Not sure what to get

[stirkrazy]

We have had chickens for a while now but they are mostly just mixed breeds and some Easter eggers. The kids love the collored eggs and also collecting them, but I'm thinking of getting a little more serious with things and don't know much about breeds. With our first hatch of eggs expected on Easter, we are excited to move forward with things but not sure whether to keep going with the mutts or consolidate to 1 or 2 specific breeds. Any advice would be more than welcome. Thanks

 

[Tongiechick]

in my experience sillkies are not only really friendly, good show birds, but they are also good layers. we get an egg a day from ours.

also we really like cochins. they are huge lap chickens, one of ors lula loves to sit on your lap.

 

[Den in Penn]

In what way do you want to move forward? Do the mixed hens you have fill the needs you think you will have? Some mixed breed lay very well, as in the sex links the hatcheries sell. Oh course if your going to go into breeding then you should go to a pure breed. So where do you want to go?

 

[goldfinches]

I like to keep my flock with a variety of egg colors while maintaining friendly, hearty birds. Orpingtons, leghorns, Welsummers.

 

[stirkrazy]

The hens I have now are ok layers. Out of five hens we get 2-5 eggs a day. I would like to maybe focus on a friendly breed for the kids but also a good egg layer since we do use a lot of eggs. I plan to continue hatching myself so I would also like a breed that I could sell at the local markets for a reasonable price. I have been looking at the wyandottes lately, any thoughts on those?

 

[nova022]

I haven't found Wyandottes to be especially friendly or high producers, though they are beautiful. My most productive are my Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock and Australrop. They lay nearly everyday and have good dispositions.

 

[stirkrazy]

Thanks all for the advice i greatly appreciate it. I like what I've read so far on the speckled Sussex, they seem like they would be a good all around bird for what we want. My questions are though, will they make a good 4-H bird for my kids? And if I decide to breed them, will it be ok to keep my Easter eggers and mutts? Also should I go with a pure bred rooster and get rid of my others?

 

[stirkrazy]

Oh, and this chicken thing is starting to turn into an obsession, (so says my wife lol), is this normal? Lol

 

[Den in Penn]

You can keep the mutts you just have to have a way to separate the breeders when you want the pure breed's eggs. It takes around three weeks separation for you to be sure the right rooster has sired the chicks, as the hen can carry sperm for that long. As to keeping two roosters together, sometime they can get along sometimes not.

 

[stirkrazy]

I had 1 rooster to begin with and someone gave me 2 " hens" and a rooster for the one I had. Well turns out all three were roosters. They get along for now but I think I need to get rid of the other 2