Whats the best chickeen breed for me? long tailed chickens....

[risingeaglefarm]

I don't have any chickens yet as I'm really more of a game bird person, although I've had a couple in the past. Ive been thinking it would be nice to have a few for bigger eggs, and by a few I mean maybe 6 or less. There are few breeds that really appeal to me, but I was really impressed by those onagadori roosters-figures I'd go for something completely unobtainable!
I see some Phoenix and Yokohama chicks for sale, but they're not exactly what I'm looking for, they aren't cold hardy and lay few eggs
I want a breed that:
Has good egg production, laying one large egg a day
Is cold hardy, we live in zone 3 and I don't want to pay for heat
Has beautiful long feathers, I really love feather hair extensions and I'd want a variety of long feathers for this-hence why I'm interested in long tails
Preferably smaller, I need to keep them in a smaller area so a bantam breed would be nice
The first three are musts. Are there any breeds that match this description, or could be bred to have these traits?

 

[Michael OShay]

There are no any chickens that meet all of your criteria. Chickens with really long tail feathers such as Phoenix and Yokohamas have been selectively bred for those unusually long tail feathers, not for high egg production. And bantams, because of their small size, do not lay large eggs. The best you can hope to do in this case is get a breed that meets three of your four criteria, and none of them will meet all of the first three.

 

[Blackberry18]

I don't have any chickens yet as I'm really more of a game bird person, although I've had a couple in the past. Ive been thinking it would be nice to have a few for bigger eggs, and by a few I mean maybe 6 or less. There are few breeds that really appeal to me, but I was really impressed by those onagadori roosters-figures I'd go for something completely unobtainable!
I see some Phoenix and Yokohama chicks for sale, but they're not exactly what I'm looking for, they aren't cold hardy and lay few eggs
I want a breed that:
Has good egg production, laying one large egg a day
Is cold hardy, we live in zone 3 and I don't want to pay for heat
Has beautiful long feathers, I really love feather hair extensions and I'd want a variety of long feathers for this-hence why I'm interested in long tails
Preferably smaller, I need to keep them in a smaller area so a bantam breed would be nice
The first three are musts. Are there any breeds that match this description, or could be bred to have these traits?

Leghorns don't have super long tails, but they are longer and more ornamental than most birds. Mine always have theirs held high, and the cocks' tails are lovely.

They aren't labeled as "cold-hardy", but I have six and live in Minnesota, so they endure temps below zero. The only problem is that they have large combs that can get frostbit, so I always put Vaseline/petroleum jelly on to prevent that. Lay 200-300 large white eggs per year, the top in all egg producing breeds. They aren't as small as bantams, but smaller than the average Plymouth Rock or Sex-Link. They can come in bantam sizes, but those are hard to find and probably expensive. Leghorns also come in many colors. The most common and best layer is the average White variety, others include Dark and Light Brown, Black, Buff, Silver, Black-Tailed Red, Columbian, Golden Duckwing, etc. They are mostly single-combed, but also come as rose-combs.

 

[risingeaglefarm]

OK, thanks forthe information guys.
Do you think a phoenix could be bred with a good egg laying breed like a leghorn to get good egg production and long feathers?

 

[Blackberry18]

OK, thanks forthe information guys.
Do you think a phoenix could be bred with a good egg laying breed like a leghorn to get good egg production and long feathers?

That would probably lessen the egg production, not sure about the tail feathers. Probably a not very good breed. Genetics are hard.

 

[risingeaglefarm]

Hmmm. It is tricky; I saw some really nice fly fisherman's choice chickens on eBay, that are phoenix mixes. But I'm not sure I should get them especially since they're not cold hardy, and I really can't house them inside. :/ I guess I'll hold off on chickens for now and keep an eye out for any I like...

 

[Blackberry18]

Hmmm. It is tricky; I saw some really nice fly fisherman's choice chickens on eBay, that are phoenix mixes. But I'm not sure I should get them especially since they're not cold hardy, and I really can't house them inside.

I guess I'll hold off on chickens for now and keep an eye out for any I like...

You could try putting a heat lamp in the coop, also lots of hay and insulation.

 

[risingeaglefarm]

We did that last winter and nearly burned the coop down =P
Plus its expensive

 

[Blackberry18]

We did that last winter and nearly burned the coop down =P
Plus its expensive

True, it works for me, but I guess it's different for everyone. Good luck finding some chickens that suite you.

 

[risingeaglefarm]

Thanks! I appreciate your help