which breed

[sayyadina]

I'm trying to figure out what breed(s) of chicken to get. I like the bantams, since they're small & I find them cuter.

My main purpose for them would be for insect/parasite control for our alpacas. Some eggs would be nice too, I think. I'm a vegetarian, and while I do eat eggs, I'm not sure I could eat eggs from chickens I know. And I don't think I'd be okay with letting other people eat some of them.

It does get cold here during the winter. Had a snap last January where it got to -20F. Also had a lot of snow.

These are the 3 bantams I like: Barred Rock, Old English Game & Sebright.

 

[valentinebaby]

Geez, I don't know how to respond to your post! If you get only pullets, and no roosters, technically, you would not be eating potential "chicks" so your conscious would be clear. Not to share unfertilized eggs would be very sad to me!

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

If you get sebrights make sure you have warmer quarters for them for the winter. They are relatively hardy, don't mind cold temps for short periods but they don't do so well in really harshly cold weather.
I have always added a heatlamp to my sebright coop and locked them in if temps got under -10C(14F I think, fahrenheit is like latin to me).

 

[Nemo]

MyPetChicken.com says...

A Sebright hen will lay about 1 egg per week.
An OEGB hen will lay about 2 eggs per week.
A BR hen will lay about 4 eggs per week.

Sebrights are "Cocky but not aggressive", and "tolerate confinement".
OEGBs are "aggressive, self-sufficient; noisy" and "Intolerant of confinement".
BRs are "Smart, plucky and docile", and "Bear confinement well".

I'm not sure about their cold-weather hardiness.

 

[crimsontide]

wow throwin the veggie thing out there huh!! im a satanist!!! lol jus thought everyone on the forum would like to know ~eggs are eggs even if u dont know the girl... think about how many hundreds of thousands of non- organic eggs are consumed , raising the hens in non-viable environments for your store bought eggs... sry to burn... anyway go with what u like ... personally i think the sebrights are beautiful

 

[muddyhorse]

Of your chioces I would go with the barred rock. have you considered wynadotte bantams, they come in gold and silver laced variates like the seabrights, lay well and are winter hardy. they are very sweet tempered. samon favorele (sp) bantams would be a good choice as well. as far as the eggs thing, you would be getting eggs from humanely treated birds instead of factory birds. If you cant eat them give them to your neighbors, or a local food pantry. (not all food pantries take home eggs) or give them to the dogs. do you have huccas ( I can't spell this morning and I think spell check is having a nervous break down) or suri alpacas ?