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Why do you have the breeds you do?

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TashaFrancois said:
DH and I just wanted a couple of hens as pets who lay breakfast. I underestimated how quickly and deeply I’d get attached. I have this thing where when I love something I get a bit obsessed. So I read all about breeds, eggs, food, healthcare, coops, and more. That’s how I found BYC. I started with a FBCM, 3 silkies, and a lavender Ameraucana. Fast forward and we have 10 hens, 2 Roos, and 6 ducks. Since they were always going to be pets I chose based on appearance, egg color, and history. So, why did you choose who you have?
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I have 8 chickens at this point, and no two breeds are the same. I have an australorpe, a buff Orpington, an amurcana, an easter egger (although those may actually be the same breed), a mystery breed (someone on BYC guessed white rock), and 3 different bantam breeds. The ones we picked out (some were strays) we picked because of their looks. We're getting bantam silkies (and maybe a golden comet) next week!
 
Neat topic. Love seeing everyone's choices and why they went with them.

I have had:
Rhode Island Reds
Americana
Buff Orpingtons (currently have 2)
Welsummers (currently have 1)
Speckled Sussex (currently have 1)
White Rock (currently have 1)
Golden Comet (currently have 2)
Black Copper Maran (currently have 1)

My starter flock was 2 RIR, 1 Buff, 1 Americana. Lost one, then got more Buffs and the Welsummers. Gave my RIR and Americana to a friend who wanted to start a flock but not chicks. Loved my Welsummers. My profile pic was of my favorite bird before she died.

Next I embarked on hatching and that opened up a world of new breeds not available locally. My first hatch was Speckled Sussex chosen for personality and friendliness and LOVE LOVE LOVE them. I would love a whole flock of these birds. However I could only keep two pullets. I lost one in the first year. We think it was a hawk, but really her curiosity killed her. She wandered into the neighbors yard and got nabbed. Sad day.

Next hatch was White Rocks. I chose this breed because they were reported to be cold hearty and lay through the winter. Again kept two pullets and sold/gave away the rest. I've found this breed to be less friendly and not as consistent with eggs as I was hoping. Lost one to a predator.

Then I found a local breeder that had Black Copper Maran hatching eggs. I was interested in this breed for their egg color and temperament. Hatched 4 but three were boys so they had to go and I only have the one hen now. She is sweet as can be tho and has laid beautifully. At the time I hatched the BCM's I panicked that only one would hatch and be lonely, so I ran to the feed store and got the two Golden Comets. They DID lay through the winter, but are flighty and smaller than my other birds so get picked on quite a bit.

The weekend I pick up 2 dozen hatching eggs from the same local breeder as before. Last year she has started raising Jubilee Orpingtons and I fell in love. I've been on a waiting list for a year to get some hatching eggs. I also told her I'd take a "surprise" dozen with a few more BCM's in the mix. She raises about 10 different breeds so it will be interesting to see what I get. :D

My breed choices have evolved over the years, but I consistently go for friendliness, cold heartiness and egg production. I like the dark brown BCM eggs, but I like the bird more. I did have the one Americana and she did lay blue-ish eggs, but she wasn't very nice. The RIR and GC are great layers but flighty and not very interactive. (aka they run away from me vs the other breeds who run to me) The Buffs land in the middle for me. They are friendlier and calmer than the last three, but not super friendly. Kinda spoiled by my Sussex and BCM.

Other than the breeds I already have, Jersey Giants are on my hatching list. Been a bit difficult to find a reputable breeder. The few I've found have been *really* expensive. I've heard different things from hatchery stock so unsure of my next move. Maybe I'll try to hatch some later in the year, or next spring. Depends on how this hatch goes too. :p

Sorry for the novel. Haven't gotten to talk chicken in awhile. :p
 
eggspecto_patronum said:
What breeds do you have?
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Black Sumatras, Birchen, Buff, & Millie Fleur English Orpingtons, Spangled Russian Orloffs,
Salmon Favorelles, Swedish Flower Hens, Black & Dark Brahmas, White Faced Black Spanish, Iowa Blues, Silver Phoenix, White Sebastopol Geese, White Muscovy Ducks, Modena Pigeons.
 
Brahmachicken240 said:
I started out with a few mixed breeds.
We got them for eggs.
Then I saw a viral Brahma chicken video on YouTube
I thought it was a person dressed up as a chicken at first, then I did my research on them and I fell in love with the breed.
Now I Breed blue buff columbian, golden partridge and lemon Pyle brahmas.
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I have a lavender Pullet and I cannot wait to see her fully grown. She is even sweeter than my silkies!
 
I have standard bred Plymouth Rock.

It's an American classic dual purpose breed that needs work. Many get caught up in the latest fad of exotic and overlook what we have right here in the States. Oddly, varieties of Plymouth are in desperate need of work and people breeding them to the SOP.

Want exotic, rare, stately looking birds? Look no further than the Plymouth Rock.

I keep two varieties: Silver Pencilled and Partridge.

Partridge Resized-2.JPG
 
I decided that this year would be the last where I started chicks so I am adding the ones I've kept over the last 30 years that I liked the best and had the best luck with. Here, in no particular order, are my final birds(all pullets): Production Reds, Light Brahams, Austrolorps, Ameraucanas, rose combed brown leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire Reds, Buff Orphingtons, Lace Wyandotts, Barred Rocks, Dark Brahams. Notice most are big breeds that lay brown eggs and are cold weather layers. The exception are the leghorns which tend to shut down in winter and lay white eggs but they are my favorite foraging birds. And the Ameraucanas that I keep just because the colored eggs are a talking point, The only reason for the production reds is because I wanted a few chicks early and they were the first brown egg layers TSC had that were sexed. My birds are free ranged and I don't cull so I want them to be good foragers that lay for a long time--I have 3 austrolorps that are 5 years old and still lay. I would guess I've had at least another dozen breeds, including different colors of some of the above--not counting fryers--that I liked but these have been the best. Probably the breeds I would tend to stay away from are the sex-links since they seem to have had the shortest life/laying spans. Also white leghorns don't seem to forage or winter well here in upstate NY.
 
Egghead_Jr said:
I have standard bred Plymouth Rock.

It's an American classic dual purpose breed that needs work. Many get caught up in the latest fad of exotic and overlook what we have right here in the States. Oddly, varieties of Plymouth are in desperate need of work and people breeding them to the SOP.

Want exotic, rare, stately looking birds? Look no further than the Plymouth Rock.

I keep two varieties: Silver Pencilled and Partridge.

View attachment 1710186
Click to expand...

Yours look so much better than locals here. Do you sell and ship? If so how much.
 

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