Do you raise just one breed? How long have you had that breed? Are you doing anything to improve that breed/line? How many hens/roosters of that breed do you have. Are they for selling eggs, eggs for family/friends, mainly pet egg layer(s), older non-laying pet(s), or for any other purpose. Do you own books about your breed?
I have four pet bbs Orpingtons, two black hens, one blue hen, and one rooster (no splashes) that I hatched and incubated last year. Now I want to hatch out two or three all-navy-blue (look black when not in sunlight) hens and maybe a rooster. If I eventually succeed, I "might" build a new, larger coop and try to get a line going of all dark-navy-blue Orpingtons. I have no books about Orpingtons. EVERYTHING I know about chickens, building coops and runs, caring for, etc., I've learned here on BYC.
BTW, it was pictures of all-navy-blue Orpingtons that got me interested in chickens in the first place. I had no idea that they were not raised exclusively by anyone in the U.S., only in England... Oh, well, I "think" I'm on the right track now for changing that situation, but it might be a pipe dream about something that I know nothing about... We'll see.
Note: I also have a blue silkie hen and her splash chick, but those two have their own coop, and I have no plans for them other than keep them as is for their lifetime; however, if the chick is a rooster, it will be given to a new home. It would be nice to have two silkie hens for hatching blue Orpington eggs and let them raise them. Sure would beat messing with incubators and brooders.
I have four pet bbs Orpingtons, two black hens, one blue hen, and one rooster (no splashes) that I hatched and incubated last year. Now I want to hatch out two or three all-navy-blue (look black when not in sunlight) hens and maybe a rooster. If I eventually succeed, I "might" build a new, larger coop and try to get a line going of all dark-navy-blue Orpingtons. I have no books about Orpingtons. EVERYTHING I know about chickens, building coops and runs, caring for, etc., I've learned here on BYC.
BTW, it was pictures of all-navy-blue Orpingtons that got me interested in chickens in the first place. I had no idea that they were not raised exclusively by anyone in the U.S., only in England... Oh, well, I "think" I'm on the right track now for changing that situation, but it might be a pipe dream about something that I know nothing about... We'll see.
Note: I also have a blue silkie hen and her splash chick, but those two have their own coop, and I have no plans for them other than keep them as is for their lifetime; however, if the chick is a rooster, it will be given to a new home. It would be nice to have two silkie hens for hatching blue Orpington eggs and let them raise them. Sure would beat messing with incubators and brooders.