Please suggest breeds for my 4-Her daughters based on their parameters

[BattelSyrup]

My 10-year-old showed poultry for just the second year at our county fair and earned overall Grand Champion Poultry Showperson out of about 35 kids. I'd like to support her interest, but our flock has always been for production. We are ready to add a couple coops of show-quality birds.

We've mulled over hatchery sites and used the online breed selector tools, but can't make up our minds. What breeds would you suggest for my girls?

My 10-year-old is looking for:
- A standard breed
- Something that will stand out at somewhat at local shows
- Although we have an incubator, she says "the natural way is best" so she wants something broody
- Birds that will handle confinement well (our free rangers get too ugly for show)
- My daughter has a lot of grit, so the breed need not be particularly docile, though it shouldn't be too skittish for showmanship classes
- She's strong enough to handle a heavier breed, so size doesn't matter
- No white birds -- we had a blueing stain incident trying to wash a Light Brahma and she doesn't want to deal with that again
- Egg laying won't be our priority with this flock, but I don't want to waste our feed on something that lays too poorly
- Like lots of others, we constantly deal with predators so something that's a little hardy is needed
- We're in Michigan so we need cold hardy, but they will be in a barn
- Kind of prefer clean legged (unless confined birds' feathered legs will stay prettier than those that free range)

My 7-year-old wants:
- Mille Fleur Belgian Bantam d'Uccles! But others at our fair raise them, so I'd like to encourage her to consider something else.
- She just got over her fear of holding big sister's chickens, so she needs docile birds
- Bantams would best match her size
- She's a redhead and prefers redheaded birds, too. : )
- After bad experiences with an aggressive rooster, she won't tolerate one again
- She wants to be able to hatch chicks, but broodiness isn't necessary as we can use our incubator for hers
- She is my fancy daughter who likes pretty things and pretty birds
- I think it would be best for her to have a breed where the hens are pretty for show and not just the roosters because I know she'll want to show the gentlest in the flock

I look forward to ideas!

 

[Whittni]

My 10-year-old is looking for:
- A standard breed
- Something that will stand out at somewhat at local shows
- Although we have an incubator, she says "the natural way is best" so she wants something broody
- Birds that will handle confinement well (our free rangers get too ugly for show)
- My daughter has a lot of grit, so the breed need not be particularly docile, though it shouldn't be too skittish for showmanship classes
- She's strong enough to handle a heavier breed, so size doesn't matter
- No white birds -- we had a blueing stain incident trying to wash a Light Brahma and she doesn't want to deal with that again
- Egg laying won't be our priority with this flock, but I don't want to waste our feed on something that lays too poorly
- Like lots of others, we constantly deal with predators so something that's a little hardy is needed
- We're in Michigan so we need cold hardy, but they will be in a barn
- Kind of prefer clean legged (unless confined birds' feathered legs will stay prettier than those that free range)

Black Tailed Buff Japanese Bantam: they make great show birds and moms...it'll stand out and you will need a really good breeder. My jap hen is broody right now and is a great mom.

Triple Laced or White Laced Cornish Bantam: Lovely, un-common and a slight challenge for someone to raise.

Turken (Naked Neck) Bantam: Show stopper if you know what you're doing.

Blue Dutch Bantam: Great idea.

Old English Game Bantam: Will need work and an insulated coop, hens only, the rooster would need dubbed.


See if she likes any of these options, if not let me know. Maybe even a frizzle cochin if she's up to the task.

My 7-year-old wants:
- Mille Fleur Belgian Bantam d'Uccles! But others at our fair raise them, so I'd like to encourage her to consider something else.
- She just got over her fear of holding big sister's chickens, so she needs docile birds
- Bantams would best match her size
- She's a redhead and prefers redheaded birds, too. : )
- After bad experiences with an aggressive rooster, she won't tolerate one again
- She wants to be able to hatch chicks, but broodiness isn't necessary as we can use our incubator for hers
- She is my fancy daughter who likes pretty things and pretty birds
- I think it would be best for her to have a breed where the hens are pretty for show and not just the roosters because I know she'll want to show the gentlest in the flock

- Black or Blue Silkie Bantam - broody machines!

- Barred Rock Bantam - I love my birds, they are very gentle but not so much broody.

-Old English Game Bantam - hens only and good coop.



https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-prepare-a-chicken-for-showing

 

[Apdeb]

How about buckeye
And bantam buckeye for little girl
Sorry i know your in michigan
Great show quality birds close to you
Check out the buckeye facebook page
Other kids her age she could network with

 

[SillyChicken]

Salmon Faverolle... Pretty docile, not that common.... handles confinement and cold weather very well. They do have leg feathering though.

 

[chicken farmer2]

How about some polish for the 7 year ol girl

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

For the ten year old consider australorps, plymouth rocks, langshan (they have foot feathering, but it is not heavy feathering like in cochins), araucana. For the 7 year old, consider modern games, serama, bantam araucana, bantam brahmas, bantam polish, d'anvers, booted bantam (these are both slightly different breeds than d'uccles, although there are similarities. Alternatively she could do a different variety of d'uccles than mille fleurs).

 

[BattelSyrup]

These are such great ideas! I can't wait to look up all these breed with them so we can learn more.

Keep the ideas coming! This is fun for us. Better than shoe shopping, that's for sure.