What do I want?

[AK Michelle]

Tell me what you like about your favorite breed.

I have been looking, and really, there are just so many varieties and so little room in the coop. I have room for about 50 or so in the coop. Last year I hatched about 75 or 80 chicks, most of which I sold or gave away. This year I want to pick a direction and head that way but there are so many choices I just can't decide.

I like to have a variety in my coop. I love my Mille Fluer d'Uccles and my silkies, but they are so small. I also have a number of bantam cochins that are a little bigger but still kinda small. I'm thinking I want to go towards full size birds this year. I do have some larger birds. I have a Cukoo Maran and 3 Buff Orps, and an easter egger. Oh and a couple dorkings.

I consider my chickens to be yard ornaments, colors are important, I like variety and adore the unusual.

So, what should I get?

 

[Debbi]

Seeing as how you live in Alaska, maybe small comb breeds would be best? How About Brahmas or standard sized Cochins? Those two breeds do well in cold weather, and come in nice colors and patterns.

 

[Illia]

Unusual, yard ornaments, colorful, . . . You've gotta get some colored egg layers for one.

You have an EE and a Cuckoo Marans, but you should go beyond!

For one, I always recommend having some white in there. . . And white eggs come from some very pretty breeds like Polish. We're talking silver laced, gold laced, buff laced, and tolbunt!

(silver laced in back, tolbunt in front) - Tolbunts are exceedingly rare and hard to find though, but I'm looking to help people in their search this spring

white crested black polish

silver laced polish

Then there's the French Marans. We're talking DARK red eggs and beautiful colored birds. .

And then there's also Ameraucanas and/or Araucanas. . . Always giving a brilliant blue egg and pretty colors as well as some unusual traits, such as no tail or tufts.

And Olive Eggers are always a MUST in a colorful egg basket. . . They're a cross of dark layers like Marans and blue/green layers like Ameraucanas, Araucanas, and Easter Eggers.

I don't have any pics of those though, because all mine are too young to lay eggs, but they lay gorgeous, dark, rich olive green eggs.


All of these breeds are cold hardy. I live out in WA where it rarely, if ever, even reaches 70 degrees and is ALWAYS raining. The Polish will need their crests trimmed, but the rest do just fine.

 

[AK Michelle]

Quote:
WOW! what gorgeous birds! I love the Tolbunts. They appeal to my millie side

And the French Marans...

I should probably admit now that there really isn't much I don't like. that's why it's so hard to choose.

I've been to Forks, I used to live in Skagit and Island counties so I know about this rain and cold you speak of.

I've had polish but they were getting their poofs plucked by their coopmates. However I have sent some of the rowdy's to freezer camp so maybe it's time to try them again.

Thank you for the wonderful photos. Where can I get some Tolbunts and some French Marans?

 

[muddyhorse]

wynadottes would be a good choice, silver and gold laced.

 

[StrictBaptist]

i would recommend you get a few buckeyes...

They are awesome in cold weather. They make a dinosaur like roaring sound. they are pretty(at least to me) and they chase MICE

They love the snow and they are pretty rare

These are not mine, however I plan on getting a few when I get my coop built

 

[AK Michelle]

Quote:
Really? That could be cool!!!!

 

[punky rooster]

yes they DO! go with them!!!!!!!!!!!!!
they are SO freindly

 

[AK Michelle]

Quote:
Where can I get some?

 

[Illia]

French Marans you can actually look for breeders of locally, look around Craiglist. . . Try for "black copper" Marans, "bcm" or even other colors like Wheaten, Blue Wheaten, etc.

Different colored Polish are available through hatcheries/feedstores

Buckeyes are available through breeders here on BYC, but you usually have to get hatching eggs. Do you have an incubator?


The best French Marans out there, like the pretty Blue Wheatens in my photos, are from breeders here on the forum, but you'd need a broody hen or incubator to hatch the eggs. It is very addicting though, and worth the purchase of the incubator!