(Very)Small mixed breed flock?

[ChickenCanoe]

Those would be a good mix.

Check out this varieties of colors.

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Rocks/BRKRocks.html

 

[Michael OShay]

I definitely want to get chicks because I want my oldest to help me raise them and I want to make sure they are handled everday and in a nice way to get them acclimated to us. I should have said I'm not very interested in white eggs. I know all eggs nutritionally are the same, but I want a mix of brown, tan and blue/green. I'm really leaning towards 1 plymouth rock, 1 welsummer or maran and 1 or 2 americauna. These are all about the same size and temperament (in general) correct? As far as ordering a small amount of chicks I have a friend with 5 acres who will go in on an order with me if I cant get the breeds I want in small numbers from the feed store

.

All of those breeds are similar in temperament but in my personal experience the Welsummers and Marans don't tend to be quite as docile as the other two breeds. Keep in mind as well that you're not going to get true Ameraucanas (which lay only blue eggs) from a feed store, but rather Easter Eggers (which I and ChickenCanoe mentioned in our previous posts). Hatcheries and feed stores frequently and incorrectly market their Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas, when they are not, in fact, true Ameraucanas. The only major hatchery that I'm aware of that sells true Ameraucanas is Meyer Hatchery, which sells Blue Ameraucanas, and they charge five times as much for them as they do for their Easter Eggers. If you are not familiar with the difference between true Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers, there is a good article at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html explaining the difference. As I stated previously, since they are hybrids, the temperament of Easter Eggers can vary quite a bit depending on which breeds were used in the crosses.

 

[littlelune810]

Thank you! I am ok with EEs if need be but my cousin has a poultry farm and has true Americaunas... I *may* be able to get some from him but I haven't been able to talk to him yet. I am anxiously awaiting him to get back in to town so I can talk chicken with him and get his insights on whether or not I will be able to get some of these breeds from the area feed stores, or if I will need to place an order.

Thank you all for your help !! I'm so excited and I love reading through all the information on the breeds and how to care for them. I've already read 3 books on raising backyard chickens in the past week!

 

[Michael OShay]

Thank you! I am ok with EEs if need be but my cousin has a poultry farm and has true Americaunas... I *may* be able to get some from him but I haven't been able to talk to him yet. I am anxiously awaiting him to get back in to town so I can talk chicken with him and get his insights on whether or not I will be able to get some of these breeds from the area feed stores, or if I will need to place an order.

Thank you all for your help !! I'm so excited and I love reading through all the information on the breeds and how to care for them. I've already read 3 books on raising backyard chickens in the past week!

You're welcome. Keep in mind that with true Ameraucanas, you will get only blue eggs, whereas with EEs you will get a mix of colors (blue, olive, green, beige, and perhaps even a pale pink).

 

[donrae]

With the ages of your kiddos, I think it's a good idea to get each bird from a different breed, so they're easy to tell apart. I have a hard time telling one barred Rock from another

, so make it easy on the littles.

If you get Easter eggers, chances are good they'll look different when they're grown, so they'll be easy to tell apart. Plus, they'll lay different colored eggs, not just blue. I think your mix sounds good. You'll have light and dark brown and shades of blue or green, it will make a nice basket. And all those breeds would do fine together.

Living in wet/rainy Oregon myself (not as much as you, but still), I've found you can keep pretty much any breed with our climate. The only problem I've had is feathered feet, they tend to ball up mud and they lose feathers in the winter, not the pretty fluff you see in other folk's pics.

 

[littlelune810]

With the ages of your kiddos, I think it's a good idea to get each bird from a different breed, so they're easy to tell apart. I have a hard time telling one barred Rock from another , so make it easy on the littles.

If you get Easter eggers, chances are good they'll look different when they're grown, so they'll be easy to tell apart. Plus, they'll lay different colored eggs, not just blue. I think your mix sounds good. You'll have light and dark brown and shades of blue or green, it will make a nice basket. And all those breeds would do fine together.

Living in wet/rainy Oregon myself (not as much as you, but still), I've found you can keep pretty much any breed with our climate. The only problem I've had is feathered feet, they tend to ball up mud and they lose feathers in the winter, not the pretty fluff you see in other folk's pics.

Thanks for your input, and I'm actually in Washington so we are neighbors. I definitely want ones without feathers on their feet!

 

[Rod-T]

Thanks for your input, and I'm actually in Washington so we are neighbors. I definitely want ones without feathers on their feet!

where in washington are you? I'm in deer park

 

[littlelune810]

Vancouver.

 

[Rod-T]

Vancouver.

I heard there's a poultry auction weekly.. by Chehalis not sure if I spelled that right....that might something to look into.. I've heard they even get chicks too..

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am in a similar situation looking toward spring with a 6 hen flock, (husband thinks 4....) my kids are older, 8 and 10 so they will be involved as well. So far for me my list includes RIR, easter eggers, Orpington, California white and I don't know what else