Picking Local breeds after deaths from the hatchery

Ekbrannan

In the Brooder
Jul 7, 2021
9
42
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Hi guys, I'm brand new so let me know if there is already a thread for this situation.

Today I received my first ever shipment of day old chicks. 2 were DOA. I had picked these chicks and this hatchery using the following criteria:

I can't have and don't want a rooster, so they were vent sexed (I know it's not 100%, but I can figure something out for 1, but not 2+).

I wanted chickens that would be friendly/docile with me and each other.

It's ridiculously hot and humid here a good part of the year and doesn't get very cold, so heat hardiness is important but cold hardiness isn't.

I wanted pretty good egg layers, and some green/blue eggs.

I ordered 1 Swedish Flower Hen, 1 Faverolles/Ameraucana mix, 1 Easter Egger, 1 Barred Rock. The plan was to eventually pick 2 of the following: Barnevelder, Buckeye, Cream Legbar, Australorp, Speckled Sussex

If I could go back I would've chosen from the latter breeds in the first place maybe. I want a Faverolles but worry about the heat. I still have 2 chicks, I know I lost my Swedish Flower and 1 other, not sure which.

What do you recommend from these breeds? Mixing well with other chickens and heat hardiness is most important, but I would like them to be friendly with me as well. I want 4 different ones, and these are my local (within 4 hours) options.


Andalusian
Cochin
Crevecoeur
Mottled Houdan
Marans
Olive Egger
Russian Orloff
Orpington
Rhode Island Red
Silkie/Frizzle
Speckled Sussex
Svarthönas
Welsummer
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
Barnevelder
Pavlovskaya
Gold Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben
Brahma
 
Hi guys, I'm brand new so let me know if there is already a thread for this situation.

Today I received my first ever shipment of day old chicks. 2 were DOA. I had picked these chicks and this hatchery using the following criteria:

I can't have and don't want a rooster, so they were vent sexed (I know it's not 100%, but I can figure something out for 1, but not 2+).

I wanted chickens that would be friendly/docile with me and each other.

It's ridiculously hot and humid here a good part of the year and doesn't get very cold, so heat hardiness is important but cold hardiness isn't.

I wanted pretty good egg layers, and some green/blue eggs.

I ordered 1 Swedish Flower Hen, 1 Faverolles/Ameraucana mix, 1 Easter Egger, 1 Barred Rock. The plan was to eventually pick 2 of the following: Barnevelder, Buckeye, Cream Legbar, Australorp, Speckled Sussex

If I could go back I would've chosen from the latter breeds in the first place maybe. I want a Faverolles but worry about the heat. I still have 2 chicks, I know I lost my Swedish Flower and 1 other, not sure which.

What do you recommend from these breeds? Mixing well with other chickens and heat hardiness is most important, but I would like them to be friendly with me as well. I want 4 different ones, and these are my local (within 4 hours) options.


Andalusian
Cochin
Crevecoeur
Mottled Houdan
Marans
Olive Egger
Russian Orloff
Orpington
Rhode Island Red
Silkie/Frizzle
Speckled Sussex
Svarthönas
Welsummer
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
Barnevelder
Pavlovskaya
Gold Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben
Brahma
Where are you located? How hot has it been getting?
 
It gets really hot here in Michigan, & here are some breeds I have:

Orpingtons

Silkies

Easter Eggers

Brahmas

A black Copper Marans

Sumatras

A welsummer

OEGBs

Red JungleFowl/American Game crosses

Heritage Plymouth Barred Rocks

Malays

Porcelain D'uccles

Mille Fleur D'uccles

Various mixed breeds
 
Near Savannah, GA. Average high/low:
May - 84° / 65°
June - 90° / 72°
July - 92° / 74°
August - 90° / 74°
September - 86° / 70°

Plus 90% humidity
We have really high humidity too.

That's not too bad, just make sure they get shade, & extra water when moved outside.
 
How do the Brahmas and Orpingtons do in the heat? Is the Welsummer or the Marans one you'd recommend in a mixed, docile flock?
They do really well, they're really heat hardy, & cold hardy. I did lose one Orpington due heat stroke, but that was because I didn't have a secondary water source that day, & it was almost 100°F. I added a pool full of cold water the next day so I wouldn't have this happen again.

Both Welsummer, or Marans would be a good addition. I'm not picky about chicken breeds.
 

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