If you like pea combs, I would recommend Buckeyes.I've toyed with the idea of Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers together, and aim for a slightly heftier bird. Our weather is dry, but it gets pretty chilly at 7000 ft elevation in the winter, so I lean toward pea combs. Sounds like I'd have a project before I had a project!
A heftier, personable dual-purpose bird. Of course, the hatchery ones aren't as big. You can read the thread about them, it's featured.
It's great that you're planning ahead! I'm a planner too, it helps me more often than not to be prepared.
Sounds like you're starting out going ALL in on a very challenging yet worthy and super rewarding project.. What breed are you gonna be working with? Is there one you're in love with in person already (or on paper)?
Awesome choice!I answered this once, at the time I was trying to make up my mind (and changing it almost daily for weeks). But sometimes things just settle and you know what you want. I'm going to raise Buckeyes. They check all the boxes on my list; very cold hardy and moderately heat hardy, large birds that are genuinely good for both meat and eggs, friendly, and tough. And if I get them from the breeder I've been in contact with--broody enough to perpetuate themselves without being a PITA about it.
I settled on Buckeyes a while back, and then just let it set in my mind for a while. Looked at other breeds, continued to study, but I just keep going back to these, so it must be love.
Did you ever get your buckeyes and flock started?I answered this once, at the time I was trying to make up my mind (and changing it almost daily for weeks). But sometimes things just settle and you know what you want. I'm going to raise Buckeyes. They check all the boxes on my list; very cold hardy and moderately heat hardy, large birds that are genuinely good for both meat and eggs, friendly, and tough. And if I get them from the breeder I've been in contact with--broody enough to perpetuate themselves without being a PITA about it.
I settled on Buckeyes a while back, and then just let it set in my mind for a while. Looked at other breeds, continued to study, but I just keep going back to these, so it must be love.
Not yet. I had another surgery this spring, and we were still finishing our house (trim, doors, flooring, cabinets, etc). I won't say it's the hub's fault we're just NOW building the coop, but he did dilly about with the concept of foundation piers--we've got really sloping ground, and he wanted a super strong starting point.
But at least I'll finally have chickens.
Im glad yall are making progress, but hate to hear about the restrictions! Maybe yall can work something out! How close are the other houses to where you plan to set your coops? I find building new coops and pens to be a slow process, we've been renovating our newly purchased home (built in 69 but new to us!) and were almost finished enough to start renovation sheds and adding new roofs, still need to finish some wood on back of the house and get gutters but after that I hopefully will start on more and better coops!Not yet. I had another surgery this spring, and we were still finishing our house (trim, doors, flooring, cabinets, etc). I won't say it's the hub's fault we're just NOW building the coop, but he did dilly about with the concept of foundation piers--we've got really sloping ground, and he wanted a super strong starting point.
We did get it started, and are currently waiting for better weather to finish framing/siding/roofing. We're definitely not as young as we used to be!
As to the spiral / clan breeding, a new development has put a kink in those plans. The people who bought the lot right behind us are not in favor of roosters, and our deed restrictions say no poultry. We can, as a group, change the restrictions, but it has to be unanimous, and none of the other three neighbors has even built yet.
So...for me it'll be hens. No breeding.
