Which breeds should I look into getting?

[SmallCityChicken]

probably the dust...

Quite possibly, either way I could not keep them

 

[cluckmecoop7]

(Buff) Orpington

 

[Acre4Me]

Leghorns (white eggs) and Rhode Island Reds (brown eggs) are good productive layers with a good feed to egg conversion. For colored eggs, you can look for the many hybrids that are sold to provide green, blue, olive eggs. In general, you'll see "Easter Eggers" or "Ameraucanas" in the various feed stores. Just so you know, it is likely that any "Ameraucana" sold in a feed store is really the mixed breed "Easter Egger". We have EE and they are pretty reliable layers. We have 6 EE and we get medium green, light green, medium blue, light blue, light olive (almost grey) eggs. We have had a Legbar that laid a nice clear medium blue egg and the EEs eggs we get aren't quite that blue.

Since you didn't indicate your desire to also eat your birds, but to get and sell eggs, I would recommend a higher production bird. Some high production birds will significantly drop off production at 2 years, so you might want to have a replacement plan in place that every 18-24 months you are getting new chicks.

You live in Southern Oregon so temps are moderate. Or do you live in South-Eastern Oregon? Still, winters not extreme, but summers can get hot on the dry side. So really anything would be good for you except heavily feathered breeds if your summers are really hot.

 

[SmallCityChicken]

Leghorns (white eggs) and Rhode Island Reds (brown eggs) are good productive layers with a good feed to egg conversion. For colored eggs, you can look for the many hybrids that are sold to provide green, blue, olive eggs. In general, you'll see "Easter Eggers" or "Ameraucanas" in the various feed stores. Just so you know, it is likely that any "Ameraucana" sold in a feed store is really the mixed breed "Easter Egger". We have EE and they are pretty reliable layers. We have 6 EE and we get medium green, light green, medium blue, light blue, light olive (almost grey) eggs. We have had a Legbar that laid a nice clear medium blue egg and the EEs eggs we get aren't quite that blue.

Since you didn't indicate your desire to also eat your birds, but to get and sell eggs, I would recommend a higher production bird. Some high production birds will significantly drop off production at 2 years, so you might want to have a replacement plan in place that every 18-24 months you are getting new chicks.

You live in Southern Oregon so temps are moderate. Or do you live in South-Eastern Oregon? Still, winters not extreme, but summers can get hot on the dry side. So really anything would be good for you except heavily feathered breeds if your summers are really hot.

Legbars & RIR were hitting all my Mark's when I checked earlier too.
I would like to have some to eat, however I live in a city with little outdoor privacy & my neighborhood kids might be traumatized by me butchering
Im in south central, up on the mountain. Winters aren't terrible here, but it often gets & stays below zero. Add to that the wind chill from our elevation & it's pretty miserable (of course I just don't like the cold so maybe that's part of it).

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I didn't pick my chickens for egg production, I went for chickens that appealed to me looks wise.

 

[Acre4Me]

Legbars & RIR were hitting all my Mark's when I checked earlier too.
I would like to have some to eat, however I live in a city with little outdoor privacy & my neighborhood kids might be traumatized by me butchering
Im in south central, up on the mountain. Winters aren't terrible here, but it often gets & stays below zero. Add to that the wind chill from our elevation & it's pretty miserable (of course I just don't like the cold so maybe that's part of it).

little privacy, then I wouldn’t butcher unless you did it in your garage. Even then, you are still going to be better served by more of a production bird to achieve your goals. How many are you looking to have?

Windy location? You’ll need to provide wind breaks for them to be able to escape the wind while in the run. Whatever your prevailing cold winter winds come from -block those. And don’t orient the pop door that way either (or provide a wind block there)!! Coop should be ventilated but draft free, so upper vents work well, don’t rely solely on windows, particularly if the roosts are in front of the windows.

good luck and enjoy shopping for chicks when the time comes!!

 

[SmallCityChicken]

little privacy, then I wouldn’t butcher unless you did it in your garage. Even then, you are still going to be better served by more of a production bird to achieve your goals. How many are you looking to have?

Windy location? You’ll need to provide wind breaks for them to be able to escape the wind while in the run. Whatever your prevailing cold winter winds come from -block those. And don’t orient the pop door that way either (or provide a wind block there)!! Coop should be ventilated but draft free, so upper vents work well, don’t rely solely on windows, particularly if the roosts are in front of the windows.

good luck and enjoy shopping for chicks when the time comes!!

I am thinking 10 should do for us.
I most likely won't end up butchering any, I'd like to but it's just not a good idea.
There is a wooden fence on one side & a shed on the other, it leaves enough room for ventilation but I've found it blocks the wind nicely.

 

[SmallCityChicken]

I didn't pick my chickens for egg production, I went for chickens that appealed to me looks wise.

If the birds are suited for our climate, produce a good amount of eggs, & quiet then looks dont matter much to me. I am more livestock & less pet to be honest.