What's your "Dream Flock"? How many chickens is the perfect amount for you? What breeds do you adore?

[A & H]

I would love a flock with

An Ameraucana
Three marans--one cuckoo, one wheaten, one black copper
A buff orpington
Two Australorps
An olive egger
A Rhode island red gal to add some spunk
And, last but not least, a leghorn.

Unfortunately we have little room, so I can only get four

 

[Dale_FL]

Personally I have had very good luck with the Black Sex Link. The hens are living for 3-4 years and remain productive with beautiful and strong large eggs. While I haven’t attempted breeding my hens, they remain my favorite over production reds. Northeast FL backyard.

 

[Granny A]

I ask this because I'm growing my flock this year, not merely recouping lost numbers. (We had an issue with predators that caused me to lose over half my flock of 11 last year.) We are in the process of building a bigger, better enclosure with a large shed-type coop that I can easily walk in and clean with a large run. That being said, I've calculated the run and coop can accommodate comfortably about 28 chickens.

Mind you, I'm not aiming for the max number as I like plenty of space and I'm sure my chickens do too. But I was thinking of adding a few more. I'm currently at 15 chickens counting the new batch of chicks that just came in from the hatchery a couple of days ago. So, as I sit here and dream about what sort of breeds I'd like to incorporate into my flock... I'd love to hear about your "dream flock."

My current flock is a mix of Dominicker (Rooster!), Cornish, Black Sexlink, and my new chicks are Easter Eggers. I'd love roughly 20 chickens. If I could find one locally I'd totally snag a Sapphire Olive Egger. I'm keeping a close eye on my local stores and breeders to see what chicks are available, so I can snag breeds on my watch list.

Silver Lakenvelders add something special to a flock. I miss mine!

 

[MelissaMallard]

My dream flock would be a couple of every egg color layer.

 

[Ava Silkie Chickens]

I ask this because I'm growing my flock this year, not merely recouping lost numbers. (We had an issue with predators that caused me to lose over half my flock of 11 last year.) We are in the process of building a bigger, better enclosure with a large shed-type coop that I can easily walk in and clean with a large run. That being said, I've calculated the run and coop can accommodate comfortably about 28 chickens.

Mind you, I'm not aiming for the max number as I like plenty of space and I'm sure my chickens do too. But I was thinking of adding a few more. I'm currently at 15 chickens counting the new batch of chicks that just came in from the hatchery a couple of days ago. So, as I sit here and dream about what sort of breeds I'd like to incorporate into my flock... I'd love to hear about your "dream flock."

My current flock is a mix of Dominicker (Rooster!), Cornish, Black Sexlink, and my new chicks are Easter Eggers. I'd love roughly 20 chickens. If I could find one locally I'd totally snag a Sapphire Olive Egger. I'm keeping a close eye on my local stores and breeders to see what chicks are available, so I can snag breeds on my watch list.

That sounds like an amazing dream flock !!! I have around 21 chickens half are in one pen and the other half are in the other pen. my dream flock would be some Duccles, Barnavalders , leghorns, silky, gold lace silver lace, Easter Eggers some of them I already have or had but I love those types of chickens and I think the leghorns are ussaly long living chickens Imy last one just died and she was 12 and my others that I used to have were around 9 years old.

 

[wolfinator]

I currently have 43 hens, 6 pullets and 7 roosters, a mixed flock of sexlinks, cross breeds and heritage breeds and a handful of ducks. Here's what I have so far in my flock:
RIR - hens & 2 roosters
Columbian Wyandottes - hens
Silver-laced Wyandottes - hens
Golden-laced Wyandottes - hens
Jersey Giants - hens
Buff Brahmas - hen and rooster
Black Australorp - hens & rooster
Buff Orpington - rooster
Cuckoo Marans - hens & rooster
Welsummer - hen
Partridge Rock - hen
Easter Eggers - hens & 6 pullets (olive, prairie bluebell & white - may be an araucana)
Red sexlinks - hens
Golden sexlinks - hens
Amberlinks - hens
and an
Amberlink/black Australorp - rooster.
Plus 5 ducks:
2 khaki Campbell's drakes & 1 duck hen
1 fawn/white runner drake
1 white runner duck hen.
I love all the breeds and crosses that I have but I'm becoming partial to the Easter Eggers due to the array of colors of the eggs. If you want colored - Easter Eggers, cream, tan or brown - any brown egg layer, chocolate or dark brown - Welsummer or Marans breeds. Temperament will vary from breed to breed but also it depends on the individual chicken. My older red sexlinks, 3 yr olds, do tend to pick on the others more often, my golden sexlinks are some of the sweetest girls I have. My 3 Prairie Bluebells (Easter Eggers) are mean as a rattlesnake, quick to peck me when gathering eggs and forget trying to hold them, they are fast with beak and feet.

My flock, well most of them. Some were in the coops.

My 6 Easter Egger pullets, they're now integrated into my main coop - awaiting eggs still. The grayish one is a Prairie Bluebell and she has a big attitude.

An array of color (just gathered). Large dirty white egg is a duck one.

 

[Chick Nana 6]

My dream flock (so far) is:

Buff Orpington
Barred Rock
Lavender Orpington
Welsummer
Delaware
Golden Laced Wyandotte
White Rock
Egyptian Fayoumi
Black Copper Maran
Brahma
Speckled Sussen
Australorp

I currently have two Easter Eggers and even though they lay beautiful eggs they are not friendly and they terrorize new chickens. My RIR is also on the unfriendly list.

I love the variety of different breeds.

Have fun choosing your ideal flock!

 

[wolfinator]

My main coop and their pen. There are 2 dogs in kennel next to them that help keep predators at bay. I let my chickens and ducks choose which coop to sleep in but all food is in main coop. (coop in background is one of 5 former coops I used to have)

My roosting only coop, no nesting boxes.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My fav's are Barred Rock. Frankly they lay and live a long time. I do not use lights. If I hatch its them!

 

[Radena]

I like my Red Stars
Can't get much friendlier than chickens that get stepped on because they won't get out of the way. They also lay alot of large brown eggs.