# What do you have and what do you want in breeds/colors?



## TheGarryFarm (Jul 12, 2012)

Raising chickens and other poultry (turkeys, guineas, geese, ducks etc) for over 7 years now. And selling eating and hatching eggs, young and adults for almost as long..Even after all these years, I find myself asking where do we want to concentrate our efforts?

Please share what breeds (colors) do you have now and what do you want?


----------



## Darkling (Jul 25, 2012)

I have a mix of breeds Australorp, Orpington, RIR, Delaware, Maran, Leghorn, SLW, Black Star and EE. I've found that I like the calmer breeds that are quiet, productive and trouble free..I know everyone wants that but I found from my mix flock which ones I don't like and which ones I do. The EE are OK but no body around here wants green eggs, so they are out. The Delaware is very noisy, the first to let me know when I'm late with the food. Australorp is OK, she was supposed to be a Jersey Giant but she isn't; however her being Black makes her very hot and gets stressed in our summers here. Maran they are black too and actually get heat stressed faster then my Aussie. The Leghorns are a pain in the *bleep*, not good for my in town backyard and free ranging. clipping wings is useless when it comes to them. SLW turned out to be bullies, all three, actually bullied my youngsters till they wouldn't come out of the coop, so not again. Loved my Black star but she had a "squirrel" tail and I didn't want her genetics in my flock. The RIR and Orpington have proved to be the keepers. The RIR are good layers but can get aggressive when it comes to food. The Orpingtons are shy but I can pick them up without chasing them,I usually get 2 eggs every 3 days.
I'm hoping to get some English Orpingtons next year and raise only them, but if I can't then I will get RIR from a good hatchery. Would like to breed a single breed so that I can hatch my own replacements and future flock.


----------



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I currently have Ancona, Andalusian, Barred Rock, Lakenvelders, Cochins, Easter Egger, Silkies ( white, black, buff, and partridge). As for what I want in colors, I like variety. I didnt just want one breed, it seemed boring. I also have Mallard ducks, a Pekin duck, and a Jumbo Pekin/Rouen mix.


----------



## amber (Aug 2, 2012)

We have a barred rock, 2 frizzles, 3 chocolate orpingtons, 2 black rocks, a splash maran, splash Cochin, 4 millie de fleurs, 2 mottled Cochins, a bunch of blue isbars chicks, some buff Orpington chicks, some blue laced red Wyandotte chicks, some black austalorp chicks, a silkie chick and one banty chick. We like them all but the banty will have to go soon because he's a rooster.


----------



## Marthab53 (Jul 23, 2012)

Large Fowl Orpingtons in several colors. 3 Barred rock hens, Lots of Polish in Bantam and Large Fowl. Cochin Bantams. And Large Cochin/Orpington crosses in the grow out pen.


----------



## LindaR (Aug 20, 2012)

I have 2 pairs of Barred Rock Bantams, 1 pair of Red Partridge & 1 pair of Birchen Cochin. The Barred Rock & the Birchen rooster seems to be pretty agressive, but they are OK. I have a 8'x 12' coop & had planned to make 4 separate pens. Have not done this yet. I think the Buff Silkies are real pretty & would love to find some nice high color Mille Fleur Cochin. I think they may also be called Calico chickens. I have heard that the hens are hard to get a true color.


----------



## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Two RIR (had started with 3 - lost Sweetpea last year =( Reason unknown.) Three Barred Rock, one Australorp (sooo docile and very submissive - a big sweetie), one Australorp/White Leghorn mix, one Americauna (my first 3 weeks ago is 5 mo. old). My Americauna seems to be the superior forager and quickest to learn. She's very observant but also my most skittish at the moment. All have been very good for tolerating the heat & humidity of summer here and the bitter cold for the winter.


----------



## Julienkc (Aug 20, 2012)

I have EE's, mille fleur d'uccles, fawn and white runners, blue and black magpie calls, snowy calls, and lilac turkeys (the porter kind, not sandhill, although not from them)


----------



## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

Buckeyes & Delaware Blue's (also known as Delaware Blue Hens or Fighting Blue Hens)....the DB's are extremely rare and some will have you believe Buckeyes are too but not nearly as much as some other breeds! Here are pics of both breeds;









Delaware Blue Cock (owner Jeff Lay - Crains Run Ranch)









Buckeye Cockerel (owner Shumaker Farm's - Wilmington, OH)


----------



## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

We have a coop of laying hens (2 dark cornish, 5 buff orpingtons, 5 barred rocks, 6 partridge rocks, and 6 light brahmas.) Of those I will not being doing orpingtons again. They are by far the dumbest animals I have ever come across and that's saying a lot! Just the fact that five are still alive still amazes me. I will very likely switch them out for some barnevelders. The partridge rocks are beautiful but they're not as friendly as I'd like them to be. I also have a small flock of seramas, 2 roosters, a hen, and two pullets. I just started breeding them so I have no idea what colors they'll produce but I will say I would be thrilled to breed crele, chocolate, or laced varieties someday. I wish I could have some roosters of the bigger breeds but the only way I am able to get away with having neighbors and the serama roosters is the fact they sound like broken toys and only go off a couple times a day. They're very polite about it.. Someday when we move somewhere with more land and less neighbors I have my heart set on trying a trio of asils and some old english games. Not sure how I would do the laying hens. It'd be nice to be able to replenish my own stock.. The barnevelders seem the most interesting there. Sadly my favorite hen is a dark cornish and I hear their roosters are mean as hell. Not sure I want that challenge!


----------



## hollyosborn (Jul 8, 2012)

i have RIR, BR and LH.. .. mainly do eggs, but.... im gaining quite a few and have some people in town asking to purchase for meat.. sooooo.. need to weed out my non-layers.. as much as I hate the thought... they would make a nice meal this winter.... lol


----------



## Willy (Sep 14, 2012)

Most of our chickens are just chickens, mixed breed, kind of heavy, but seem to also be pretty fair layers. We do have 2 Americauna hens and a pullet along with a banty rooster and hen. We let the big chickens free range around the house, but the bantys we keep in the pen with the turkeys. I'd like to get some more bantys and a few more Americaunas.


----------



## xxisabellaxx (Sep 28, 2012)

For pullets i have a Cochin, Rhode island red, buff orpington, silver laced wynadotte, Brahma. 

For standard hens i have a dark Cornish, a Cornish cross, barred rock, golden laced wynadotte, hybrid easter egger.

For bantams i have a frizzle cochin, a partridge silkie, 2 millie fluers, silver sebright, and a buff Brahma.


I want a jersey giant and a black sumatra.


----------



## Chickenboy (Sep 7, 2012)

I have American games and a pair of old English game bantams.I'd like to have Aseel and Shamo and a couple Madagascar games.


----------



## Marengoite (Jul 11, 2012)

My laying pen has four Buckeyes, 2 Barred rocks (along with 1 BR cockerel), and a Golden comet. My "fun" pen has 6 Silver Spangled Hamburg cockerels and 4 SSH pullets. I'm curious to see how they do. We got them for my son to raise some fancy poultry for 4H, but I think I'm getting into this project more than he is. Next spring I will be adding a dozen turkeys (8 Regal reds and 7 assorted heritage varieties from Porter's Heritage Turkeys), and more Buckeyes, Barred rocks, and Golden comets. For reliable LARGE dark brown eggs, my GC hen is hard to beat. Wish I had a dozen more like her.


----------



## dlfrogman (Oct 8, 2012)

I currently have some Mille Fleur D'uccles, Phoenix bantams, Dutch Bantams, blue and mottled Frizzle and cochin bantams, a trio of Brown Red OEGB, 15 silkies that are blue, splash and black, a trio of Blue laced wyandottes, Easter egger hens, two speckles sussex hens and some various laying hens. Oh and a copper maran rooster.


----------



## DansChickens (Sep 14, 2012)

I have silver laced and golden laced sebrights golden pair and silver trio 
4 New Hampshire reds 
Pair of Antwerp Belgian bearded
1 black Australop
1 golden buff Rhode Island Red mix rooster


----------



## mstricer (Oct 18, 2012)

TheGarryFarm said:


> Raising chickens and other poultry (turkeys, guineas, geese, ducks etc) for over 7 years now. And selling eating and hatching eggs, young and adults for almost as long..Even after all these years, I find myself asking where do we want to concentrate our efforts?
> 
> Please share what breeds (colors) do you have now and what do you want?


I have 3 of your Lavender Ameraucana and FBCM all laying nicely. Plus my little d'Uccles which are my favorite.
Michele


----------

