Please Help Me Choose My New Chickens! =)

[PNightbird]

Newchickmom09, we think alike because I have ordered about 10 different types of chickens from Meyer Hatchery...lol. Here is my order:

PULLETS:

2 Welsummer

2 Cuckoo Maran

2 Silver Laced Wyandotte

2 Golden Laced Wyandotte

2 Barred (Plymouth) Rocks

2 Black Australorp

2 Buff Orpington

2 New Hamshire Red

2 Golden Buff

4 Ameraucana Standard

ROOSTERS:

1 Silver & 1 Golden Laced Wyandotte male -I really wanted two Phoenix roosters, but they told me they were constantly out of them.


I can't wait to get them in mid June when they will ship, and luckily this hatchery has no minimum per breed so I was able to get so many different types. I am so excited, as this will be the first time I have chickens. This also gives me plenty of time to finish up the coop and run for them.

Thanks so much everyone for all your suggestions, as you can see, I took them all! LOL!

 

[gryeyes]

Oh WOW, you're gonna have a really colorful flock! I'm the same way - I didn't want a flock of RIRs because I didn't think I'd be able to tell 'em apart. I knew I'd want to name them, and if they all looked alike, it would be like, "Good morning, Rhoda. And Rhoda, and Rhoda... oh, and Rhoda... you too, Rhoda... "

I only have a few pairs of any breed, mostly because I've learned from the first pair of layers I added to my flock that I CAN tell them apart.

So I got brave with my last batch of chicks.

 

[Happy Chooks]

What, no EE's?

Lots of great breeds there! Congrats!

 

[Neilette]

Here is a picture off the internet of a Marans egg color chart. This dark egg was laid by a Black Copper Marans.

Prettttyyyyy....

Fingers crossed for some nice dark ones from yours!

 

[newchickmom09]

What a great variety! You will love it.

Also even though I have some of the same breeds they each lay there own color of egg. No two eggs are alike in my basket.

 

[Nava]

Anconas, they have a very nice size egg and they lay, lay and lay and the eggis very white just love them

 

[PNightbird]

Thanks for all the encouraging messages guys!

Meyer Hatchery emailed me and said the reason they didn't have any Phoenix roosters was that a predator killed their flock, so sadly there isn't a chance of me getting them this year, as I know it would be impossible just to order a pair from someone else. And they were also out of Anconas, for those who suggested those..I tried! lol..

The coop is coming along nicely, and we just decided to scrap the traditonal roof with shingles and instead use those transparent roof panels so the chickens will get as much light as possible, as the coop will be situated under a big shady tree. I did much research on the ideal coop, and it seems that the more light and air the ckickens get, the more eggs and the happier they will be, so our coop will have big windows on all three sides so there is plenty of ventilation. The coop itself is 8 x 8, and it will have a second floor of sorts so the chickens don't feel to crowded, as that was a concern.

We are thinking of making a run that is 30L x 16W...does that sound big enough? We do plan on letting them free range for at least 4 hours a day so they won't be cooped up all the time and can get plenty of grass & bugs, but I am wondering if the run size is good?

 

[Happy Chooks]

If you have access to an incubator or want to buy your own, Peachick has some beautiful phoenix. (among other breeds) She has white and silver, and if I'm remembering correctly I think she has blue also from an auction I saw.

Here's a past auction for white phoenix:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=336911

And her website:
http://www.signaturebsd.com/_SignatureFeathers/chickens.html

 

[PNightbird]

Thanks new2chooks for the tip! Although it probably wouldn't be a good idea to add 2 new roosters to the 2 I am getting from Meyers..can we say cock fight? lol! It's too bad though because I really love the way Phoenix roosters look...*sigh*...but I am sure my Wyandotte roosters will be nice looking too.

Now I'm off to look at Peachick's website you gave me and drool...lol.

 

[PNightbird]

I just called Meyers Hatchery yesterday, and they told me they will now have Ancona's back in stock to add to my order, so I added two! So many of you here love this breed, so I can't wait to get my pair of hens. Plus they look so beautiful in pics..can't wait!

It's too bad they were out of Black Copper Marans, because although I have two Cuckoo Marans in my order, it seems the black copper ones are the ones to get for the really dark chocolate eggs from what I've read...oh well..maybe next year.