of eggs nice big brown eggs yum yum
Hi peaguy, and welcome.....I have to agree..RIR or Buff Orpingtons are my choice. However, it gets hot thre in Texas, and I am not sure how the buff orps will do in the heat. I just got mine this spring, and they are only 6 weeks old( wow how time flys) I know thay are heavy birds when full grown. Maybe someone else that has the buffs can let you in on that one.
peaguy, Welcome to BYC. I have Light Brahmas which do well in cold weather, and also deal with warm weather as long as they have shade and plenty of fresh water. My 2 year old hens are still laying really well. bigzio
Welcome to BYC it sounds like you have a nice spread there in Texas, look forward to hearing more from you.
What I see most here is Leghorns, RIR's, Sex-Links and Barred Rocks, if that's any indication on birds that tolerate our intense Texas summers. Welcome to BYC! We're glad you found us!
