What chickens should I get for next year?

[dretd]

It looks like you have a nice diverse flock!

Of the breeds that we have tried so far, some I would replace and others I would not. We have really cold winters and like eggs and friendly chickens.

If it were me, I would get:
1) Welsummer--by far the favorite of the eggs- folks love the dark spotty eggs. Great layer large to x-large terra-cotta eggs, friendly but not cuddly.
2) Light Brahma (or Dark, or Buff, or one of each)-Super-friendly, favorite personalities of all my chickens, decent layer large light-brown eggs. I was skeptical about the feathered shanks, but they have not been a problem in the mud for us.
3)EE-probably get 2 for diversiy- Love the varieties of plumage, great layer-mine lays a legit jumbo egg but is tinted (could call it pink if you were stretching) not green, nice bird


Breeds we wont be replacing:
Speckled Sussex-medium eggs, cranky. loud, comb did get frostbitten (not a huge deal, but still)
Salmon Faverolles-This is my daughter's favorite chicken, however, she does not integrate with the other chickens and is bullied. I would consider having a separate flock of only Faverolles, but since we have a mixed flock, its not fair to the poor Faverolles. She lays a medium egg.

 

[Mac14]

Thank you, ya, you can see from my avatar that they are pretty colorful, the Welsummer sounds like a good breed.

 

[ldomerese]

Ice landics are awsome pets tHey lay all year round readily go broody good though winter and summer

 

[hdowden]

i have 2 project colored faverolle and they don't have any of the problems you are talking about in fact the blue is top. mine are bantams and pullets but she doesn't let anyone push her around at all.

as for egg laying breeds that are sweet and good family birds: EE's would do you good and since they can look like anything you should end up with some very pretty birds that are friendly and lay a range of colored eggs. could also get some olive eggers (also ee's: an ameraucana breed to a dark egg layer such as a marans).

 

[Mac14]

Thank you all! I will consider these breeds, I have heard of these before but never thought about looking into them.

 

[dretd]

i have 2 project colored faverolle and they don't have any of the problems you are talking about in fact the blue is top. mine are bantams and pullets but she doesn't let anyone push her around at all.

as for egg laying breeds that are sweet and good family birds: EE's would do you good and since they can look like anything you should end up with some very pretty birds that are friendly and lay a range of colored eggs. could also get some olive eggers (also ee's: an ameraucana breed to a dark egg layer such as a marans).

I am intrigued by the color project Faverolles. What are you working on? Perhaps the infusion of the whatever you are adding to get the color is helping with the timid disposition? I have a Light BrahmaxFaverolles young cockerel that doesn't seem at all shy, so hopefully he will stay social.

If the OP can have roos, I know some folks have used Welsummers to add the dark brown part to the Olive Eggers. Maybe she could have an EE or Ameraucana roo and a Wellie or two.

 

[yorklady]

I love all my chicks but my Buff Orps are the sweetest girls!!!

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

My buff orp is pretty sweet, but she always runs and never squats for me.. haha! .
Consider Brahamas... they are seriously friendly. Mine squats whenever, and for some reasonshe has been plucking her leg feathers... so they don't get dirty.

 

[questions543]

I would recommend sussex. I have speckled sussex and she is the best. The day I took her home she just went asleep in my lap. Mine lay a decent sized pinkish egg fairly regularly. I highly recommend sussex. Look good as well.

 

[hdowden]

I am intrigued by the color project Faverolles. What are you working on? Perhaps the infusion of the whatever you are adding to get the color is helping with the timid disposition? I have a Light BrahmaxFaverolles young cockerel that doesn't seem at all shy, so hopefully he will stay social.

If the OP can have roos, I know some folks have used Welsummers to add the dark brown part to the Olive Eggers. Maybe she could have an EE or Ameraucana roo and a Wellie or two.

i ordered some d'uccle eggs but they got mixed up with some project faverolle eggs. the eggs came from gypsychic, she was, if i remember right, sick or had an injury at the time of the collection of my eggs and her daughter collected the eggs and accidentally mixed them up. i have never been upset with the mix up since it does happen sometimes (in a way I'm glad for the mix up lol). if you want to know more about them you will need to contact her. she's great to work with as well she would have sent me some replacement eggs but she doesn't have the d'uccles anymore and i'm fine with that and have been thinking about ordering some more faverolle eggs from her and working on the coloring myself. i do have a blk mottled cochin that i plan on throwing over the black faverolle pullet when she starts laying and hatch some to see what colors i get and the blue faverolle will be in with my lavender d'uccle and once im done with the cochin the black one will be in with my lavender as well so i cant wait to get to hatch some of these babies.

they 2 project colors the blue has 4 toes on each foot and the black has 4 on one foot and 5 on the other so need to work on that and if the middle toes are supposed to feathered those will also need some work.

me i'm gonna be working on silkied d'uccle probably starting next year as i'm still working on the birds that i will be using and all