Time for a new flock

[imzadi]

Ok...quick question. Looking to replace my flock (the fox got the last one!)

We need a breed that will stay put...we want free range but not free to the neighbors range , great egg layer, cold hardy.

Thinking Austrolop (?spellings, sorry). I have heard this is a great breed and fulfills all that I'm looking for but I'm not sure how they are when it comes to "roaming" and visiting

Thanks for the help

 

[microchick]

Ok...quick question. Looking to replace my flock (the fox got the last one!)

We need a breed that will stay put...we want free range but not free to the neighbors range , great egg layer, cold hardy.

Thinking Austrolop (?spellings, sorry). I have heard this is a great breed and fulfills all that I'm looking for but I'm not sure how they are when it comes to "roaming" and visiting

Thanks for the help

IMHO I think I would just forget about getting a breed that 'stays put' and concentrate on A) building a predator free coop/run and keeping my birds safe in it. Or B) Getting rid of Mr. Fox.

No matter what breed you decide on it will suffer the same fate as your first flock if you do not deal with the predator problem that you appear to have. Once a fox develops a taste for chicken it isn't going to stop until you stop it.

My husband suggests Ostriches. No predator is going to mess with those birds.

But seriously. I'm so sorry you lost your flock to a fox. Nasty business to have to deal with and I hope you are able to, or already have dealt with the problem before you try to replace your flock. People ask me why I do not free range and I simply point to the sky and the red tailed hawks that are forever on the prowl for a free meal. As much as I would love to set my birds free to enjoy the yard and all the yummies it holds, I cannot bring myself to open that gate for them.


BTW, love your ID. Live Long and Prosper!

 

[3riverschick]

Cold hardy. That's why I am switching to Chanteclers. Buckeyes are a good choice too. Both breeds are vey cold hardy with their small combs. Chanties even more so. They need breeders, were developed especially or small owner flocks, will provide both meat and eggs. Don't remember either breed being classed as "wanderers". Here pics of both of them. Both breeds have enthusiastic supporters who are breeding to the Standard. Buckeyes come on one red color. Chanties come in the original white and also in a partridge color which came later. Both are accepted by the American Poultry Association and are showable at all APA shows.
Buy your birds from an established breeder who has been linebreeding them for years and winning at shows. Or breeding them for production. Or from a breeder who got their birds from such a person and has only has them for a generation or two. Do not buy from a hatchery. I don't know where you are located?
Canadian page on both White ad Partridge Chanteclers. :
http://breedsavers.blogspot.com/2011/04/chantecler-canadas-chicken-breed.html
My opinion, wait on the Buff color It is a real tough color to get right and very new in this breed. The other 2 colors have had much more work for a longer time put into getting the colors right. Chantecler Fanciers International club can help you find US breeders. BYC has several good Chantie discussion threads with knowledgeable folk o them. Look for the "Educator" badge in their profiles.
History of the Buckeye breed, only US breed developed by a lady.
http://www.americanbuckeyepoultryclub.com/BuckeyeHistory2.html
Best,
Karen