your choice

[fowlsessed]

I posted this in another section aswell, didn't notice this section, sorry. Anyway, having a hard time choosing my breed for this spring(always happens). I really only want one. Here are my three choices buckeye, cubalaya, cornish. Needs to forage well and withstand both heat and cold. Any experiance with any of these breeds, preferances, any you recomend. thanks

 

[aoxa]

Cubalaya! They are beautiful <3 They withstand the cold temperatures we get and are great foragers. I don't have any myself, but regret not getting them at the show. They were really expensive! $60 for a trio

 

[fowlsessed]

also what about chanteclers. i really like them.

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

In my experience, Chantecler's are good egg-layers, especially over the winter, but around here (south-central pa) they are not, what would be the word? Hot-hardy enough. That is to say their profuse feathering and small combs/wattles makes it hard to ventilate, and that is hard on them. Though I love the breed I have decided to discontinue all Chanteclers due to this problem. But they are good foragers and provide quite an unusual "hawk-like" look to your flock of chickens.

I'm sorry that I don't have Buckeyes or cornish, but I do have some Cubalayas. They are a hard-feathered breed like many other game fowl, and therefore due to less insulating plumage they aren't effected like other pea-comb breeds (like the Chantecler). They are gamey, (which I like) the hens only really being aggressive with people when they are broody, and they are beautiful and good foragers. In the winter one would assume due to their lack of insulation compared with other breeds they would be cold, but mine have never seemed to get chilled or anything on the coldest, windiest days (3 degrees with a -13 degree windchill, in a coop of course). They do go broody which I personally favor, and make great mothers. Although they have good production, the eggs are small, (a little bigger then a bantam though). I would highly recommend Cubalayas. (and Chanteclers if you are in a cooler climate.)

Hope this helps!

 

[fowlsessed]

Hmm, That is thought inspiring. I really, really like them but it gets hot here in the summer(aswell as cold in winter). I wonder if I'll try them anyway. I guess it can't hurt.

 

[Gresh]

Quote:
CUBALAYAS!!!

They are great free-rangers, tolerant of heat and cold, and are a generally hardy bird due to their gamefowl ancestry. They are very human friendly and cocks don't fight each other to the death like their ancestors did (and still do). They come in a variety of beautiful colors (though not all are recognized by the APA), and are fair layers. Their meat is also good, I hear.
Buckeyes are good birds when it comes to roughing out heat and cold, but they are not as agile as the Cubalaya and cannot fly away from predators like Cubalayas can. They are, however, very people-friendly and lay quite well.
Cornishes are hardy birds of gamefowl ancestry but are slow birds that cannot fly very well. They are hard-feathered, rendering them somewhat susceptible to cold weather, and their sheer size can also make them not-so heat tolerant. Purebred Cornish are good free-rangers, though, but cannot fly or run away from predators very well.

 

[fowlsessed]

I think I'll try all four, and then make my decision after trying them. (This always happens)

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Sounds like a good idea. It is hard when you have so many choices!

 

[Arielle]

Maybe if you defined "cold" and "hot" in TN? Probably not the same hot and cold I experience in southern New England. Chanchlers were dev for the real cold weather of Canada originially.

Have fun deciding.

 

[fowlsessed]

It can get below freezing in the winter and above 90 in the summer.