What is your favorite breed of all time and why?

[A.M. Eggs]

Speckled Sussex meet all your requirements. And they're gorgeous! Obviously to get them tame & friendly you have to interact with them daily from day old chicks.

My speakled sussex is like my torture device. Everytime I come home to feed the flock, she pecks me as hard as possible in the knee. I love her still though!

 

[mrskenmore]

Thanks Ptera!

A speckled sussex is on my list! I had one last spring but had to re-home as she became a he!

A.M. Eggs- I LOVE my easter eggers! I currently have two! I LOVE their muffs and beards so much I was thinking of getting a salmon faverolle!

Anyone have any welsummers they love? that was another breed I was thinking of

 

[Redhead Rae]

I am loving these responses! The Sultan looks great! As do the photos of the cornish, are cornish meat birds only? Also great to see how many people are loving their BA's! Keep 'em comin'!

You can keep them for eggs, they are just poor layers 100-150 eggs a year. Some hatcheries breed them to be better egg layers, but they often loose their meaty shape and a lot of the distinctive coloring. I got my trio from a show breeder who breeds to SOP.

They have really nice, meaty carcasses. Please excuse the butchered butchering job.

 

[BantyChooks]

If you live in a cold climate, you might consider Chanteclers. They are hardy, beautiful, meaty, and decent layers, in between brooding anyway. They're not the fanciest of breeds, but they are practical and their advocates are loyal.
http://www.chanteclerfanciersinternational.org/
View media item 7910312View media item 7910309View media item 7910307View media item 7910305View media item 7910302View media item 7910297View media item 7910276View media item 7910275View media item 7910274View media item 7910273View media item 7910267I've had close to 30 breeds and varieties of chickens. The Chanteclers are the ones I have stuck with. I would also recommend White Leghorns. They are hardy, intelligent, good free rangers. and absolutely incredible layers. Believe it or not, they are also cold hardy. Maybe even equal to the Chanteclers. Hardiness isn't only a measure of comb size.

 

[A.M. Eggs]

Thanks Ptera!

A speckled sussex is on my list! I had one last spring but had to re-home as she became a he!

A.M. Eggs- I LOVE my easter eggers! I currently have two! I LOVE their muffs and beards so much I was thinking of getting a salmon faverolle!

Anyone have any welsummers they love? that was another breed I was thinking of

I have had a male and female welsummer before. The female was calm and very friendly and intelligent. They lay dark brown eggs. The male was strong and very handsome. He did not want to mess with me or any other human.

 

[Redhead Rae]

You can keep them for eggs, they are just poor layers 100-150 eggs a year. Some hatcheries breed them to be better egg layers, but they often loose their meaty shape and a lot of the distinctive coloring. I got my trio from a show breeder who breeds to SOP.

They have really nice, meaty carcasses. Please excuse the butchered butchering job.
View attachment 1642756

I got them because I was disappointed with how little meat I got off of my Dual Purpose cockerels. I'm really considering paring down (mainly) to a good egg laying breed and the Heritage Cornish (I will probably be working on a line of White Cornish as well) for meat. I'll probably keep a few Cochins around because I love their personalities (and they have decent meat), a few EEs for variety, and any proven broodies (I have one 2.5 year old leghorn hen because she was brooding chicks when I sold the rest of my leghorn/leghorn crosses).

 

[A.M. Eggs]

Another breed I love is the Dark Brahma. My dark brahma is very pretty and lays almost everyday! She is very friendly with people and always greets me when I come home. She lays brown eggs.

 

[21hens-incharge]

If you live in a cold climate, you might consider Chanteclers. They are hardy, beautiful, meaty, and decent layers, in between brooding anyway. They're not the fanciest of breeds, but they are practical and their advocates are loyal.
http://www.chanteclerfanciersinternational.org/
View media item 7910312View media item 7910309View media item 7910307View media item 7910305View media item 7910302View media item 7910297View media item 7910276View media item 7910275View media item 7910274View media item 7910273View media item 7910267I've had close to 30 breeds and varieties of chickens. The Chanteclers are the ones I have stuck with. I would also recommend White Leghorns. They are hardy, intelligent, good free rangers. and absolutely incredible layers. Believe it or not, they are also cold hardy. Maybe even equal to the Chanteclers. Hardiness isn't only a measure of comb size.

You're kidding right?!? They are very fancy to me!

I love those Partridge colored ones!

Oh my what pretty birds.

 

[BantyChooks]

You're kidding right?!? They are very fancy to me!

I love those Partridge colored ones!

Oh my what pretty birds.

They don't have giant crests, or exotic sounding variety names with designer egg colours. I agree that the Partridge is my favourite. Show-quality specimens are even more beautiful.

 

[mrskenmore]

Redhead Rae,

Looks like a good job to me!

Banty Chooks- I LOVE all of the photos, thank you for sharing! I recently came familiar with the Chanteclers at the Ohio National Poultry show back in October- they were beautiful beautiful birds! I will take a look at the link and read more about them!

Great info gang!!

Any Salmon Faverolle fans out there?

I also heard the Welsummers can be a bit noisy- thoughts A.M. Eggs?

The Brahmas are cool too- will need to look into them as well- do they have feather legs? Are feather legs tough to keep clean in cold weather snow climates?