Topic of the Week - Which Breeds Are Best For….

[shober]

Correct me if I'm wrong.
Because I haven't started yet, & will appreciate the info.
We're a family of four living in Southern California.
Here's our needs / wants, in raising chickens.

1. Healthy eggs for the family to eat. (not to sell)
2. Friendly (I know interaction at an early age, will accomplish this, to the degree I take it.)
3. Strong (To deter, or survive predators, such as Cats, Hawks, & Raccoon)
4. Looks (Majestic / Beautiful / Large / Uncommon / Desirable to others.)
5. Sales (Breeding up for excellence in stock, I'll be selling all chicks that aren't; "Cream of the Crop")
6. Meat (Again, not for sale, but for our family's healthy eating, and to cull old stock appropriately)
7. Quiet (Respecting my daylight wasting neighbors, who have no need to wake at the crack of dawn.)

Considering these personal conditions,
and being recognized by the American Standard of Perfection,
the overall #1 Best Backyard Chicken, in my opinion, is the;
Light, Buff, and Dark Brahmas.

Again, am I short sited, or does another breed combine these qualities?
Thanks for your opinions in advance

Try the Bielefelder. They are good egg layers and very sweet! Like dogs. I really love mine! Check them out!

 

[3KillerBs]

In my flock,

If you want a daily supply of big, white eggs coupled with an active and fearless personality try a California White. Chipotle's idea of "slowing down in her second year" was to lay 5 days out of 7 (occasionally 6), instead of 28 days out of 30.

If you want an all-around bird that takes the heat and doesn't cause any drama try Blue Australorps. They're also great if you need to ID your males early because they're fast-maturing and those boys' combs pop up at 3-4 weeks.

My French Cuckoo Marans are absolutely unflappable and cause absolutely no drama in the flock.

 

[Sussex19]

My Sussex (Light and Coronation) have laid most days for almost a year now, apart from when they went broody, and a very short break for moulting.
Also they make very nice table birds, around 2.2kg harvested at around 16 to 20 weeks.

 

[Ascholten]

My Black Ostralorpe and Golden Comet have by far, become the friendliest chickens I have had.

Recently, for reasons I still do not know why, the comet has become quite attached to me, and wants to sit at my feet or hop up in my lap. I pet her, she isn't quite like the cockatoo where she'll lay there for hours absorbing the attention but she'll sit there a minute or two then kind of walk off. The moment you move though she's right there again following you and if you are not careful, trying to squat trip. She's not afraid of the lawn mower either and THAT is a problem. it's like LOOK tootsie, I got beehives here, I need to get in and get the hell out, I can NOT be stopping to pick you up and move you out of the way ! I got lit up the other day collecting honey, I do not need that again my damned thumb is STILL sore from that one.

Aaron

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Try the Bielefelder. They are good egg layers and very sweet! Like dogs. I really love mine! Check them out!

I agree on the bielefelders. I have many, including a rooster, and they are super friendly, quiet and don’t mind taking a siesta on your lap. I have one that likes to piggy back ride when I kneel down to weed the garden

 

[Duchess of Quah]

Our Austra White is nearly two years old, and lays 5x weekly, when not molting. She only took a month off for that, during which time she also survived a hawk attack. We have had severe flooding, severe drought, temps above 110, temps below zero, ice storms, hail, snow, strong wind gusts -- she's not bothered by any of it. She actually loves snow, and willingly walks out into a big snowy patch to just stand and gloat about her amazing camoflauge. Beautiful temperament with people and other poultry and has been one of the friendliest birds since she came to us as a day-old chick.

She loves to jump on our backs and snuggle up on our shoulders, and is easy to handle when caring for her. Example: when I came to find her after the hawk attack, she was hiding under her coop. I crouched down and scootched in to see if I could gently reach her, but she came right over to me and waited to be picked up. She loves to hang out with me during chicken chores, though sometimes gets chased off by my Barred Rock (who is also an amazingly tough, lovely, and easy to handle hen).

 

[fluffycrow]

My most prolific egg layers have always been leghorns and ISA brown. The leghorns live way longer though, while with the ISA brown it's an irregularity that they do. As for kid friendly breeds, the only one I've kept (granted for a very short while) and would recommend would be serama. As for breeds with special requirements, I can tell you that my brahma DO NOT like the heat

 

[Skyewatcher]

We have only had white Leghorns for egg layers. This spring we got some White American Bresse mainly for meat but might keep a couple hens to check the egg laying.

 

[BDutch]

If you have little space to keep chickens, I recommend Dutch or another small bantams.
They even fit into a prefab coop (but such prefabs still need alterations).

Dutch are one of the smallest breeds and in W-Europe a common breed. They lay good from early spring till the end of autumn and are show very social behaviour (especially towards each other). Dutch are excellent broodies, but if you want to quit a broodies behaviour is not very difficult to stop them. They live a long life and still lay (less) when 8 years old.

They are great free rangers because they fly away for dogs, know the difference between neighbour cats they can trust and strange cats that ar not trustworthy.

 

[Kanekoded]

I have no answers to give...but I have questions.

I would easily fall in love with sweet birds...which is going to be the problem when we cull.

Scenario: We're on 1/2 acre. Zone 10a (North San Diego, coastal-ish). We get a few days every few years of +30 and maybe a week every few years of 100.

Challenges: I have Red-Tail Hawks and Henry's Falcons. They don't seem to bother my neighbors' birds who are extremely wild, but they (predatory birds) nest on my property and will be staying. I also have a family of coons that visit as well as skunks and opossum. The normal mice and rat thing. We also have catch, fix and release feral cats (currently 5ish). Occasional neighbor dogs visit and haven't seen coyotes in a couple of years.

Question 1: What is a good meat hen that will give at least a fair amount of eggs, be a good meat bird (for sure) and one that I probably will NOT fall in love with. Something annoying that will not (most likely) try to kill me. Should I just raise roos for this purpose? Still want something that probably won't be that sweet. I would not keep roos in the pen with hens as I am a ovo-lacto vegetarian (family are meat eaters). At what age would a roo be good to dispatch? I really would prefer to keep the noise down as much a possible.

Question 2: What is a nice temperament bird that is fairly self-protective, productive egg layers, that are known for laying for a good long portion of their lives.


Assumption: if I have something that is aggressive towards hens it will either be dinner sooner or need to be separated.
Assumption: I will need to build tractors or some sort of full fence enclosure.
Assumption: I will not kill a "chicken friend" unless it for mercy or SHTF.

Thanks in advance.

Buckeye chickens.