The Wyandotte Thread

I really don't want to start a big controversy here, but I have a question for you Wyandotte lovers. Do you love them for their appearance mostly? Mine had less than no personality (all of them hated people--never let themselves be petted), and I purchased them as day-olds. The Orps they were shipped with were much more calm, friendly, and curious. I have also found that my Wyandottes stopped laying earlier than other dual purpose breeds I keep, and others have had that experience as well.

I don't intend to trash the breed. I agree that they ARE very, very beautiful, and they were no trouble except when I HAD to catch one (like for NPIP testing). I was just curious what mostly keeps you long-term breeders/keepers of the breed going--their fine looks, or what?

Have any of you who have kept them more than two years found that they peter out in the egg laying department between year 2 and 3? I processed two that we knew weren't laying, and it was obvious when we looked at their reproductive tracts that they were, in fact, more than done laying. I became suspicious when they put on weight, grew back some feathers, and started to look really good for the first time since they were pullets. My Buff Orps the same age are still laying, as are my even older Australorps. I know a lot of breeders cull every year or two, so they may never see it anyway, but I am happy to keep my hens as long as they give me at least 3 eggs a week (enough to pay for their feed).

Thank you all, and be kind! It is a genuine question.
 
Jubilee, nice flock!! Is there a speckled Sussex in the ancestry of them for the specks?? I have 3 SS and was wondering, love the specks!!

I started with 2 hens coming from the Netherlands and 1 hen and a rooster from Germany.
The 2 hens from the Netherlands do have Sussex genes in them.
I don't know much about the history from the German duo I had.

At the start of this video you can see the two hens with the Sussex genes on the left.
The German duo on the right.
0.jpg
 
I really don't want to start a big controversy here, but I have a question for you Wyandotte lovers.  Do you love them for their appearance mostly?  Mine had less than no personality (all of them hated people--never let themselves be petted), and I purchased them as day-olds.  The Orps they were shipped with were much more calm, friendly, and curious.  I have also found that my Wyandottes stopped laying earlier than other dual purpose breeds I keep, and others have had that experience as well.

I don't intend to trash the breed.  I agree that they ARE very, very beautiful, and they were no trouble except when I HAD to catch one (like for NPIP testing).  I was just curious what mostly keeps you long-term breeders/keepers of the breed going--their fine looks, or what?

Have any of you who have kept them more than two years found that they peter out in the egg laying department between year 2 and 3?  I processed two that we knew weren't laying, and it was obvious when we looked at their reproductive tracts that they were, in fact, more than done laying.  I became suspicious when they put on weight, grew back some feathers, and started to look really good for the first time since they were pullets.  My Buff Orps the same age are still laying, as are my even older Australorps.  I know a lot of breeders cull every year or two, so they may never see it anyway, but I am happy to keep my hens as long as they give me at least 3 eggs a week (enough to pay for their feed).

Thank you all, and be kind!  It is a genuine question.

I have several breeds and my Wyandotte are most definitely at the top of the list. I breed , them raise them and handle them regularly. They climb all over me and sit on my lap.
Admittedly they can be a little ' stand offish ' as they become sexually mature but my ,they really are eye candy. My gold laced are now 6 years old and still laying daily and we are in the middle of winter. It's unfortunate that you have had an unsatisfactory result with yours, perhaps you should try a different strain. :)
 

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