What would you buy?

[Kacey Elle]

Hello,

I'm looking to start my flock in the next few months! I've been doing tons and tons of research, have a plan for my coop/run, and have been "practicing" as I helped to care for a flock of chickens at the school where I work. Now that it's almost time to reserve my pullets, I'm having breed indecision. The place where I plan to purchase my pullets sent me the following lists. The problem: I don't want to have to go to buy them twice (it's about an hour away from my house and I don't want to deal with integrating new birds four weeks later) so I need to buy the breeds only offered on one of these lists. But I want some of the singletons that are only offered on either month.

My for sure breeds: Silver Laced Wyandotte and Ameraucana (probably one each or two Ameraucanas and one SLW). That leaves three or four left from the other choices. Also, I know they are great layers but I really don't like the attitude of the RIRs that I currently care for so those are off the list....Sorry for the prejudice. Help! Which other breeds--and how many of each--do you think I should get to start my small backyard flock of six laying hens?

Brood #3: 5 ready to go @ end of April
Ameraucana
Barred Rock
Black Australorp
Rhode Island Red
Red Stars
Silver Laced Wyandotte
Speckled Sussex

Brood #4: ready to go @ end of May
Ameraucana
Cuckoo Maran
Delaware
New Hampshire Red
Red Stars
Silver Laced Wyandotte
Speckled Sussex

 

[The Phantom]

Brood 4 based on my birds

 

[Kacey Elle]

In what combination? Which breeds do you prefer?

 

[Kacey Elle]

Bump. Advice, please!

 

[caboodleschicks]

Here recently, I've been doing a lot of research on the Speckled Sussex.

I would definitely suggest getting at least one or two of them! I am fixing to put up a blog post about this breed.
I have heard the hens are very friendly, docile, lay medium to large eggs of a cream to light brown color, laying around 4 to 6 eggs a week, chatty, curious, gentle, and smart! They love forging and are cold hardy! They will usually lay eggs through the cold weather, unlike other breeds.

Also, Barred Rocks would be a great choice as well! They lay very well, being around 5 to 6 eggs a week. They will lay a light tan to brown egg.

I wish you the best of luck with your soon to be flock!!

 

[Kacey Elle]

I have heard the hens are very friendly, docile, lay medium to large eggs of a cream to light brown color, laying around 4 to 6 eggs a week, chatty, curious, gentle, and smart! They love forging and are cold hardy! They will usually lay eggs through the cold weather, unlike other breeds.

Also, Barred Rocks would be a great choice as well! They lay very well, being around 5 to 6 eggs a week. They will lay a light tan to brown egg.

I wish you the best of luck with your soon to be flock!!

Ooh...awesome information. Thanks! I really like the idea that they continue laying even through winter (even though I only "suffer" through California winters). I haven't looked into the Sussex much so that was awesome to learn. I've heard about Barred Rocks before on BYC so they were on my radar more; but now I want the Sussex! This is so hard!

Thanks!

 

[Hopperkiller]

Get a barred rock and 2 sussex to add to your others and you will have it covered and a good mix of color.

 

[Acre4Me]

BYC has over 200 articles on chicken breeds (looks like each breed is an "article"), and these detail looks, egg production, etc. Look at the top of your page on BYC, click articles, and on the right side there will be a "breed" selection getting you to the pages of articles which appear to be alphabetical.

Recently someone else posted a link to a breed chart (Henderson's Handy Dandy Chicken Chart), which you may find useful. http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

I'm a novice more than you - I've never had chickens (only quail), but will be picking up day-old chicks tomorrow and will begin my chicken adventures then.

 

[X_and_Z]

Please take this with a grain of salt since I only have personal experience with a limited number of breeds (polish, SLW, brahma, EE).

If you want to maximize the range of color I would go with:

• 2 Ameraucana (blue eggs, possibly blue/green/pink if they are really EEs)
• 1 SLW (medium brown)
• 2 Cucko Maran (darker brown)
• 1 Speckled Sussex (light-med brown)

If you want to maximize egg production you would probably be better off with your must haves + red stars.

And if you just want the friendliest chickens - I suspect that a good part of how friendly your hens will be depends on too many things to guarantee which will be the friendliest of your possibilities but Australorp and Speckled Sussex seem to be the ones that people bring up again and again as really friendly.

Also - hello to a fellow south bay member!

 

[gocgo]

Barred Rocks are a great first time owner choice but cuckoo maran are similar in color, so I'd select either one or the other. BR's are great winter birds. Not sure on marans. RIR's can be a bit bossy so skip them. I think I'd do 2 Americaunas, either a BR or a Maran, a Black Astralorp, a SLW, and a SS from brood 3 -

Ameraucana
Barred Rock
Black Australorp
Rhode Island Red
Red Stars
Silver Laced Wyandotte
Speckled Sussex