Which breed ~ For self sufficieny purposes?

[ksalvagno]

Do most of you do all in all out or do you add to your flock?

I was going to do all in all out but now Meyer Hatchery has some really cool chickens that I really want to get. My current chickens aren't even a year old yet so I'm not even close to ready to get rid of them. But I love the Buckeyes and the Blue Laced Red Wyandottes.

I've already had the experience of adding chickens because I bought my chickens at different times so there were 3 groups that I had to put together into one flock. But I know disease is a concern when you keep adding new chickens to an established flock. I have a total of 19 chickens right now. 18 hens and one rooster.

I think the Red Stars are the same as my Golden Buffs which are great layers. Also my Speckled Sussex are very good layers.

 

[big brown horse]

They are selling fertile French Copper Maran eggs right now on CL, oooo I want them so bad!! Probably a good thing that I don't have an incubator.

To answer your question, right now, I add chicks to my already established flock. Soon however, I'm going to invest in a good little broody, bantam hen and then just raise EE's from now on. I have a handsome Ameraucana roo and 6 different hens. Next year all the hatchlings will be EEs, hatched and raised by my broody bantam. Then I wont need to buy more chicks ever again.

Lupin, have you made your mind up girl??

 

[Javamama]

I'm thinking of doing a rotation. Some young one in and old ones out. But so far I have only added to replace a few I lost due to natural causes. I'm thinking that if my older hens start to molt at the end of summer, I will cull and replace them with chicks. Right now half of mine are approaching 2 years old and the other half is almost 1 year old. It works out well in that we get eggs year round because of the age differences. Some laying, some molting, some just taking a break.

edit: spelling errors

 

[keljonma]

Wyandottes or Dominiques are good cold weather birds. Good egg layers, friendly, good foragers, and small combs. I have a friend that has a large Buckeye flock and hers do well here in snow belt NE Ohio.

Remember that larger birds will eat more than smaller breeds, so don't forget to take that into consideration when deciding.

Good luck deciding!

 

[patandchickens]

Hey Lupin! His ordering system is open now!!!

(but the bottom of the page sez his pricelist will not be available til Feb 1)

(e.t.a. - he no longer seems to be listing white chanteclers. That's weird! Well, there's plenty of breeders around)

Pat, who has just ordered a dozen sussexes as an infusion of new blood, half a dozen partridge chanteclers, four Beltsville small white poults, and four Narragansett poults; and two pairs of pilgrim geese for my next door neighbor. Ka-ching

 

[SKR8PN]

I can't say anything bad about our 6 New Hampshire Reds. I couldn't ask for any friendlier birds, but then, I have been the one handling them every day since they came home as peeps. They started laying at around 20 weeks and once they were up to speed, have been laying machines! 5-6 eggs every day, and 2 of the girls are laying eggs so big they won't hardly fit in a standard egg carton! They will be a year old in April, and I plan on starting our next flock when these get to be two years old. I am going to go with the breed again.

 

[homesteadmomma]

I love my Orps. They are my favorite. Good layers, good sitters and good mommas.

 

[lupinfarm]

Well I ordered in the end 5 Dominique Hens and 1 Dominique Roo plus a Buff Orp Drake and a Buff Orp Duck to add to my 3 Buff Ducks

I really liked the Barred Rocks but was concerned Re the combs, because we did have some issues with our red hens having large combs. I couldn't find much info on Dominique laying but I'm not TOO concerned with huge amounts of eggs, our EEs lay really well and I just plain liked the look of the Doms

Woo hoo Pat! Now aren't you totally excited for spring?! We've put in for the latest hatch date because it'll be nice and warm out then and I can set up my brooder out in the garage or on the porch this year.

 

[patandchickens]

Although Doms were historically considered a good laying breed, I have heard that is often not so true of modern individuals -- unless you can find someone with them from Jason I think you'll just have to wait and be surprised one way or the other

His EEs *do* lay quite well, don't they? I am impressed.

I put myself down for one of the first two hatch dates, partly because it gives the turkeys more time to grow towards Thanksgiving size by Thanksgiving (obviously only one is destined for the holiday but several others will go into the freezer), but mostly because my neighbor wants her geese as early in the season as possible. I don't really mind the early date, although it does mean I have to feed things for a few extra months but oh well

Good luck and have fun,

Pat, who wouldve liked ot have ordered some other things but Nobly Refrained

 

[Javamama]

I have one Dom and I just love her. She's sassy! But in a good way. She always has to be up higher than all the other hens. She's also the most vocal bird I have and has a terrible screechy voice. She only lays around 4 eggs a week though so I hope yours are better.
You know, I haven't had any of my hens to go broody. I thought for sure out of 5 breeds I'd get at least one. Nope. They aren't listening. Not that we have anything to hatch anyway what with our roosters gone.