Struggling to choose which breed!!!

We're moving to a new home this spring with LOTS more room for MORE CHICKIES!!!

I keep thinking about what I want to hatch this spring and it's SO hard!!! Right now I've got 5 Marans from a breeder and 2 BRs + 1BO that are hatchery stock. I'm definitely going to breed my marans to by pretty blue copper roo to see what kind of quality I get. I'm also planning on doing a little experiment crossing between him and my BO, possibly my BRs. The crosses will just be to expand my laying flock. I'll probably leave this mixed flock together (plus a mamma silkie or two ) in the layer pen because they get along really well. Once I'm done with the experiment hatch it should be super easy to only hatch babies from the Marans since their eggs can't be mistaken for the ones from the hatchery girls.

But here's where the dilemma comes in... I'm planning on building a coop and run area with 2 sections (plus a brooder area) so I can keep a seperate purebred flock. I've been browsing the hatching eggs section trying to decide what to raise but I just don't know what to do... There are too many beautiful birds to choose from!!! I absolutely LOVE the lavender orps, but there are some mille fleur cochins and duccles in there that are to die for. And those sweet, fluffy, snuggly Silkies... Sooo pretty! How the heck do you guys settle on just one?!?! I want them all

So I'm curious, how did you pick the breeds you wanted to raise and how darn hard is it to keep one (or two... or three) kinds when there are so many gorgeous birds croout there?

 

I like that philosophy... That means I can just go crazy on all kinds of hatching eggs come February right?

Guess I better buy a BIG bator!

 

It is hard, isn't it? Just like going through seed catalogs, they all sound great. And, just like with the vegetables, they ARE all great, just in different ways.

OMG don't get me started on seed catalogs!!! I just got a HUGE full color catalog from Baker Creek Heirlooms... My mind is overwhelmed

So I think I have come up with a slightly different plan than I had before which I'm pretty excited about and should allow me to keep at least two purebreed pens alongside my mixed pen! YAY!

The house we're moving into has the super long rockery/terrace area in front of the horse barn. My mom and I have tried to grow veggies in it but it really hasn't been very productive. It dawned on me yesterday that this could be the perfect place for the coop! My plan is to build a long, raised shedrow coop 8' wide by 24' long. The front of the coop will have support legs and the back will sit up on the terace against the rockery. By having them sit off the ground over the rockery it will save me a lot of ground space so I will have plenty of room for nice big runs. I figure each section of coop should comfortable hold 10 chickens. I'm planning to build one giant secure run, then divide it into three on the inside with a cheaper material like chicken wire. I am hoping we can figure out how to do it with pallets, but only if we can make it look nice. I'm going to be taking in a couple of horse boarders so I want to keep everything looking spiffy

I think I'm going to add 2 silkie hens to my mixed flock and hope they're nice and broody... I think I've also decided on lavender orps for the second pen. Not sure yet on the third, gonna have to keep checking the egg section and see what catches my eye!​