Hi BYCers! WE are almost ready with our coop/run and are ready to start thinking about what breeds to get and how many. There are 4 in my family including 2 kids who the chickens will belong to. We prefer bantams and would be happy getting already grown chickens at this time of year. Some of the breeds we are considering are Cocins, English Game, Silkie, Polish and Ameraucana. Any suggestions?????
I guess it depends on what you like and what you are looking for. Something that lays well, shows well, calm & laid back, etc. Below are two great sites that will help you sort through the different breeds, see what they look like, how big and other breed characteristics. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html
we live in the CA bay area. usually it doesn't get too cold here. It gets very hot during the summer though.
I don't have most of the breeds you mentioned, I do have old english bantams, though, and I absolutely adore them. They are very colorful, and fun to watch. Mine are pretty sweet tempered (but yes, they can and do fight sometimes - just other chickens, never had one go after me.) The ones I got all at the same time (not from the same person, though, just at the same event) and put in the coop at the same time get along great - I even have four roos in that mix and they have worked out who is top dog, so they don't fight. But, when I added in some new chickens to the mix - the older ones pecked them really badly. However, for "Fun" and Sweetness" factor, they are too much!! I can go in and sit down in the coop and they will climb all over me and the one roo even climbs up onto my leg and crows for me. They eat out of my hands, and they are so curious, it is funny. Now, I know these birds weren't really messed with much before I got them - not mistreated, just not played with - and they are still this friendly - and I've had them only a couple of weeks. Dangit - hit post somehow before I was done, LOL... anyway..... Check out some of the oegb websites online, and you can get some good info, also about them. I ordered a couple of books, still waiting for one to get here... dang holiday slowing up my mail <g>. Peace - Meriah
