Will be expanding my standard hen flock next spring, need breed recommendations

[Going Quackers]

I tried seven different breeds and ended up with Brahma as my favorite

seven, that is quite a few.

I LOVE my opringtons, great layers, friendly and docile, and cold hardy. I had one who went broody a couple times, but she was easily broken.I also like me EEs for the same reasons. Gold Stars, (AKA Golden Comet, Red-Sex-Link...) Are AWESOME layers, and can be friendly with handling. They aren't THE best winter hardy breed, but they are doing OK in my northern Iowa temps. (felt like -9 the other night, no heat lamp, and they came out fine.) I'm not actually sure if it is legal for me to have chickens...I just got them. I do live in the country, so I am assuming it's fine.

Chickens can be loads of fun! I have to be careful with my winter hardiness factor, we can get pretty brutal here.

In my zone 4, my preference is for rose and pea comb birds, darker colors to be less predator prone. I vote Dominique: A nice auto-sexing, rose combed, bar patterned, good temperament bird, good forager. and EE: Pea combed, lots of color variation, overall, I love their quirky personalities. Then you might want to throw in a couple of sex-links to up your percentage of lay.

Hmm, i will have to look that one up, heard the name but not familiar! ty.

 

[Bullitt]

You mentioned you were worried about getting a rooster. Why can't you just order pullets from a hatchery? I am sure a local Canadian hatchery must sell Chanteclers.

 

[Going Quackers]

You mentioned you were worried about getting a rooster. Why can't you just order pullets from a hatchery? I am sure a local Canadian hatchery must sell Chanteclers.

You can but not many, quite a few breeds are straight runs including the chanty so i am more limited.. i will do a run down of what i can buy sexed lol off to create a list.

I left a couple off as they didn't interest me but here is what i can get sexed...

Plymoth rocks, wyandotte, buff orpington, speckled sussex, jersey giant, delaware, brahma, barnevelder, cuckoo maran, welsummer, dominique, barred plymouth rock, new hampshire red and rhode island reds.

whew lol

 

[Our Roost]

Ya know GQ, I mentioned the buff color of the orpington breed but have you really considered the Morans? Some having huge nice dark brown and copper eggs. I plan to get some black copper morans this spring. Since you are not getting a rooster, these would really compliment your eggs nicely! I dont know if they can be sexed at birth though.

 

[wsmith]

In my zone 4, my preference is for rose and pea comb birds, darker colors to be less predator prone.  I vote Dominique: A nice auto-sexing, rose combed, bar patterned, good temperament bird, good forager.  and EE: Pea combed, lots of color variation, overall, I love their quirky personalities.  Then you might want to throw in a couple of sex-links to up your percentage of lay.

Dominiques are the way to go. Funny, it took 30 posts before someone mentioned this quintessential heritage breed. Great foragers, friendly, but not "needy", lay a medium to large egg, lay rates are above 50%, and usually about 65%, have a rose comb, are naturally sex-linked, I could go on and on...

For more info on them, do a web search, or go to the Livestock Conservancy website, or lookup The American Dominique, or do a Facebook search for Windy Ridge Dominiques. I have lots of photos there.....

 

[wsmith]

My avatar is of a 28 week old Dominique cockerel....

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I think sometimes if you get a "friendlier" breed you sometimes run into more issues with predation free ranging. The more skiddish the bird the more they have a chance if you will. Black Australorp is probably the best foraging free ranger I have in my bunch. She's just skiddish enough for me to know she'll be alright in the woods...but she does know who the treat lady is too.

She's big and docile on the roost. Aloof if you will. I just love her. She's a champ at egg laying. Down side is she can be a bit broody. Only one I've had that's been that way.

Another thing I notice free ranging is White is a no-no. You may as well put a big sign on their back for aerial preds. "Looky here! Free Lunch".

That being said in my crew I have a RIR, who is disarmingly friendly with us...little bit of a kritz on the roost though. Adds to her personality all the more I say. LOL. And our New Hampshire is a machine for egg laying and is also friendly. Easy to catch etc.

My Easter Eggers will fly up on branches in the woods to get a better view or if they sense danger. A little more flighty but love looking at my egg cartons when they are laying.

I think for free ranging--camouflage and predator wariness should be thought of first. IMO. You can train them to some degree to be friendly too. I want to add a barred breed at sometime to my flock. I think a Cuckoo Marans or Dominique or Barred Rock would do well.

My big red Rooster has made a hawk or two think twice about taking any of them on. Fun to watch him in action--that roo.

 

[Bullitt]

You can but not many, quite a few breeds are straight runs including the chanty so i am more limited.. i will do a run down of what i can buy sexed lol off to create a list.

I left a couple off as they didn't interest me but here is what i can get sexed...

Plymoth rocks, wyandotte, buff orpington, speckled sussex, jersey giant, delaware, brahma, barnevelder, cuckoo maran, welsummer, dominique, barred plymouth rock, new hampshire red and rhode island reds.

whew lol

What varieties of Plymouth Rock are you considering, since you also list Barred Plymouth Rock?

Barred Plymouth Rocks have just been more selectively bred to produce eggs. So that is why they are popular.

 

[Bullitt]

Dominiques are the way to go. Funny, it took 30 posts before someone mentioned this quintessential heritage breed. Great foragers, friendly, but not "needy", lay a medium to large egg, lay rates are above 50%, and usually about 65%, have a rose comb, are naturally sex-linked, I could go on and on...

For more info on them, do a web search, or go to the Livestock Conservancy website, or lookup The American Dominique, or do a Facebook search for Windy Ridge Dominiques. I have lots of photos there.....

The Dominique was replaced in popularity by the Barred Plymouth Rock, which lays more eggs and has a larger body for more meat. The Dominique is more broody, so that would be a better breed for those who want to hatch chicks.

 

[Bullitt]

I think sometimes if you get a "friendlier" breed you sometimes run into more issues with predation free ranging. The more skiddish the bird the more they have a chance if you will. Black Australorp is probably the best foraging free ranger I have in my bunch. She's just skiddish enough for me to know she'll be alright in the woods...but she does know who the treat lady is too.

She's big and docile on the roost. Aloof if you will. I just love her. She's a champ at egg laying. Down side is she can be a bit broody. Only one I've had that's been that way.

Another thing I notice free ranging is White is a no-no. You may as well put a big sign on their back for aerial preds. "Looky here! Free Lunch".

Australorps are known to be a little broody. But the chickens from hatcheries have been selected with egg-laying in mind. Hatchery birds will most likely be less broody.

You are right. White chickens would not be good for free ranging. White chickens became popular for meat birds, because they have a cleaner looking carcass.

You mentioned your Amaraucans can fly into the trees. That is good for free ranging chickens. I think the Brown Leghorn is another great choice for free ranging. If they are handled they will be more friendly, but they most likely will never be as friendly as say Buff Orpingtons.