which breed???

[Zcruzer]

Hello everyone,


I'm new to BYC and wanted some input from other chicken lovers. I'm getting my first chickens very soon. I want a friendly, foraging, cold-hardy, heat-hardy, cool-looking chicken that lays lots of eggs(i will not be butchering my chickens ever but dual-purpose is fine.) I understand that getting all of my wants in one breed might not be possible and if i have to sacrifice some wants for others that is fine.

Thanks for the input!!!!!!!!!

 

[chickybuddy100]

I have some...
barred rocks
Silver laced wyandotte
Rhode island reds
New Hampshire reds
Buff orpington
Partridge rock
Australorp
Black jersey giants
White rocks


We have up to 102°f where I live in summer and down to -5 in winter and these birds do an excellent job .....they are really friendly and I've had them since chicks (I approve getting chicks because there always nicer to you when they get older) I get LOTS of fresh eggs daily

 

[Zcruzer]

thanks so much i think i will get Buff Orpingtons i heard they are so friendly and lay lots of eggs and go broody.

thanks for the ideas!!!!!

 

[Michael OShay]

thanks so much i think i will get Buff Orpingtons i heard they are so friendly and lay lots of eggs and go broody.

Where do you live? Depending on how hot your summers get, Buff Orpingtons may suffer in your heat. I've raised them for years, and they are a wonderful breed and very cold hardy, but when I raised them where summer temperatures frequently reached 117-118 F (sometimes more) they were often listless and panting with their wings held out, and their egg production dropped way off even in heavy shade with a well ventilated coop and run. If you experience those kind of summer temperatures, I would suggest going with a breed that is really heat hardy such as Australorps (which have the same great temperament as Orpingtons and are better layers) or one of the Mediterranean breeds.

 

[dan26552]

Australorps were created from Orpingtons so they have a lot in common but they'ed probably stand the heat better since they are from Australia
http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/australorp

 

[Michael OShay]

Australorps were created from Orpingtons so they have a lot in common but they'ed probably stand the heat better since they are from Australia
http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/australorp

They definitely do. While my Orpingtons and other dual purpose breeds were listless and panting in the heat I mentioned in my previous post, my Black Australorps were going about their business as usual. Australians frequently raise them in the outback which gets very hot. I've also raised Australorps where winter temperatures dropped to 30 F below zero and they did fine in that climate as well. They are extremely hardy birds.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Hello everyone,


I'm new to BYC and wanted some input from other chicken lovers. I'm getting my first chickens very soon. I want a friendly, foraging, cold-hardy, heat-hardy, cool-looking chicken that lays lots of eggs(i will not be butchering my chickens ever but dual-purpose is fine.) I understand that getting all of my wants in one breed might not be possible and if i have to sacrifice some wants for others that is fine.

Thanks for the input!!!!!!!!!

Augsburgers!!! Plus, you are almost guaranteed to be the only one in your area to have them. Great roosters and great laying hens. They are pretty rare but I got mine from a fellow BYC'ner here on the site. Excellent birds. They have done well in the cold weather this winter with it getting down to 3 degrees and did well with the heat last summer as well. Egg production has remained good despite the cold. I let them out to forage frequently even though they are in a very large run just for some variety. They can fly fairly well though so a top on your run would be recommended. Since these birds are smaller than some of the others that have been recommended to you, they eat less as a result.

 

[Zcruzer]

my summers don't get very hot and the summers don't get to cold. I thought about Australorps and Ausburgers and Buff Orpingtons but none of them were at my local pet store. The only ones i've been able to find are meat chickens. does anyone know were i could get one of these breeds??? I would prefer not to mail them but i'm not totally against that.

thanks again for all your help!!!

 

[Zcruzer]

oh, sorry winters don't get cold. TYPO

 

[Zcruzer]

I think i'm still going to do Buff Orpingtons because we don't have extreme weather at all. I also like their yellow color much more than black. Just in case though, if i decide to do a mixed flock could i get a rooster of only one kind ang still get purebred chickens???? Is there such thing as a mix in the chicken world???? I want to breed chickens so coul i have Austrolorps and Buff Orpingtons in the same flock and breed purebred Buffs and Austrolorps or would they mix and i create a 1/2 Buff Orpington 1/2 Austrolorp mix??? I hope that makes sense.


Thanks for everything!!!!!!

you have all helped a lot