What breeds would you recommend to add color and variety to my flock?

[ChickyCh00k]

Mt Healthy Hatchery has a breed called "Blue Rock", which is a cross between a Barred Rock and a Blue Andalusian so they are sex-linked. They have beautiful gray/blue feathers. I have one that's 7.5 weeks old and she's really pretty!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm surprised! I thought I always heard they couldn't take the cold, so that's good to know. That's certainly a unique-looking bird lol

I was surprised too, but I only had one that had issues, and it was during a really bad winter and she had other issues before and after the cold came through, so I doubt the cold actually had much effect. The others all did just fine

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

The above video is from Germany.

Greenfire seem to have had them:
Post in thread 'Kraienkoeppe Thread!' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/kraienkoeppe-thread.634496/post-15400654

Beautiful! I'll look into these.

Mt Healthy Hatchery has a breed called "Blue Rock", which is a cross between a Barred Rock and a Blue Andalusian so they are sex-linked. They have beautiful gray/blue feathers. I have one that's 7.5 weeks old and she's really pretty!

View attachment 3896228

Very pretty! I'll look into these as well. I usually order from Meyer because it's close to me and I can do pickup. Mt. Healthy is also in Ohio though, so delivery shouldn't be too lengthy for the chicks.

 

[LaFleche]

Beautiful! I'll look into these.

Very pretty! I'll look into these as well. I usually order from Meyer because it's close to me and I can do pickup. Mt. Healthy is also in Ohio though, so delivery shouldn't be too lengthy for the chicks.

Call around as thex sometimes have breeds that are not (yet) officially seen on their websites.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Very pretty! I'll look into these as well. I usually order from Meyer because it's close to me and I can do pickup. Mt. Healthy is also in Ohio though, so delivery shouldn't be too lengthy for the chicks.

I live in MI and I got my Mt. Healthy chicks in 1 day. I have an order coming from Meyer next month and I am hoping that will also be a 1 day transit. I love that both hatcheries are only a state away. Even better that you live in Ohio!!

 

[Logar]

What about a light or dark Brahma? They both are different looking from your current flock and fit what your wanting pretty well.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Below are some photos of my current flock of 6. We just lost our RIR and are hoping to add 2 new hens to the flock in the fall or spring. I love having a variety of colors in my flock, while still keeping my other wants/needs in mind (non-broody, cold hardy, non-production layer if possible).

We currently have:
Barred Plymouth Rock
Easter Egger
Salmon Faverolles
Buckeye
Black Australorp
Buff Orpington

View attachment 3895405
View attachment 3895406
I was looking at Meyer's website and was intrigued by the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock, the White Plymouth Rock, Austra White, Cream Legbar, Splash Ameraucana bantam, Golden Laced Polish, and Barnevelder.

What breeds/colors/feather patterns do you guys suggest for adding some color and variety? What are your favorites that are different from what I already have?

If you want more feather variety, I would go for a Frizzle Polish, or a Silver Sebright Bantam.

On the other hand, you already have large birds, and depending on free range area and coop design, your existing girls may not like small feathery interlopers invading their space. Also, the Bantam wouldn’t lay as many eggs.

I would get more Orpingtons. You already have Buff, so perhaps you should try Lavender. It’s a grey color, and would be slightly different from the Plymouth Barred Rock that you already have, but would help even out the color in your flock, as you seem to have a lot of brown and orange.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Never heard of these! I wonder where I could get them. I am doing an order of Cornish X for the fall so I was hoping to order from somewhere I can get the CX and also the laying breeds I want.

Lavender is beautiful! I need to find one that isn't broody.

Unfortunately the SS's are broody One day when I have a farm I hope to get all the broody breeds that I want but can't have lol. This is one of them! They are gorgeous.

I have a SS and she has never gone broody! Never even considered it. She lays an egg and she is done!

 

[AinaWGSD]

I'll look into Sapphire Jewels.

Those Cookies and Creams are so cute! But what makes yours "bad at being a chicken"?

If you have your heart set on an all white bird the sapphire jewel might scratch that itch. They have a single copy of dominant white inherited from the leghorn parent (Meyers doesn't say what breeds go into any of their hybrids, but ameraucana/leghorn is really the only cross that makes sense) so they're not quite solid white, but maybe close enough. Mine has a few small blue patches.

As for my cookies and cream, her total lack of predator or situational awareness is primarily what makes her bad at being a chicken.

She seems to get stuck in the coop when the others go outside (i suspect its because our temporary pop door was so small her leg and head feathers brushed the edges and she wasn't sure she could fit). The first night we had the automatic door she sat in the doorway and got her head stuck in the door when it closed (it has a sensor that opens when it senses something in the doorway but after 10seconds it closes again and she hadn't moved at all before the door came back down).

It's a good thing we have a predator proof covered run, because she would absolutely be the first to be picked off in a free range situation. She's always been a little off, even before her crest grew big enough to obscure her vision. She doesn't seem to mind just hanging out on her own and has a tendency to sort of stand up tall in situations that had the other chicks ducking for cover. In fact, her behavior had me and husband a little worried she might have been an accidental rooster for a while.

She's very calm and super friendly, does not mind being picked up in the least. I think she'd actually make a great therapy animal. But we do need to look after her more than any other chicken we've had in the last 14 years.

 

[Laurie11111]

Below are some photos of my current flock of 6. We just lost our RIR and are hoping to add 2 new hens to the flock in the fall or spring. I love having a variety of colors in my flock, while still keeping my other wants/needs in mind (non-broody, cold hardy, non-production layer if possible).

We currently have:
Barred Plymouth Rock
Easter Egger
Salmon Faverolles
Buckeye
Black Australorp
Buff Orpington

View attachment 3895405
View attachment 3895406
I was looking at Meyer's website and was intrigued by the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock, the White Plymouth Rock, Austra White, Cream Legbar, Splash Ameraucana bantam, Golden Laced Polish, and Barnevelder.

What breeds/colors/feather patterns do you guys suggest for adding some color and variety? What are your favorites that are different from what I already have?

I just got a blue plymouth rock pullet and she is just the most wonderful hen. She follows me around and talks to me (in low tones) whenever I am in the yard. Lays good sized eggs. Just as sweet as they come and her coloring is lovely with a dark grey/black head and a lavender/grey body. Her shape is similar to an Orpington.