OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[loveourbirds]

Quote: for chickens to be around kids, brahmas are one of my favorite breeds to recommend. you are exactly right they are "gentle giants". my biggest issues with them are (in my experience) they dont lay well in the winter for me, and i have a hard time keeping roosters through the winter for some reason. i have 4 hens and no roosters going into this year, i really need to find a couple decent light brahma roosters. i called Tim to see if he had any, and all he has is his own breeders, he himself is a rooster short going into this year. he was checking at a show this weekend to see if he could find any extras.

as far as feed to egg conversions i would put brahmas as lower medium range, but in heritage brahmas i have yet to find an aggressive rooster. for self sufficiency overall i would give the brahmas a 7 on a scale of 10.

just curious if your observations of them are the same?

 

[mommanine]

I'm in northeast Ohio- Wayne County. I used to have several hundred chickens, among other things, but I'm down to maybe 70 right now. I really want to get some of my breeds separated out so I can start hatching- if these crazy cold temperatures ever go away!

 

[Tadkins472]

Im getting ready to get me new chick for this year any recommended breeds? This is my second year with chickens and right now i have 3 Easter eggs and love them but want to add some diversity to the coop.

 

[kcampbell453]

I have 4 Golden Comets, 2 Barred Rocks and 1 Arucauna. I can honestly say my Golden Comets are my most favorite breed so far that I've had. they are great layers and very social birds. They don't mind being handled and are great with my kids!!

 

[cbradio]

HI!

New to BYC, moved to Orient, OH last summer from Hilliard and got 6 chickens to start with and then 6 more as chicks in September of 13.

I have 28 in the bator at the moment due any day.

If someone needs a light brahma rooster, I have one that I may not need. Mr. Fluffy, as he was so affectionately named by my wife as a chick, was supposed to be a fema

le. But, here we are definitely a rooster!

 

[daniellea2912]

Im getting ready to get me new chick for this year any recommended breeds? This is my second year with chickens and right now i have 3 Easter eggs and love them but want to add some diversity to the coop.

In addition to my Easter eggers I have golden comets, barred rocks, buff orp's, and ameraucas. It's a nice mix of colors and personalities. The buff orp's are very relaxed, quiet and docile. The comets are very social, loud and chatty, however they were first to strongly enforce the pecking order when I introduced my new ameraucanas recently but no huge altrications. My barred rocks take up middle ground between the comets and buff orps- not too loud or energetic but not too quiet also... Plus they are visually striking with the black and white. The ameraucanas seem shy right now but I think that's because they are new to the group and still settling in.
As far as egg production- my comets give me darn near an egg a day since they started laying. Ameraucanas are right around that too. Easter eggers give me 4-5 a week per bird, barred rocks and buff orp's give me 3-4 a week. All my birds will be 1 year in April and I use supplemental light.

 

[Tadkins472]

In addition to my Easter eggers I have golden comets, barred rocks, buff orp's, and ameraucas. It's a nice mix of colors and personalities. The buff orp's are very relaxed, quiet and docile. The comets are very social, loud and chatty, however they were first to strongly enforce the pecking order when I introduced my new ameraucanas recently but no huge altrications. My barred rocks take up middle ground between the comets and buff orps- not too loud or energetic but not too quiet also... Plus they are visually striking with the black and white. The ameraucanas seem shy right now but I think that's because they are new to the group and still settling in.
As far as egg production- my comets give me darn near an egg a day since they started laying. Ameraucanas are right around that too. Easter eggers give me 4-5 a week per bird, barred rocks and buff orp's give me 3-4 a week. All my birds will be 1 year in April and I use supplemental light.

Thanks Danielle! I have had my egger for about a year and the 2 hens lay everyday which is nice ill have to look into Golden Comets

 

[DelcoChix]

A lot depends upon what kind of variety you want...bird variety or egg color variety? I have a great variety of both...but still not satisfied I love my Blue and Black Copper Marans for their awesome chocolate brown eggs...and they're pretty. But I love Annie, my Speckled Sussex hatchery girl, decent egg layer but wonderful personality makes her even better, and she's cool with her speckles. And I really love my Buckeye girls--kind of plain light brown eggs, but Patty has the best personality of all of them, comes to the back door for treats, would come in the house if she was allowed. Patty is a hatchery bird but I have three from a breeder--they're nice, just don't have her personality. And the Buckeyes are a pretty mahogany red and are built for the horrible cold spells we've had--small pea combs, no frostbite at all. My Blue Copper Marans cockeral didn't fare so well with his formerly huge comb--despite BagBalm and Vaseline he still shows damage, but he's still a great boy--I'm ok with a less than perfect comb...
The Welsumers are wonderful too--both "Wilmas" (same name...I can't tell them apart), very pretty hatchery birds and gorgeous medium brown/terra cotta colored eggs with dark speckles on them. Great personalities too. I've got three Easter Egger's, two hatchery, one breeder...all lay pretty blue-green eggs. I love their looks with their fluffy muffs and beards and unusual colors.My single Buff Orpington hen. Lyndsey, just died today...old age I think. She'd be six this spring, but acted older--always first to bed and last to leave the perch, but she and her sister were both wonderful girls with lovely personalities. Sorry to ramble...I kinda like my birds
Bottom line...what do you want from your birds? I have a combo of both hatchery and breeder birds--wanted pure breeding but don't care about showing...just wanted to see the difference. I really like Meyer Hatchery--fantastic variety and pretty well assured of getting a pullet in good health. Good luck with whatever you decide--it's a fun "problem" to have!

 

[MickInOhio]

Down here in Guernsey County with the wife and grandkids, 3 dogs and 1 cat. I retired from Cleveland so this is all new to me. I want to learn as much as practical and supply the grandkids with some knowledge and respect for the land . Almost 10 acres so I'd like to get a garden started and maybe some beef down the road. I live on what could be my own grocery store ! Whats not to love about that ?

 

[autumnhearth]

Welcome Mick! Ten acres, that's awesome! The husband and I dream of having land. Glad retirement is allowing you to get out and live on the land! Good luck with the homestead!