what kind of chickens?

[goatilocks]

Honestly, I would stick with the sexed pullets from the feed store. Yes, the straight run chicks at a dollar apiece sounds great, but what happens when you spend $10 and get mostly roosters? I would go for 5 or so sexed pullets from the feed store, and have a pretty good bet they are pullets. And feed stores usually carry the popular breeds cause that what most people want due to their laying abilities.

 

[Wannabefree]

I apologize in advance if I'm hijacking FF6's post, but can ya'll recommend a good layer that's also a sex-link?

My little Red Sex link lays like a champ, but I only have one so can't speak for them all. A delaware roo over RIR hens makes a good layer too and they will be sex linked as well.

 

[pinkfox]

in terms of hatchery stock ive only ever odrdered from healthychicksandmore, and quite honeslty i was VERY impresed, they allow small orders (10 is their minimum)
their prices for sexed pullets are a little high BUT theres no shipping fee! everywhere else we looked for small orders ware almost a $40 shipping fee ontop of the birds at $3-5 a sexed pullet...
chicks came well, out of 2 orders a total of 20 birds we only lost 1 chick and it was the post office fault (they rerouted the box so it spent an extra day in transit accidentally) out of 20 sexed pullets we got amazingly 20 sexed pullets (most hatcheries youll end up with at least a couple of "we thought they were girls" and they are beautiful chickens. we ordered a mix (you can order as few as 1 per breed as long as theres 10 babies in the box)

we got
barred rock, columbian rock, australorp, amerucana, partridge rock, silverlaced wyandotte, speckled sussex, buff orphington, dark brahma.

of those the 3 rocks lay the most eggs and the brahmah lays the biggest. the wyandotte lays the least but shes ever so pretty...
the ameucanas actually lay realy well for us, and have big personalities, the speckled sussex is my favorite great personality and lovely soft pinkish brown eggs...

of your list id definalty suggest going with barred rocks, there a true dual purpose bird, nice body, good personalities, nice layers. we havent had a broodie in the bunch.

we did loos the buff orphington over the summer, not sure what happend, she was fine one day, listless the next and gone the next...
and we lost an americuana when dad locked them in one night and she got stuck outside, she managed to break her neck in a panic, not sure if she just spooked or if something tired to get her, but it was very obviously a broken neck...
otherwise the girls are realy healthy.

this is however their second winter and they are officially on strike, havent aid in about 3 weeks and ive told mum not to worry untill spring lol.
theres o suplimental light in the coop and the days are getting short...what ya expect.

i DO plan to order from healthychicksandmore.com again...

 

[MorelCabin]

Barred rocks have been my best layers out of all the dual purpose breeds I have tried. they also have a good egg to feed ratio. Buff orps eat far too much if you have to rely on feeding them during winter...and I found that most of the large breeds were like that.

 

[the funny farm6]

My best layer ever was an americana hen she was one of the first that we bought when we moved out here 5 yrs ago. We currently have barred rocks and buff orpingtons and 2 red hens. Love the blue americana eggs! Some of the breeds I am thinking about ordering (becouse they are pritty) and I know pritty is as pritty does! Are salmon faverolles, speckled sussex, large cochins, cuckoo marans, and 1-2 turkins. I won't order any that I can get local.

 

[Marianne]

My buff orps were sweet, but went broody often. The Barred Rock that someone gave me has held her own in laying even though she's got to be at least three years old now.
I had California whites that laid medium eggs, but a friend's CA whites laid jumbo eggs!

I like the Rhode Island reds, production reds, NH reds. All have been decent layers for me. But next time, I'm getting Barred Rocks. Big meaty, dual purpose birds just in case I have to butcher one.

I always get chicks from Orschelins or TSC...pay more for pullets, right? This last time, one in 5 was a roo. Another friend got her chicks from Meyer's, had no complaints.

 

[BarredBuff]

Australorps and Barred Rocks for sure. The jury is still out on the Buffs for me. But these are the homestead oriented breeds, IMO.

 

[pinkfox]

i find buffs nice if your looking for a good meaty/broody...they make GREAT mommas!

 

[CheerioLounge]

Honestly, I would stick with the sexed pullets from the feed store. Yes, the straight run chicks at a dollar apiece sounds great, but what happens when you spend $10 and get mostly roosters? I would go for 5 or so sexed pullets from the feed store, and have a pretty good bet they are pullets. And feed stores usually carry the popular breeds cause that what most people want due to their laying abilities.

x2

 

[cheepo]

agree with the sex link...not only do you know what sex you are getting when you get them but are good layers...though my black star lays dayly but just an average size egg...
would also say about the Australorps they do go brody...and make very good..moms...so that way you get good size eggs plus the potential brody quality you were after...