What breed to get?

[greenriver]

Hello everyone. I am really enjoying this forum.

At one time I had Barred Rock and enjoyed having them, I just like the bigger breeds.

I am starting over from scratch and looking for advice on which breed to go with. I realize its a personal choice but interested in hearing what others with experience would do if they were starting over.

Egg production primarily. Brown eggs. With an eye to breeding and selling pure bred stock, eggs and chicks later....

Thanks

 

[cubalaya]

its hard to beat a barred rock or rhode island red but if you are only going to have one breed why not try the delaware.

 

[gmendoza]

Bigger breeds with good temperment is Light Brahma.We have one and she is the bigest girl in our flock(bared rocks and buff orp in our flock too).Shes a hearty egg layer and a good hen.

 

[greenriver]

OK. I will check out the Delawares and Light Brahmas.

I have room for more that one breed here too.

 

[patman75]

Orpingtons, Australorp or Wyandottes are possiblities.

 

[cubalaya]

black australorp

 

[TK Poultry]

Are you just wanting egg production or dual purpose. I have a few nice showy type of breeds in mind that I don't think lay too bad I'm not sure i've never owned any.

The Englsih strain Orpingtons or just some nice Orpingtons with the correct body type. I was also thinking Light, Coronation, or Speckled Sussex. You could also maybe go with Cochins but I don't know how often they lay before they would go broody. I would also say some Wyandottes as well because you could get some nice showy ones or some rare colored ones.

This is my wisedom all 3 almost 4 years of it LOL

I forgot to add.... I have started over once as well because I started with Barred Rocks, White Rocks, and New Hampshires. Then when I realized that they weren't the quality I went through a stage where I went through every breed like known to man, well probably not but I had Japanese Bantams, Cochin Bantams, Silkies, Ameraucana bantams, Sebrights, d'Uccle bantams, Seramas, and a couple of others but everytime I see a question like this I always try to say that if they don't fit in like you've had them for years then they probably wont. I knew when I first got the Ameraucana bantams they just clicked with me. now I'm going on 2 years with them and getting more and more varieties and moving to large fowl. I guess i'm just saying to experiement. I'm not too familiar with the production breeds I'm more a fancier of the ortamentals. so I hope I helped you said you wanted some input from experience. Hope i didn't bore you LOL

 

[greenriver]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Egg production 1st. No feathered feet.

I am thinking BR, RIR or BO right now. Maybe the Wyndottes, they sure are pretty!

 

[dinahmoe]

the reds and barred rocks are great.i had a few black giants that were very nice if you are looking for a bigger bird.

oh yeah,the delaware is supposed to lay a large egg.i just don't care for white birds(free range).

you have to narrow it down to
where you live-single comb,rose comb(cold)
if they will free range-light birds are easy targets.

 

[Kaceyx73]

I'm not starting over, I'm just starting.

I went with the RIR, myself. Of course, my interests in a good meat bird that also laid well led me in that direction. Mine is more of "what if" flock. I wasn't peculiar about the purebred genetics as I have learned that some are.

For the average person buying chicks for a utilitarian flock, the RIR's, even from production stock, would be great. You mentioned wanting purebred, so that just depends on how you meant it. There are plenty on here who can tell you more about the laying and other attributes of show breeds, even the RIR, than I can.

Some even suggest RIR roos aren't the friendliest of the bunch, even though I haven't had any major problems with mine (knock on wood). Of course I do have an adult roo that helps keep him in line.

I did originally look at barred rocks, orpingtons, wyandottes, and brahmas in addition to the RIR. Since getting mine, a lot of people have suggested the delawares even as a second breed. I like everything I read about them, except for one thing. I don't know if I can bring myself to have WHITE chickens. Even as a former bouncer, living close to one of the routes frequented by the "chicken trucks" hinders me every time.

Also, go with your gut. My first gut reaction was to get a couple of cubalayas. All the stuff I read about them convinced me not to, but after talking with some of the guys on the cubalaya thread, I see my gut was right. If I had the space to add another pen, I'd get some this spring.

Good luck!!