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Which Breed

Discussion in 'General breed discussions & FAQ' started by BlueCamas, Oct 5, 2011.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Oct 5, 2011 #1
    BlueCamas

    BlueCamas Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Aug 25, 2011
    Milwaukie, Oregon
    I'm looking for chicks to start my own little flock, but I'm having trouble deciding on a final breed. Any suggestions?

    What I like in a chicken [​IMG]
    - good free-rangers
    - well tempered roosters
    - not too common, but not so rare that I will never find them if I want more [​IMG]
    - relatively good layers
    - Big (I would rather not clip their wings, but if I have too, I will)
    - quiet/er
    - They need to do well in cold wet climates
     
  3. Oct 5, 2011 #2
    extraordinaryfowl

    extraordinaryfowl Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Sep 6, 2011
    Lancaster, PA
    It sounds like you need a dual-purpose breed - the only requirement that will probably be hard to satisfy is a chicken that does well in a wet climate. It can be cool, they just need to at least have a dry coop to go in.

    Naturally I would say Dominiques, because I have them and love the breed very much now. I wasn't so enthused about them a few years ago until a friend gave me some eggs and chicks and now I couldn't imagine not having them. They lay very well and get to be about 5 pounds hens, 6-7 for roosters. Although that is the strain I have, hatchery Dominiques could vary.

    Orpingtons are friendly birds, pretty big too. So are Delawares, Australorps, Wyandottes and Buckeyes. Those are all ones that I can think of off the top of my head that are good dual-purpose birds.

    So if I were you I would look more into Dual-purpose breeds, see which YOU like the looks of and such, and maybe that will help you decide. But I would procure my stock from a private breeder if I were you if I could find one. Their birds are always better then the mega-hatcheries.

    Hope this helps, MW
     

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