What breeds have you kept across your chickening life and why?

[Chicalina]

Broody hens are indeed very useful!

 

[User105877]

There is nothing wrong with hatchery stock. Believe me I've had hundreds of them, but heritage birds just seem to be a little bit hardier. You may not get the same egg production in the first couple years but they they are better in the long run. It seems like a lot of the sex link breeds and the ones breed for high production have a drastic drop of on year 2 or 3

 

[Member 671655]

Our bantam rooster and my austrolorps will be forever birds

 

[Chicalina]

Our bantam rooster and my austrolorps will be forever birds

I've not kept Australorps yet but they are on my want list. The black ones especially

 

[BGMatt]

Interesting thread. I've kept a ton over the years. As a teenager and young adult I'd regularly hatch hundreds to even a thousand chicks a year from a number of breeds. Now an old man I don't have the free time. The purpose of raising all these breeds was I had aspirations of becoming an APA judge and my mentor said a judge should raise as many as possible, so I did and bred them as close to the standard and their original purpose as I could. Then gave up on becoming a judge because, and really even showing I just hate traveling (and you've got to do a lot of that if you're a poultry guy in the pacific northwest.).

So here's the list (I think, I'm old, my memory sucks), just the breeds I spent at least one breeding season with:

Buckeye
Jersey Giant
Plymouth Rock
Wyandotte
Rhode Island Red
Dominique
Delaware
Brahma
Cochin
Langshan
Dorking
Orpington
Australorp
Hamburg
Polish
Houdan
Favorelles
La Fleche
Campine
Welsummer
Leghorn
Andalusian
Minorca
Sicilian Buttercup
Phoenix
Sumatra
Naked Neck
Frizzle
Ameraucana
Old English Game
Modern Game
D'Anver
Japanese
Silkie
Rosecomb
Dutch Bantam
Call Duck
Khaki Campbell
Indian Runner
Cayuga
Buff Duck
Silver Appleyard
Rouen
Pekin
Chinese
African Goose
Embden
Bourbon Red Turkey
Bronze Turkey

 

[cubalaya]

Interesting thread. I've kept a ton over the years. As a teenager and young adult I'd regularly hatch hundreds to even a thousand chicks a year from a number of breeds. Now an old man I don't have the free time. The purpose of raising all these breeds was I had aspirations of becoming an APA judge and my mentor said a judge should raise as many as possible, so I did and bred them as close to the standard and their original purpose as I could. Then gave up on becoming a judge because, and really even showing I just hate traveling (and you've got to do a lot of that if you're a poultry guy in the pacific northwest.).

So here's the list (I think, I'm old, my memory sucks), just the breeds I spent at least one breeding season with:

Buckeye
Jersey Giant
Plymouth Rock
Wyandotte
Rhode Island Red
Dominique
Delaware
Brahma
Cochin
Langshan
Dorking
Orpington
Australorp
Hamburg
Polish
Houdan
Favorelles
La Fleche
Campine
Welsummer
Leghorn
Andalusian
Minorca
Sicilian Buttercup
Phoenix
Sumatra
Naked Neck
Frizzle
Ameraucana
Old English Game
Modern Game
D'Anver
Japanese
Silkie
Rosecomb
Dutch Bantam
Call Duck
Khaki Campbell
Indian Runner
Cayuga
Buff Duck
Silver Appleyard
Rouen
Pekin
Chinese
African Goose
Embden
Bourbon Red Turkey
Bronze Turkey

pretty good list. what is your favorite? my list would be dominiques, red sexlinks, old english games, old english game bantams, american games, black stars, rhode island reds, barred rocks, black copper marans, welsummers, black australorps, buff orpingtons, ameraucanas, easter eggers, cream legbars, cubalayas in (black, white, bb red, red pyle, brown red, birchen, gold duckwing, blue red, blue, and splash), shamo, brazilian, pakistan asil, indian asil, ganoi, and ga plucker

 

[BGMatt]

pretty good list. what is your favorite? my list would be dominiques, red sexlinks, old english games, old english game bantams, american games, black stars, rhode island reds, barred rocks, black copper marans, welsummers, black australorps, buff orpingtons, ameraucanas, easter eggers, cream legbars, cubalayas in (black, white, bb red, red pyle, brown red, birchen, gold duckwing, blue red, blue, and splash), shamo, brazilian, pakistan asil, indian asil, ganoi, and ga plucker

I don’t know that I have a favorite. Tastes change over time.

Currently missing waterfowl, it’s been over a decade since I had any and I miss them, especially the Calls and Runners.

 

[Chicalina]

Wow, @BGMatt and @cubalaya those are impressive lists!

Ga noi? They are something else!

 

[HappyHippyChick]

Serama
bantam cochin black, blue, millie fleur
silkie black, white, blue, buff
millie fleur d' uccle
oeg bantam bb red
modern game bantam bb red and brown red
ameraucana wheaton/ blue wheaton
blue rock
barred rock
orpington bantam buff
white leghorn bantam
rir bantam
mixes
Salmon Favorelle
Wyandotte bantam
Brahma bantam

 

[seacrow13]

My favorites that I’ve had more than once or even twice are: Rhode Island reds, cream legbars, eggers, California whites, and silkies. I got my first gold wyandottes last year and it may be early to say but they’re definitely an honorable mention, the temperament has been great.

The Rhode Island reds and California whites are such reliable layers and have had such long lifespans for me, especially the Rhode Island reds. My 9 year old red is fierce, they’re great to have for the younger birds because they will chase off anything that tries to partake in consuming the chicken food They can have a bit of an attitude when they’re younger and figuring out their order but it usually comes out for the better.

The cream legbars are one of the friendliest, sweetest breeds. They’re always so curious and really love people in my experience. I’ve had good luck with the roosters being great too.

The eggers are always beautiful, and have some good personalities with the occasional knucklehead.

And the silkies!!! Love them so much. They’re so sweet and soft. I have one who thinks she’s some wild, independent hen who needs no chicken or human lol. She was also recently broody and trying to not only hoard her eggs but take all of the other hens eggs and stuff them under her tiny body

I think sapphire gems are great as well, but I only just got them last year, so I can’t say I’ve had them for long or more than once or anything.