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Barnyard Buddies:  What kind of chicken?  |
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Rosenwalt
True Blue Farmgirl
77 Posts
Rose Marie
NY
77 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 03 2007 : 4:38:50 PM
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If you have the time, I'd love to cluck about what breed of chicken you have, if you like or dislike them etc.
We are going to get broilers (prob a Cornish cross or White Hubbard) but I would also like maybe Araucanas, Ameraucanas, or Sebrights. I will probably just have a few but I would like maybe one nice, friendly-type of rooster. And anyone know about the Wyandottes?
Thankee, thankee,
Rose Marie,
Central New York
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2007 : 5:54:18 PM
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My nicest friendliest roosters have been Barred Rocks. Rhode Island reds are nice too. My rooster now is a bantam cochin..not the friendliest, but not mean..and that is a plus.
I want to get some araucanas again this year. I used to always have them and now havn't for the past few years. I have a very mixed flock of all bantams.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Carolinagirl
True Blue Farmgirl
486 Posts
Kim
Rutherfordton
NC
USA
486 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2007 : 6:02:12 PM
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I have two kinds- black australorps and red stars. Both are tremendous layers- even in winter, I'm getting three eggs a day from four birds. The australorps are wonderful, big, fat birds. They are marvelous to watch when they are walking. The red stars seem more people-friendly- we can pick those up and carry them around (not sure WHY we do that... maybe just because it's neat to hold a chicken :) )
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Edited by - Carolinagirl on Mar 03 2007 6:03:54 PM |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
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Love-in-a-Mist
True Blue Farmgirl
367 Posts
Shannon
Independence
Oregon
USA
367 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2007 : 7:36:56 PM
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My batch of Araucauna roosters from Murray McMurray last year were really mean. One by one we had to butcher them for attacking the kids. I have a mix breed bantam rooster that I got from the humane society. He has been the best so far. He was full grown when I got him and we've had him for 5 years now. I bet if you handled them from the beginning you would have a better chance of having a nice one. Otherwise I seem to just get lucky or unlucky with different roosters. I like my aracauna hens, specially the Easter eggs and sebrights. My favorites are my silkies though. I haven't had any silkie rooster problems, yet.
Farmgirl and mother of 2
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - Mar 04 2007 : 06:16:28 AM
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Hi! I don't have chickens myself right now, but a good friend of mine has a breed called "Buff Orpington". They are a British heirloom breed if I'm not mistaken. They are WONDERFUL. They are cold hardy, decent layers, and just the friendliest girls I've ever met. Until I get my own, I like to go visit them!
Jennifer |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4279 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4279 Posts |
Posted - Mar 04 2007 : 09:15:08 AM
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| I get what is called Blacks or Browns from my feed store. They lay brown eggs. Don't really know what they are, but they do keep laying well. I have also gotten broilers for butcher too. But I wonder about them, are they a "real chicken", that repoduces the natural way? Or are they a hybred? I think they are cornish, but don't remember for sure. |
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Alaska farm girl
True Blue Farmgirl
123 Posts
dorothy
skagway
Alaska
USA
123 Posts |
Posted - Mar 04 2007 : 09:30:08 AM
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My favorite were Barred Plymouth Rocks.They were gentle for the kids,great layers\meat birds.They are also a Heritage Breed.They were quite large for a 4 year old to scoop up!
Also have read that Buff Orpingtons are gentle and great layers.If you want a broody hen,Bantys are best,but mean! |
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LadyCrystal
True Blue Farmgirl
593 Posts
Alicia
Rhode Island
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - Mar 04 2007 : 10:10:12 AM
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There is a cute website called www.mypetchicken.com it has a little quiz that will tell you what chicken breed would be good for you. Plus you can check out each breed by name if you want. They were at one of the shows I attended and took pictures of many peoples birds. My dark Cornish Bantam hen is the one shown on there site. Check it out if you would like.
ALicia
http://fromcitytocountrygirl.blogspot.com/
follow your dreams |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Mar 04 2007 : 12:13:45 PM
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My daughter and I have several different breeds, but the ones I like the most are Rhode Islands for laying, the Dorkings for friendliness (especially pullets when raised from chicks) and our bantam New Hampshire roo is a nice guy too. NH is a heritage breed. They are beautiful. I don't know how the standard breeds temperment would be though. Our Delaware roo was nasty and always pulled the tail feathers out of the hens. Nothing uglier than a hen with no tail feathers.
We also have a Wyndotte and 2 blue Cochins. They are not bad either.
I've also heard the Sussex breed is good tempered.
Enjoy your hunt. There's lots of beautiful breeds to choose from. |
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jennyhen
Farmgirl at Heart
7 Posts
CT
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2007 : 12:23:34 PM
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Hi,
I have Barred rocks, Buff Orpingtons, and Salmon faverolles. I love them all but the Salmon Faverolles are by far the sweetest! The Barred rocks are really tough and love the cold and snow of New England and are always the first ones out in the winter. I don't have a Barred rock rooster but that's next on my list. Jenny |
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simpler1773
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Ricki
Ashland
Wisconsin
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2007 : 7:52:40 PM
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I have Buff Orpingtons and they are pretty friendly. I never handle them much but when they go out in the snow and decide they don't want to walk back to the coop in it, they don't mind a ride from "Mom" (me) :) The rooster has been put in his place a couple of times by my hubby and is pretty good now ~ I just never turn my back on any rooster.
~Ricki~
You can't pour anything out of an empty vessel, take care of yourself! |
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UrbanChick
True Blue Farmgirl
331 Posts
Ayako
Atlanta
GA
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Mar 06 2007 : 04:04:11 AM
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I have Araucanas and Buff Orpingtons. I like my Araucanas the best. They have the most attitude and personality. My buffs are all about food so if you have the feed bucket they will follow you around the yard. The araucanas wait till you sit still and feed it to them. Those are the only two breeds that have survived the raccoon attack from last year. I had some silkie chicks but they attacked at 20 weeks old so I never did get to see what they were like. My DH didn't like them, he said silkies were ugly. I like the way they looked but I guess you just love them more if you hatched them yourself. I'm waiting till my flock gets smaller before I add another breed. I don't want my coop to have more than 6 chickens at a time in it.
"Courage dosen't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying: I will try again tomorrow." |
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Tracey
True Blue Farmgirl
766 Posts
Tracey
State of Confusion
USA
766 Posts |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Mar 06 2007 : 10:37:50 AM
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We have had a collaberation of chickens and love them all. Currently we have a Buff Orpington Rooster (huge but sweet, my son carries him around like a poodle), 3 BO hens, 3 Buff Brahama hens, 2 bantie hens, 2 California White hens, and 1 homeraised Sexlink/Brahamas. All of ours have been hand raised and very friendly. The only problem I have had is on a few occasions, I have gotten a straight run of chicks that are mostly roosters and when they start feeling frisky they tear my hens up. Then it is time to butcher.
Trina
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Of all the things I have created, my children are the best. |
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Buttercup
True Blue Farmgirl
1433 Posts
Talitha
Vermont
USA
1433 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2007 : 9:11:09 PM
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Trina,
I would like to know about your Brahmas. My Dh likes the way they look and thinks that may be the breed he wants but I would like to know about their personality. Anything you can tell me I would appriciate!
For eveyone else... My DH wants a BIG rooster that is friendly/sweet with multi colors and long curled tail feathers. I took the test that Alicia posted (thank you Alicia!!) and it gave me a few breeds, but am having trouble finding pictures of all the color variations so am not sure which one would best fit the bill...any sugestions? He loved the coloration of the silver-gray dorking, but didnt like their short legs ( he wants something that looks big and majestic I guess). He liked the light Brahmas but was hoping for colors and I found a picture of a flock of brahmas and one was full of colors but dont know which color it is considered to be. The Wheaten Ameraucana looks full of color but couldn't find a good picture. Do any of you know of a good color book on chickens that showcases all the breeds and their color variations? (am off to search amazon) Or know of a website that has good pictures of all the color variations of each breed? Or do you just know the perfect chicken breed that will be the perfect rooster for my DH?
For me; What is the best book you found about chickens both for identification and all I need to know as a beginer? And it sounds like I can mix as many breeds of hens together in the same coop as I want? If so should they all be the same age? Or how do you add/introduce new hens into the hen house without it getting pecked to death or picked on? As I plan my coop any things I should make sure to have/add (other then the norm, roosting boxes, roosting rods, heating source, feeder, waterer)? Anything you thought was optional that you really wish you added? what surfaces do you find the easiest to clean and disinfect? What bedding sufaces do you wish you could or do you avoid? Any special features you have seen/have/heard of that would make my coop a better place for my gals? Any help would be wonderful! Thank you all for your help!!
Hugz to All!
Talitha
PS sorry for ALL the questions, just have SO much to learn and now might need to know it faster then I thought!
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2007 : 10:35:03 PM
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I recently saw some mille fluer de'uccles(sp?) at a livestock show..pretty little bantams... and saw some buff orpingtons, they were really pretty too.
growing up we had white leghorns...the hens really could lay some large eggs, oftentimes we wound up with large double yolked eggs. almost twice the size as a store bought "large" egg.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
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Barnyard Buddies: What kind of chicken? |
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What kind of chicken?
