What do you consider your ideal flock?

[harleyjo]

I am in my second summer of chickens now. I have learned a lot and still have a lot more to learn. My needs are for good eggs and meat birds. After trying Cornish X twice last year I really don't like messing with them. I would rather have a nice dual purpose bird. So all this said, here is my ideal flock right now.

RIR's
Barred Rocks
1 or 2 BO's
BA maybe a few
Delawares... I am just going to be getting these started in the next month or so.

As I can afford to do so I would like to acquire the Heritage Breeds and keep good bloodlines in my birds for hardier birds.

 

[RingedTeal]

I only keep a few roos(2-3 of each breed) and i keep them in cages until i want one to breed my hens.
OEG or American Games(2-3 roos)
Speckaled Sussex
RIR
Red Shouldered White Yokohamas
And Basically Mutts

 

[Chicken Little-er]

This is my first year of raising chickens - but I love my mixed flock: 2 EE's, 2 BO's, 2 BR's, 1 light and one buff Brahma and 2 Golden laced Wyandottes. I am jonesing for 2 speckled sussex, but I had to stop somewhere! Mine are for eggs only and will live out their days here when their egg years are past them.

 

[33yardbirds]

I have Her RIR, Her Dels. Production Bar Rks which I will be replacing with Her Barred Rocks next spring. I have these breeds because it is what my grandparents had and my Grandmother would always tell me they were rock solid dependable birds to have in the yard. Plus I always liked the body build and large size.

 

[harleyjo]

Interesting. I hope more will chime in!

 

[4acresNachick]

I am new to raising chickens and don't plan be a breed/seller of any kind of breed. I wanted chickens for eggs, meat, and bug control and in the as this is my first summer I am having a great time figuring out which breeds work for my situation. I currently have a mixed flock of 4 EEs, 2 barred plymouth rocks, 2 Gold Laced Wyandottes, 4 RIRs, one mixed hen that everyone I ask what she is tells me something different (great with the chicks, not so great with the laying and 2 barnyard mixes So far I am happy and the chickens are doing what they are supposed to be doing

 

[shepan2]

I put together my perfect flock in Feb. 2011

2 RR
6 SS
8 EE
4 SLW
2 BR
3 Delawares
1 Egyptian Fayoumi (?) Rooster

Beautiful birds, beautiful eggs!

 

[harleyjo]

When we started a year ago all we wanted was about a dozen chickens for layers and then to get some cornish x for meat. Well chicken math took over and I learned more about the breeds and now my ideas have changed too.

 

[MeadowBrookFarm]

Our first year we wanted good egg layers so we got Production Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and White Legrocks. We did get a lot of eggs even through the winter. Now, this year, we decided to branch out into interesting-looking birds that are at least decent layers. We got barred rocks, speckled sussex (so beautiful! I think my favorite), lt. brahmas (really pretty, too), and americanas (for their colored eggs, which my kids are excited about). We're expecting an order of welsummer babies tomorrow, too. Ideal flock would be beautiful birds that lay well.

 

[harleyjo]

As I have learned more about the chickens this past year, I really see the importance of trying to preserve our Heritage Breeds. I still want good meat and egg layers but to that end I am going to get started with some Delawares soon. I think the Delawares are going to be a great bird for me and I will throw in some others for variety.