What breeds should I add to my mixed flock

[lomine]

Walking toilet brushes...Oh man I laughed so loud I scared the dog, and he's half deaf.

I agree that Cochins are super cute if you are looking for something "fluffy" and mine seem really chill. And if you are looking for something with some beautiful feathering check out the Partridge Cochins. I liked my "surprise" one so much I ordered a second. They aren't old enough so no experience with their laying.

If egg quantity is an important factor I would choose an EE over an Ameraucana. Mine are pretty but they don't lay all that well and took a long time to start. You won't get a guaranteed blue egg from an EE but you will get more eggs. If egg count isn't important, go for the Blue AM. Mine get along well with flock mates. I ended up keeping a male from a straight run because he was so calm and a gentleman with his girls.

For darker brown eggs I got Black Copper Marans, Barnvelders, and Welsummers. They are also too young so I can't comment on egg color but all of them are docile and get along well with everyone. The Welsummers are a bit more adventurous. One of the BCM likes to come see what I'm up to while in the barn but the other is more standoffish. The Barnvelders keep their distance.

My lighter brown layers include Buff Orpintons, Delaware, and Wyandotte. They all lay really well and get along with everyone. They were very friendly as chicks so you could probably tame them easily.

Just remember that not every bird fits it's breed description. You might get a skittish one that's supposed to be a friendly breed.

 

[Sassysouth]

I am a first time Silkie owner and mine are 14 weeks. I am not finding them to be sweet nor cuddly. I would definitely stick to a full size chicken. I had Red Production hens and they were great layers and easy to get along with. If you must get Silkies, they wll definitely need their own living quarters.

 

[Folly's place]

My first chickens were a trio of Belgian d'Uccle bantams, and two or three Silkies. Also not the best advice on management, so many disasters. The Silkies did NOT do well, and the Belgian d'Uccles were much more resilient, surviving my mistakes, and after 25 years, still part of the genetics of my flock.
I'm rambling here, but many breeds are hardier and easier than Silkies! The cuteness comes at a price.
Mary

 

[DrFeathers]

Thank you all so much - great advice!

I’m not a fan of the walking toilet brushes. I consider Silkies special needs chickens since they cannot fly and they often go broody a lot. Since they can’t fly you may have to modify your coop to accommodate them. That’s not just roosts and nests but maybe you would need to add a broody buster. You may need one of those anyway.

I don’t know how much room you actually have in the coop or run. I get nervous when people start talking about finite numbers and capacity. If you follow the link in my signature you’ll see why I don’t believe that a square feet per chicken formula works for everyone. I agree that when you are integrating you need more room, especially if they are immature chickens.

There are different ways to keep the egg laying going. Totally replacing your flock when production drops below acceptable levels is one way, though you may go through a pretty long egg-less period when you retire the old hens and start with young chicks. You could get around a lot of that by buying point of lay pullets instead of young chicks but that can be expensive and you may have trouble getting the breeds you want.

I don’t know how many hens you need for egg production. Let’s say six is a good number for you just so I have some numbers to work with. A system I’ve used is to keep replacement pullets every year. Let’s say you get three new pullets every spring. You raise them until they start to lay, often some will lay straight through their first winter and skip the molt. That means you should get a few eggs throughout the winter when your older hens are molting. You keep those three the following year and through their first adult molt. Then you keep them the following laying season and remove them when they start to molt that fall. It will take you a bit to get the rotation going but once you do you will have six adults laying throughout the summer until that years pullets start to lay, when you will have nine laying. But when the older ones molt you remove the oldest and do not feed them through the winter. You overwinter the previous year’s pullets and this year’s pullets, then get more pullets in the spring. Four new pullets may ne you r number, not three. There is often some trial and error involved in getting to a system that works for us since we are all unique.

As far as breeds go, follow your heart. We all have our favorites but in reality practically any will do if you are just a little selective. I suggest going through Henderson’s Breed Chart to look for traits you want and them go to Feathersite to see what they will look like.


Henderson’s Breed Chart

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

Feathersite

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens

Just to be clear
Year 1: start with 6
Year 2: add 3 more in spring, have 9 layers then 3 when originals molt over winter
Year 3: add 3 more in the spring making 12 and cull original 6 in the fall when they start molt leaving 6, 3 of whom will lay in winter.
Year 4: add 3 more in spring back to 9 and then cull the year 2 birds at the fall molt leaving 6 again (3+3)

Continue in perpetuity.
The most I will have at a time is 12 layers the third summer / autumn but will cull down to 6 by winter.

The one question is - they get culled at 2.5yrs old in this scenario - I think I read they can lay until 3-3.5yrs? Or does egg production slow enough inthat last year it is better to cull and replace?

PS: for aart’s concern about space: my coop demensions are 4x4x4 with two 4’ long roosts (flat 2x4’s) and the 6 girls comfortably all line up on just the top roost at night leaving the lower roost empty - that’s why I figure a maximum of 12 but ideally keep it at 6-9? They also have 6’x8’ of 7’ tall walk-in run plus the coop is up 2’ off ground with feeders underneath so that’s another 4’x4’ of run space. There are multilevel roosts in the run and plenty of deep litter to dig in and a stump just for fun. Also my wife lets them out to free range a few hours every day even in winter.

 

[bluebird]

Excellent post by RR. I agree with the majority of comments made: Silkies require special handling and may be subject to hazing from "normal feathered" flock members, especially if Silkies are late to the game.

General minimal recommendations for back yard flock spacing: MINIMUM of 4 s.f. in coop/bird, 10 s.f. in run/per bird. Winter time cabin fever issues, addition of a cockerel, integrating new birds, dealing with a broody issues IMO require even more space.

x2

 

[Folly's place]

Some hens will lay some eggs for years, and others are done at age two. It depends! The most cost effective management for egg production is 'all in, all out', maybe on alternate years, as a rotation in a home flock. Your plan will work very well, and it's best to know who is in lay, and who isn't, to maximize production costs.
Many of us don't do things this way, and that's fine too.
I like to raise my own replacements, and so I value broodiness, and longevity, and hens that are healthy and (somewhat) productive for as long as possible.
Special birds will stay here for their lifetimes.
Some will move to other flocks, or go to the freezer, but it's not just an age issue. It depends.
Mary

 

[DrFeathers]

Ok separate but also part of the reason for starting this thread:
One of my two EE girls stopped laying end of October after laying 6-7/week since she started in August. Her comb is pale pink and neck feathers have been a little sparse but otherwise doesn’t seem too featherbare. You guys think she will resume lay in the spring or she is probably done prematurely?

 

[Folly's place]

Only she knows for sure; just wait and see. Egg productions always goes down here in winter, even with 4am to 8am lighting in the coop. With this cold spell, it's even lower! And some hens are molting, too. Bad timing on their part, for sure.
I have 37 pullets and hens, of various ages (those older ladies!) and today had ten eggs total. It will be better in spring!!!
Mary

 

[DrFeathers]

Picture is 1000 words.
Coop is a modified Purina and the run is my own design.
Enough space, right?

 

[Folly's place]

It looks small for your plans; If you add a roof to the run, and make the whole thing a coop, then it might work.
Mary