What breeds to get

[nikkinewlin]

Chick season has started! I have 4 roosters and not enough hens, so I am going to get about a dozen pullets.

So far my flock is made up of 5 silkies, one standard sized cochin, one polish, one frizzled bantam, and one cochin bantam. My flock is just for fun and for eggs.

I want some new, unique looking pullets to add to my flock. I do know that I want a couple of easter eggers, but I am not sure what else to get. I really want a few more polish chicks, but they are only straight run, and I can NOT have any more roos.

What breeds have you guys had fun raising that can be sexed as day old chicks?

 

[PrairieChickens]

If you order polish through My Pet Chicken, you can have them sexed, so if you don't mind paying the extra expense in shipping, you can still get those Polish you want and avoid getting any roosters. You can also order Easter Eggers through them, as well as many, many other varieties. I've had much better luck with the chicks I get from MPC being the gender I ordered than I do with the chicks I buy from my local farm supply store, so for me, the added cost of shipping is worth it.

As for some other breeds you might be interested in, the red sexlink (golden buff, red star, isa brown, etc) is an excellent variety for eggs, and because they're feather sexed, 0% chance of males. http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Golden-Buff-Red-Star-p224.aspx

I got 3 speckled sussex in September and they're now laying. The eggs are a pretty standard creamy brown color, but the hens themselves are GAWJUS. http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Speckled-Sussex-p239.aspx


Conversely, I also ordered Welsummers in September. They have also started laying, but where the speckled sussex is a beautiful hen with a so-so egg, the Welsummers are so-so in appearance, but lay the most beautiful eggs. They look like little dinosaur eggs with a deep brown color and dark brown spots. http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Welsummer-p249.aspx

Some other breeds that I've had that I've enjoyed--not all of them are available on MPC--are black sexlinks, production reds, barred rocks, australorps, and white plymouth rock. My absolute favorite of all the chickens I've had have been my Easter Eggers, which you're already planning on getting.

 

[nikkinewlin]

If you order polish through My Pet Chicken, you can have them sexed, so if you don't mind paying the extra expense in shipping, you can still get those Polish you want and avoid getting any roosters. You can also order Easter Eggers through them, as well as many, many other varieties. I've had much better luck with the chicks I get from MPC being the gender I ordered than I do with the chicks I buy from my local farm supply store, so for me, the added cost of shipping is worth it.

As for some other breeds you might be interested in, the red sexlink (golden buff, red star, isa brown, etc) is an excellent variety for eggs, and because they're feather sexed, 0% chance of males. http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Golden-Buff-Red-Star-p224.aspx

I got 3 speckled sussex in September and they're now laying. The eggs are a pretty standard creamy brown color, but the hens themselves are GAWJUS. http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Speckled-Sussex-p239.aspx


Conversely, I also ordered Welsummers in September. They have also started laying, but where the speckled sussex is a beautiful hen with a so-so egg, the Welsummers are so-so in appearance, but lay the most beautiful eggs. They look like little dinosaur eggs with a deep brown color and dark brown spots. http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Welsummer-p249.aspx

Some other breeds that I've had that I've enjoyed--not all of them are available on MPC--are black sexlinks, production reds, barred rocks, australorps, and white plymouth rock. My absolute favorite of all the chickens I've had have been my Easter Eggers, which you're already planning on getting.

I checked out mypetchicken and there is a min order of 15 chicks for my zip code. I have never ordered chicks on line befare. Can they be 15 chicks of different breeds, or do they all have to be of the same breed? I LOVE the speckled Sussex hens I think I am going to get a few of them and maybe some barred rocks along with my easter eggers. I am still debating on where I am going to get the chicks from. If I can mix match I may order threw mypetchicken, because I am in love with my polish hen, and would love to have more like her. Thank you for your advice

 

[PrairieChickens]

You can get 15 chicks, each a different breed if you wanted, and if you wait a few weeks the minimum order goes down in spring. I only have to order 7 at a time in the warmer months--it may be even less for you. The 15 minimum is just to keep them warm during shipping.

My last order of chicks had over 10 different breeds in it.