Just realized ordering is now open for my local hatchery/breeder!

[baymule]

I have Delawares now and do not care for them. They lay well, big eggs, forage well, but are aggressive towards other chickens. Meanest durn things!

I have a few Wellsummer hens and two roosters. They haven't started laying yet. But what really strikes me is that the roosters are not fighting each other.

Australorps are on my want list.

I have Easter eggers and I love the blue eggs, their beards and muffs. They lay fairly well. You can cross a blue egg layer with a brown egg layer and get an olive egger.

 

[treerooted]

I thought a mixed basket would be nice; and something a bit different if I'm selling to just a few people.
My layers already have a good spectrum of browns so the Welsummers and EEs would add to that.

I'm not sure yet how many layers I want to keep in total. I have 13 now, this new batch will probably add another 10 or less (getting straight run - I think it's more ethical that way, plus it gives me a choice of roosters to keep).

Decisions decisions....

I even started looking at brown leghorns, but I think I'm going back to my original idea of large breeds only so the culls will be decent.

 

[baymule]

Be careful with straight run. I ordered 50 Delaware chicks, straight run for spring 2015.......when the dust settled I had ELEVAN pullets. I figured I would wind up with 20 pullets at the worst, but I got the worst of the worst. That has been other peoples experience as well.

 

[treerooted]

I think I'll get 20 total this time around.
I may consider getting EEs sexed.
My straight runs I got last year were an ok split; heavy on the roos. Of 25, 9 were pullets. I lost a couple and I'm not sure what sex.

 

[treerooted]

So I ordered 30 lol

Plymouth Rocks - Barred
Chantecler - Buff
Buckeye
Delaware
Ameraucana (Easter Egger)
Welsummer

 

[NH Homesteader]

Good luck and please update us on how those breeds work out for you. It's always fun to hear!

 

[baymule]

It is fun to get a mixed crew of chickens. You get to mix up the colors and breeds.

 

[treerooted]

Agreed, my plan was three years of trying many breeds, and then working towards a sustainable flock.

With these new chicks I'll have 11 different breeds in my flock.

 

[sumi]

You picked some good breeds, best of luck with them!

Oh and I beat you @baymule I started with chickens many years ago, bought 40 "straight run" chicks off the back of a truck. Well you guessed it, I got ONE pullet

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Well you guessed it, I got ONE pullet

Oh.My.Gosh!