What breeds would you have in a well rounded flock?

[BarredBuff]

What breeds would you have in a well rounded flock?

 

[Mahonri]

Are you looking for different egg colors?

 

[cimarron]

Some Ameraucanas for their big beautiful green/blue eggs.

 

[BarredBuff]

I mean a flock that would lay lots of eggs, hatch chicks out, and be suitable for meat production.

 

[speckledhen]

This is just my own take on it, but I love Barred Rocks; Barred Rocks or Rocks of any color for the consistency of laying and non-broodiness (generally). They are friendly, curious and lay very large eggs. I have some 4 year olds who still lay several a week.

Buff Orpingtons for the huge eggs, but on occasion, most of them will go broody, especially if they are breeder types over hatchery stock, so you can raise chicks.

True Ameraucanas for sweet personality, blue eggs and just some real variety over single combed breeds. Some do brood.

Delawares for their energy, intelligence, ability to forage very well, friendly personalities and their consistent egg laying ability. Their eggs are very rounded and a peachy tan or pinkish color, very different from the usual brown egg, I find. I love mine, though I generally don't care for white birds. A well-bred Delaware rooster is a big bird and good meat, if you get good lines so they will grow large as they should be. Breeder lines will brood, usually.

There are so many wonderful breeds, though, and it takes trial and error to find out what you really love. There's a chicken breed for everyone!

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Quote:
Cochins are definitely the most well-rounded! (Sorry - couldn't resist!)

 

[HEChicken]

Everyone has a different goal for their flock so it is difficult to answer, but if you are looking for both eggs and meat, you would definitely want to stick to the dual-purpose breeds. If you look in the breeds database on BYC, you can sort the columns so I would start by sorting by the column that lists whether they are egg-layers or dual purpose birds. Once you have them separated into the dual purpose birds, look for birds that are suitable for your climate, which may eliminate a few breeds. Then, if you have a particular preference for eggs - small, large, colored - you may be able to eliminate some more. If you have a broody preference - seldom or often - you can eliminate a few more. If you do it like this, you should be left with a list of breeds that meet the qualities you are looking for and can get one or two or three of each, depending on how many breeds there are and how many you want in your flock.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I guess you would call mine....overly rounded. I have Barred Rocks, Spitzhauben,Buff Orphington, Silver & Golden Lakenvelders, Rhode Island Red, Easter Eggers, Delawares,White Leghorn,Blue Andalusians,Red Shouldered Yokahamas,Black tailed Buff Japanese Bantys, Seramas,White faced Black Spanish, & an itty bitty Spangled Banty. I also have some eggs in the incubator of some crossbreeds I'm trying out. Along with that, I have some Golden Campines on order. I won't even talk about my turkeys & pheasants.

 

[BarredBuff]

Will hatchery buff orpingtons go broody?

 

[speckledhen]

Sometimes, yes. I have two hatchery girls and one breeder Buff Orp. One of the hatchery girls has been broody twice in her four years of life and the breeder girl, who is less than two years old, went broody last spring.