Single breed vs mixed flock

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Excellent!! The pdf chart on that page was exactly what i needed.. Thank you very much.. I will let you know what we decide
 
I am leaning heavily towards deleware.. It fits my search almost perfectly.. I dont care for broody, but its not a deal breaker.. Other than that it sounds like a good fast growing dual purpose bird.. Large eggs at a good rate.. Pretty to look at.. Docile and friendly.. Listed as critical.. American (bonus, didnt care about that goin in) ... Good back story

Just what i read, im not responsible for the storys accuracy lol.. Anyway.. Apparently in the 1940's in Deleware (shocker) a hatchery was doing alot of "crossing Rock-Reds" .. Every once in a while a batch of chicks would have a random white chick.. Eventually they had a bunch of white chickens and bred them for years until their colors stabalized and a decade later they were recognized as a breed .. Shame a chicken with such good charactoristics is critical after only being around for half a century.. Unless the little women finds something she likes better im going to go with deleware
 
Hillschicks said:
I am leaning heavily towards deleware.. It fits my search almost perfectly.. I dont care for broody, but its not a deal breaker.. Other than that it sounds like a good fast growing dual purpose bird.. Large eggs at a good rate.. Pretty to look at.. Docile and friendly.. Listed as critical.. American (bonus, didnt care about that goin in) ... Good back story

Just what i read, im not responsible for the storys accuracy lol.. Anyway.. Apparently in the 1940's in Deleware (shocker) a hatchery was doing alot of "crossing Rock-Reds" .. Every once in a while a batch of chicks would have a random white chick.. Eventually they had a bunch of white chickens and bred them for years until their colors stabalized and a decade later they were recognized as a breed .. Shame a chicken with such good charactoristics is critical after only being around for half a century.. Unless the little women finds something she likes better im going to go with deleware
Click to expand...


The Delaware was my 3rd breed that I considered. I will be allowing my chickens to free range on about 2 acres though and am very nervous the Delaware will be more susceptible to Hawk attacks since it is white...what do you think?
 
We currently free range.. Or pasture to be more specific.. Lower michigan area, we have all the normal predators including hawks.. I would say it would depend on the 2 acres.. We talking wooded or empty field? We just let our out everyday and they run the property until dark.. We have had about 1 out of 10 chickens get taken.. Color didnt seem to matter much.. We always have a rooster with them tho so usually its a rooster being taken and then we replace him.. Its the price we pay to pasture.. On the other side, my brother doesnt pasture, he has an enclosed run.. A mink got in and killed his entire flock.. ****** if ya do ****** if ya dont.. I figure a hawk can see a brown mouse in dirt from a hundred yards up.. He will see a "camoflaug" chicken without a problem anyway
 
Hillschicks said:
We currently free range.. Or pasture to be more specific.. Lower michigan area, we have all the normal predators including hawks.. I would say it would depend on the 2 acres.. We talking wooded or empty field? We just let our out everyday and they run the property until dark.. We have had about 1 out of 10 chickens get taken.. Color didnt seem to matter much.. We always have a rooster with them tho so usually its a rooster being taken and then we replace him.. Its the price we pay to pasture.. On the other side, my brother doesnt pasture, he has an enclosed run.. A mink got in and killed his entire flock.. ****** if ya do ****** if ya dont.. I figure a hawk can see a brown mouse in dirt from a hundred yards up.. He will see a "camoflaug" chicken without a problem anyway
Click to expand...


In our case no woods at all. Actually it is a very open very flat piece of land. There are a few trees on the property but most of it is open. I was planning to plant a couple things for cover and maybe build a small shelter for them to run to if need be. You do have a good point about the mouse :) Delaware may go back into the mix...thanks a lot ;) We will probably noy have a rooster the first year as my boys will be 3 yrs and 1 yr and I am scared to death of roosters attacking them, but hoping to have a rooster when I get some more experience. Especially since I want to eventually hatch my own chicks.
 
Yea, i hear ya on the rooster thing.. Our 5 year old is excited to eat one of our roosters on account he attacked him.. Now he is in the freezer, but yea no point taking chances if ya dont have to.. I would figure empty field with no trees ibwouldnt worry about color.. Any bird of prey is going to see the bowling ball size lumps all over the field lol.. Just make sure they have plenty of water if shade is limited.. They can overheat
 

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