Help me choose my next chickens

[mandieg4]

I really want some Marans next spring, but now I think I'm going to have to add Welsummers on my list too.

 

[Emerald]

I have true Aruacanas with no tail feathers and the big mutton chop whisker cheeks they lay brilliant turquoise blue eggs and I have Ameracanas that lay anything from sky blue eggs to light green eggs to blue green eggs. I love them all!
and they do seem to do well in the cold weather here in MI

 

[BeccaOH]

I seem to be on a path to try at least one of each breed.

Buff Orpingtons are beautiful and very broody (at least at my place) and good mothers.

Love the Speckled Sussex and Partridge Rocks for striking feathers.

Welsummers seem to have great personality and neat eggs.

I'm loving my Wheaten Marans and their dark eggs.

Wyandottes in gold or silver laced feathering also make striking birds (just not during molt ).

I also am enjoying the novelty of the Turken/Naked Necks. Half of mine have red skin, but the new young'uns have black skin with blue feathering. Good conversation starters.

I love my large cochins, but they are definitely not so pretty in the rain and mud. :/

 

[meriruka]

Chiming in for Orpingtons. The blue/black/splashes are lovely.
Old English Game bantams have tons of personality and will want to be involved in everything you do (especially painting)

 

[ORChick]

My black australorps were pretty broody. I didn't care for them myself...maybe just got a bad lot.

Buff Orpingtons are a pretty gold color and are good layers of brown eggs.

Barred Rocks are good layers and have a striking appearance.

If you are really going for color in your egg basket though, I would say you need a Black Copper Maran. They lay dark brown eggs, "chocolate" colored. They can be hard to come by. You may want to look for someone on BYC who has them for sale or knows where to get just one or two. Most any other chicken you can buy anytime throughout the season, but I found out the hard way that I have to put my order in by January if I want Marans (purchased from a hatchery).

All of those 4 breeds tend to be very docile and friendly as well.

The Buff Orpingtons are certainly pretty. I like the idea of the dark eggs, but don't Marans have feathered feet? My Barnevelder lays kind of dark eggs - chocolate, but milk chocolate rather than 75% cacao .

 

[tamlynn]

My Old English Game bantam goes broody for months at a time. She is the most stubborn chicken I have ever seen.

I am loving my new red sex-link, a red star I think? She lays beautiful dark brown eggs almost every day and is very quiet. I don't think they are known for going broody, so that is good for me.

 

[ORChick]

My buff Orpingtons are by FAR the most beautifull hens I have. They do tend to go broody, and they lay light brown eggs. The Barred Rocks are pretty, mine dont seem to go broody, and are a little smaller than the Buffs...but very docile, friendly birds. The Marans are great DARK brown layers, but I found them to be a bit more flighty. I would add a Buff Orpington, she would really add some beautifull golden color to your flock.

From all the positive statements made about the Buff Orpington I think I'll need to put one on the short list. (I was trying to shorten Buff Orpington, for easier typing, but I just can't bring myself to call them BO ). They look so fluffy though; do they do alright in wet weather?

 

[ORChick]

you need some speckled eggs...so i would get you a couple of Welsummers....unless you get a certain blood line, you normally won't get the terra cotta colored eggs from the Wellies, but you will most probably get the speckled. My wellies just started laying and i am LOVING the speckled eggs....they are not high producers, maybe 4 or so a week each....

I really like the look of the Welsumers, both the birds and the eggs. Another one for the short list . There was someone at our local farmers market that had some Welsumer eggs last summer; if I can track down who they are maybe I can even get the chick locally. (Welsumer is another one I can't shorten :/; To me "wellies" are Wellington boots! )

 

[Denim Deb]

You think BO is bad for chickens, just think, on horse boards, BO is the barn owner. BM is the barn manager, and if there's a supervisor, they're the BS!

 

[ORChick]

I am thinking Black Australorps and Buff Orpington.

x2

I would also recommend Light Brahmas (but they are soo slow growing) or Speckled Sussex!

I just took a "stroll" through the "feathersite.com", and am very taken with the Sussex - both Speckled and Light. The Brahmas appear to be very impressive birds, but again, I don't think feathered feet are a good idea in my climate.