Starting a Flock

[Ridgerunner]

I don't see any mistakes you are making. It should be a nice assortment. Since you have other Wyandottes on your list you might consider swapping the Columbian Wyandotte for a Delaware. My Delawares are the most adventurous of the breeds I have with a lot of personality. I think you would enjoy one.

 

[billfields]

Quote:
I thought about that. I like that black/white pattern but in the hens, it appears more pronounced in the Columbian Wyandotte than in the Delawares which seem to be a lot whiter. I also looked at Lakenvelders where the black is solid. They have white eggs tho. I would, frankly, be happy with any of the three (or happier with ALL three if I wasn't trying to restrain myself!) but I like the look of the Wyandottes...was hard to cut back to only one of each type.

 

[weaveagarden]

I totally agree about the Delaware. I love that breed. Love the barred feathers just at the few places. Very striking.

I wondered why no Reds at all. I absolutely love my production Red girl. She is so Beautiful with her bright hackle feathers. And she lays everyday.

But the one that I don't see that most people don't think of as an egg layer is a dark cornish. My little girl is so cute and talkative. She is a great egg layer and fits in well with all of my hens. On top of that, she is beautiful with her double laced black with red/brown feathers. I have been so delighted with her since I got her as an accident in my order. If I could pick one of my chickens to get more of right now, it would be her.

 

[billfields]

Quote:
Goes back to the chickens I knew as a kid....my Mom's flock was always Rhode Island Reds or White Leghorns, usually on a two year rotation back and forth between the two. Got real tired of white and red chickens. The exceptions were a few mulit-colored "scrubs" and bantams that ran free outside the run, roosted in trees and nested wherever they could hide. They usually traced back to pet chickens my sister or I had. They were the interesting ones come hatching time...In the main flock you always knew what was coming, with them, never.

So I'm now trying to recrate the scrubs!

Never really looked at the cornish, thought they were mostly meat birds. It's really hard to pick a limited number!

 

[felidaet]

I agree that you should consider a red pullet. My favorite bird in my flock is my Rhode Island Red (RIR). She is the friendliest bird and is a great layer. I plan to get 3 or 4 more this year. I did not originally plan to get one. I got a free random assortment of 5 layer chicks at a local feed store when purchasing a bag of feed last year. The RIR was one of the five. If any of you are curious, the other four were White Leghorn, Brown Leghorn, Gold Comet, Barred Rock. Only the Barred rock was on my wish list. I have been very happy with all 5 of these. If that feed store has a similar promotion this year I will go back for another assortment. My wife my also get an assortment.

 

[that_crazy_lady]

I have Delawares too, love 'em. I realy more of a bantam or game bird fan, but I enjoy the Dellies so much I'm going to go on with the breed. and 2-3 roos do seem to be to loud or fight that much. but one shoud do you for now, you can pick #2 from the chicks. and if your roo looks anything like the EE typs I've seen, put him over the barrd hens, you should get a crele color in the roosters. it would be sex linked roos barrd, hens like daddy. after that I don't know what you would get. but I had BRs with some game typs and that is what I got.

felidaet - what a sweet deal!

 

[billfields]

So I had my flock all planned out, what breeds and how many of each and was just waiting for the new Meyer Catalog to put in my order. It got here yesterday and dang it, there are all these new breeds!

They've added Anconas, Golden Lakenvelders, Blue AND Gold Spangled Hamburgs, Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, Barnvelders, Black Copper Marans, Sicilian Buttercups and Partridge Penedesencas. They even have a "Maran Collection" with Cuckoos, Black Copper, Blue Splash, Golden Cuckoos and White Marans. Someone suggested Dark Cornish. They have those now too! Clearly I am going to need to pause and ponder some more. Whadda y'all know about these breeds??...18 chickens is still my limit! But I'm thinking, dangerously I fear, that 25 is just 7 more than 18....