Why do you keep the breeds you raise?

[kinnip]

My first batch was a mixed bag: EEs, Delawares, Blue Andalusians, BRs, SLWs, Red Stars and one Buckeye the hatchery substituted for a Welsummer. I wanted to try a few breeds to see what I like. Later I got Black Copper Marans. I decided to breed the EEs, the Blue Andalusians and the Marans. I enjoy the others, especially the SLWs, but I can't breed them all, or so I've been told.

Of course, accidents happen.

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

Well. I base my decisions on various reasons.

1. Will the bird be a productive layer?

& 2. What is "in".

I have plenty of great egg producers, in which if people buy their offspring they can be also used as meat birds.
And I also have plenty of ornamental birds.
Polish, Sultans, SF, Malays, Yokohomas, Phoenix, BLRW, Langshans, SPH... and many more.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Well I have to say Orps are my favorites and it is really a stupid reason why. I just think that they look like they are wearing little house on the praire bloomers. They remind me of the sunbonnet sue girl when they bend over. I remember when my Mom was alive we made all the younger grandkids a sunbonnet sue or a dapper dan quilt (I am thinking something like 14 of them) and those orps just bring back a happy memory of a time with my Mom. Now that I have them and know the personalities of the breed I am head over heals in love and can't wait for some of Miss P's reds and Jody and Charlies lavendars.

The other breed I like are Dorkings. I read about them in mother earth news and thought anything that has struggled that long to maintain a place on this earth deserved a helping hand. I also fell in love with the personalities now that I have them.

I started out with a mixed flock and some Isa Brown/EE mixes and I really liked them as well. lost them to a dog attack (18 out of 19) and will be starting over from these 2 ladies the first week of Sept.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I keep my Silver Sebrights, and Silkies, and my Barred Cochin rooster, my booted bantam hen, and my mixed pullet for fun. I do sell the Silver Sebright eggs and Silkie eggs for hatching.

I keep my Light Brahmas and Salmon Faverolles, about 22 weeks old now, for eggs, and I will be selling the hatching eggs in the spring.

I keep my Toulouse geese for a fun hobby and to sell hatching eggs, same thing for my gray calls and mixed call ducks.

 

[ams3651]

I got my RIR because they are reliable, cold hardy, lay big eggs and are what my grandfather had. I got my EE's because they lay colored eggs basically. I wanted an EE roo because they are in such beautiful colors but all they had were pullets. My RIR roo is getting pretty good lookin too.

i like the polish I think they are, with the big hair! But I cant justify keeping birds as pets.

 

[Justino]

EEs- i love their beards, colors, how their all totally different anfd 1 of a kind, and i love thier goofy personalities

the green/blue eggs r awsome too

 

[happyhen]

I just started raising chickens and chose RIRs for their size, dependable laying, egg size and hardiness. I love their gentle, friendly and inquisitive disposition as well as seeing those dark red feathers shining in the sun.

 

[halo]

I love my rocks. I can get the same colors as the orps, in a little bit smaller bird, which I like. My barred rocks continue to amaze me; they have just started laying, and already they are very constantly laying nearly every day and the eggs get bigger and bigger. And they are only 6 months old! That is the reason I am crossing them with my fru fru splash and blue rocks, who seem to think all they have to do is look pretty and not work. I love my wellies; little plain jane brown chickens that lay the hugest darkest eggs. And I love my fluffly faced EE's that lay the purdiest blue eggs, and lots and lots of them.

 

[dixiechick]

Cochin bantams for us! We enjoy their overall shape and size....my kids are a bit timid, so having smaller calmer birds allows them to gain confidence with our flock...(plus their small shape allows us to "sneak" them into the city limits--don't tell!)

 

[Anne]

My favorite birds are large-fowl Araucanas. I've heard people say "oh, those are exotic, I don't like exotics" and even "they're so weird looking, I think they're ugly!"

I ordered my first Araucana eggs off of ebay about 3 years ago. I had raised common production breeds since I was a little kid and wanted something different.

I like the Araucanas because:

1) They are adept at hatching and raising their own young, and are extremely family-oriented. Hens with broods of older chicks will care for day-old chicks that got lost or separated from their mothers. Sometimes the roosters even help with raising the chicks. Even the lone males are not overly aggressive towards the babies.

2) I get a sense of satisfaction from helping to preserve a rare breed with unique traits.

3) They're good layers.

4) They're great at escaping predators. My birds free-range in an area heavily populated by coyotes, hawks, eagles, owls, possums, raccoons, and domestic dogs, yet I hardly ever lose one.

5) They're awesome foragers. When they're free-ranging, my feed bill is literally cut in half.

6) I like having something unique, rare, and different.

7) Hatching eggs sell well, and I've been offered up to $300 for a single bird.