Ordering my first flock! Narrowed down to 4 possible breeds - Anyone want to weigh in?

[EggSighted4Life]

I thought maybe the place you are ordering wouldn't mix and match.

Otherwise, I would definitely go with an assortment of your chosen breeds at least until deciding who to breed. That way you can see what you really like best.

For me mine are both pet and livestock. All are individuals and everyone has their own name and personality no matter which breed. I am down to 40 right now, many different breeds. Only my BR and my silkies I can't tell apart, so I had to band them. It's just so great to have a variety of eye candy in the pasture. And I like the variety of eggs as well. It can be helpful to determine if someone is having health issues. It isn't too hard to keep track if you write stuff down. And with so many, you may want to try banding.

I was intending to keep 2 lines of pure breeds and an egg flock... but it's a lot of work. My choice has changed many times for many different reasons. Right now I still have Swedish Flower and FBCM. But instead of permanent separate housing will only be added with their perspective mates during that season with boys and girls being kept separate. Just realized I have a banty boy who might try to change that.... Might have to build a banty coop instead of making him go with the boys....

It's a never ending cycle of chicken math!

Beware! Yep, you can always add or take away. There is no problem with building up over time. You always need more time to work on the coop.

I would avoid the late year delivery... IMO it gives me one less laying season before molt hits. So instead of laying by summer through winter and spring, summer and fall before molt... It just early spring , summer, fall, molt..... Nothing after April for me in the future, hopefully...

 

[Treerooted]

The roos will

A 10x10 coop will be maxed out with 20 Barred Rocks or Wyandottes, if all female. With cockerels in the mix, no more than 15 birds. St. run means at least half cockerels, and that means your young ladies are going to need room to escape from them.

Great, thanks!

So I went out and measured the large coop, it's 14' x 18'. The roos will be housed in a separate chicken tractor (I'll pick one to stay with the hens). The layers will be pastured as well.

 

[Talithahorse]

Let me weigh in on an idea that we have used successfully. I started with a few silkies and then the next year brought home some Barred Rocks (Which I absolutely think are the one of the best dual purpose). That being said, I found it easier to keep track of how old my birds were if I ordered a different breed/ color on different years. So for example, My Silkie roo is 9, My Rock Bar hen is pushing 8 years old, the buff's are 7, the mixed batch (1 EE, one sexlink, and a yellow chicken of unknown origin) are 6, the silkie hens are 4 and 1 respectively and the Marans are 1, etc. This gave me a reason/ excuse to add different breeds, allowed me to explore to find out what I preferred and helps me easily age the birds. I diverged from this plan to pursue a specific breed, making it necessary to put bands to tell the different batches. It works but not as easily as rotating breeds.

Now that I have settled in on Rocks, I am rotating colors. (and having a couple different flocks/pens).

 

[Talithahorse]

Also since I stick to all dual purpose breeds I still stock my freezer with the boys.

 

[Treerooted]

I thought maybe the place you are ordering wouldn't mix and match.

Otherwise, I would definitely go with an assortment of your chosen breeds at least until deciding who to breed. That way you can see what you really like best.

For me mine are both pet and livestock. All are individuals and everyone has their own name and personality no matter which breed. I am down to 40 right now, many different breeds. Only my BR and my silkies I can't tell apart, so I had to band them. It's just so great to have a variety of eye candy in the pasture. And I like the variety of eggs as well. It can be helpful to determine if someone is having health issues. It isn't too hard to keep track if you write stuff down. And with so many, you may want to try banding.

I was intending to keep 2 lines of pure breeds and an egg flock... but it's a lot of work. My choice has changed many times for many different reasons. Right now I still have Swedish Flower and FBCM. But instead of permanent separate housing will only be added with their perspective mates during that season with boys and girls being kept separate. Just realized I have a banty boy who might try to change that.... Might have to build a banty coop instead of making him go with the boys....

It's a never ending cycle of chicken math!

Beware! Yep, you can always add or take away. There is no problem with building up over time. You always need more time to work on the coop.

I would avoid the late year delivery... IMO it gives me one less laying season before molt hits. So instead of laying by summer through winter and spring, summer and fall before molt... It just early spring , summer, fall, molt..... Nothing after April for me in the future, hopefully...

I'm anticipating lots of changes to whatever plan I start with for sure!

The place I plan to go through with do orders as small as 5. I'll look at upping my breed mix working within my budget

The June delivery was because I didn't want more then 25 birds to start; and because I didn't want to deal with more then 12 or so to butcher on the first go.
But maybe I'll just get meat birds in the second batch.

Thanks for the tidbits to think about! I'm glad I posted after all

 

[Treerooted]

Let me weigh in on an idea that we have used successfully. I started with a few silkies and then the next year brought home some Barred Rocks (Which I absolutely think are the one of the best dual purpose). That being said, I found it easier to keep track of how old my birds were if I ordered a different breed/ color on different years. So for example, My Silkie roo is 9, My Rock Bar hen is pushing 8 years old, the buff's are 7, the mixed batch (1 EE, one sexlink, and a yellow chicken of unknown origin) are 6, the silkie hens are 4 and 1 respectively and the Marans are 1, etc. This gave me a reason/ excuse to add different breeds, allowed me to explore to find out what I preferred and helps me easily age the birds. I diverged from this plan to pursue a specific breed, making it necessary to put bands to tell the different batches. It works but not as easily as rotating breeds.

Now that I have settled in on Rocks, I am rotating colors. (and having a couple different flocks/pens).

This was my thinking; and the color idea is perfect! We'll see how it goes, but I don't expect to keep many layers past three; which will make this system work quite well actually, while still taking the advice of trying out more breeds. There are so many out there, I could easily choose several different breeds for the first few years.

I was leaning towards the rocks as well as a good starter breed as they seem to be rather dependable.