Pros, Cons, and General Comparison

[chickenenthusiasts5698]

No heat issues with any of them?

Nope. It got to be 98 degree this year (weather app told me it felt like 104) and they all did great. Out of my hundreds of birds the only breed that didn’t do well in the heat was Polish and Amberlinks.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@3KillerBs I'm here in N FL, similar humidity, hotter summers, not quite so cool in winter. I have three of the breeds mentioned, Brahma (Dark in my case), SLWs, and CornishX. All tolerated the heat, though shade and good air flow during the hottest parts of the day were an absolute must.

All my birds would free range the first few hours of the day - false dawn to 9 or 10am, then hide until very late afternoon, when they'd get another hour, maybe hour and a half in - so when you rotate your birds through their outdoor runs, you should probably expect similar peaks in activity.

Beyond that, I've got nothing but best wishes, whatever you decide.

 

[paintedChix]

I have French Black & Blue Copper Marans from a breeder (N of Raleigh). They have the feathered legs. They have done well for us. Some hens are still laying after molting earlier this fall. They will be 2 in January. Neither the heat nor the cold seem to bother them in the open air, hooped CP coops I have or the smaller 5x8' A-Frame CP tractor (1 group lived in last winter - my middle daughter has had 1 roo/2 hens in Fuquay-Varina since August and she states she is still getting eggs occasionally from them). They have not been free ranged or out in a poultry net pen/paddock. We have a rooster and 5 hens in a hoop coop.

My first chickens were from TSC and I had 2 Cuckoo Marans (no feathered legs). Have no idea which hatchery they came from. They handled free ranging well and laid eggs throughout the winter. They laid eggs for me pretty regularly - 1 disappeared around 2 + yrs of age at our previous property (totally free range - roosted on their own in the tin barn before I knew to build a separate coop, LOL) and the 2nd came here and lived another 2 years before passing. They both did fine in the weather here.

I did have some Lavender Orps for a while. They didn't do all that well for me - often dying as chicks. They were from a breeder who ultimately quit raising backyard chickens since they went to a large farm operation of chickens. I never figured out why I had such a hard time with the chicks (I ended up purchasing 2 different batches & they were raised in separate brooders and in different areas on the ground once past brooder age, a couple of both batches died in the brooder in the house) - but I got all of them from one breeder and maybe the genetics weren't there, I truly don't know. They just didn't thrive. The eggs from a couple that made it to egg laying were a nice size and pretty shade of beige-ish pink. I bought an older trio from the same breeder as she was selling off the mature breeders (before my chicks all died). One of the hens actually set and raised a clutch of 7 chicks herself - but again, they didn't last long - all gone before 2 months of age. In the end, a coyote showed back up and got all 3 while they were day free ranging in our front yard in March/April of this year. I did have the adults just short of 2 years. I don't think heat was the issue with them dying, but... it could have been. The breeder was located in Robbins, Moore county.

There is a breeder of several varieties of Orps and Wyandottes in Raeford. Don't think they are on this forum. You could check them out... They would be relatively close for you to get chicks or eggs, if you go through a breeder and they may be able to answer questions for you about the two different breeds and the many varieties they have. JB Farms

This person may be able to answer ?s for you on the Barred Rocks - Sunrise Oaks Farm, Hillsborough, NC.

I'm fairly certain there are other breeders of at least some of the breeds you mentioned here in NC.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have French Black & Blue Copper Marans from a breeder (N of Raleigh). They have the feathered legs. They have done well for us. Some hens are still laying after molting earlier this fall. They will be 2 in January. Neither the heat nor the cold seem to bother them in the open air, hooped CP coops I have or the smaller 5x8' A-Frame CP tractor (1 group lived in last winter - my middle daughter has had 1 roo/2 hens in Fuquay-Varina since August and she states she is still getting eggs occasionally from them). They have not been free ranged or out in a poultry net pen/paddock. We have a rooster and 5 hens in a hoop coop.

My first chickens were from TSC and I had 2 Cuckoo Marans (no feathered legs). Have no idea which hatchery they came from. They handled free ranging well and laid eggs throughout the winter. They laid eggs for me pretty regularly - 1 disappeared around 2 + yrs of age at our previous property (totally free range - roosted on their own in the tin barn before I knew to build a separate coop, LOL) and the 2nd came here and lived another 2 years before passing. They both did fine in the weather here.

I did have some Lavender Orps for a while. They didn't do all that well for me - often dying as chicks. They were from a breeder who ultimately quit raising backyard chickens since they went to a large farm operation of chickens. I never figured out why I had such a hard time with the chicks (I ended up purchasing 2 different batches & they were raised in separate brooders and in different areas on the ground once past brooder age, a couple of both batches died in the brooder in the house) - but I got all of them from one breeder and maybe the genetics weren't there, I truly don't know. They just didn't thrive. The eggs from a couple that made it to egg laying were a nice size and pretty shade of beige-ish pink. I bought an older trio from the same breeder as she was selling off the mature breeders (before my chicks all died). One of the hens actually set and raised a clutch of 7 chicks herself - but again, they didn't last long - all gone before 2 months of age. In the end, a coyote showed back up and got all 3 while they were day free ranging in our front yard in March/April of this year. I did have the adults just short of 2 years. I don't think heat was the issue with them dying, but... it could have been. The breeder was located in Robbins, Moore county.

There is a breeder of several varieties of Orps and Wyandottes in Raeford. Don't think they are on this forum. You could check them out... They would be relatively close for you to get chicks or eggs, if you go through a breeder and they may be able to answer questions for you about the two different breeds and the many varieties they have. JB Farms

This person may be able to answer ?s for you on the Barred Rocks - Sunrise Oaks Farm, Hillsborough, NC.

I'm fairly certain there are other breeders of at least some of the breeds you mentioned here in NC.

Thank you for this detailed information. I appreciate it.

 

[paintedChix]

You are Welcome!

Merry Christmas!!!

 

[halefamily_flock]

I have Dominiques from Cackle and the hens have been rock stars. Great free rangers, predator savvy, also friendly and easily handled. We have similar heat/humidity + low temps in the teens in the winter. They laid all through last winter and summer, with eggs in large to xl range. Just finishing the molt, so I'm hoping they'll ramp back up soon for this winter. The roosters were a bit aggressive for my flock, which has too many roosters so I need extra harmonious breeds. The Dom Roos were always dominant, and people-friendly but tended to overuse the hens. I've used my Dom hens in sex link crosses with beautiful results.

 

[Broxi]

I'm just north of Greensboro, NC and have a mixed flock. So far all have fared well. My adult girls are 3 Easter Eggers and 1 Barred Rock that I got at a feed store in Kernersville. I love my Barred Rock! The new group is 2 Light Brahma (1F-1M), 1 Sapphire Splash, 1 Crested Cream Legbar, and 1 Black Orpington. They are still young since they were hatched on Aug 24th from Meyer Hatchery. So far all is good except the one cockerel was purchased as a sexed day old female..90% reliability for you! I'll have to wait and see how the new ones work out next summer, but they've been perfect so far this winter. I had looked heavily into Blue House Farm for Barnevelder, but haven't taken the plunge yet. Maybe this spring, but I really want the Orp to get broody and raise my new babies so we'll see how that works out.

If you like barred birds I'd go with the Plymouth Rock. My girl is at the top of the pecking order but not mean. She's just "The Baroness" and my favorite girl so far.