What kind of chickens do you have...

[equusvilla]

..and why did you pick that specific kind? ...or did you just buy what the local feed store was selling? How many do you have? How many eggs do you get? Do different breeds have different personalities? ..and anything else you can add. I have a tendacy to lean towards strange and interesting animals for our farm, but am still learning about chickens.

[Vandy]

I have two Dominiques, a red Barred Rock and 2 white Barred Rocks. I bought them on the recommendation of the feed store owner, as they were my first chickens, and my research consisted pretty much of, "Oh these chicks are SOOOO cute and I want fresh eggs!" They were all raised together, and while all are friendly, the red Barred Rocks are by far the friendliest of my chickens (I had two but one died a few months ago); the Dominiques are the most skittish of the group. The Barred Rocks are also the better layers. I had heard that one egg per day is average, but my hens' record was 14 eggs in one day from 6 hens(!) On average though, I get about 6-10 per day in the warmer months and 2-4 per day when it's colder. My egg count has remained pretty consistent since I lost one hen, so I'm guessing she hadn't been laying in a while - hard to keep track when they all roost together. Some days there are no eggs at all...there doesn't seem to be a lot of rhyme and reason in my flock re: egg production. FWIW, my red Barred Rocks were actually labeled "Production Reds" and were apparently bred to produce lots of eggs, at least that's what the guy selling them said ;)

When my hen "Rosso" was sick, I took her to the vet, who ended up euthing her. He sees a lot of birds and has kept chickens his whole life, and says that the Barred Rocks are the most people-friendly in his experience.

[TooManyChickens]

I ordered the ornamental layer collection from McMurray Hatchery early last spring... lovely fun assortment! It was all pullets, so I didn't have to worry about having any roosters in there. With a 'Straight Run' order, there will be males mixed in. Our local feed store sells Sex Links and White Leghorns usually. Those 2 breeds are very prolific layers. Feed stores usually carry them (depending on your location) in April or May. If you want unique breeds however, I suggest ordering from one of the big hatcheries, or visiting a 'Chicken Swap Meet' in your area. You can usually purchase started pullets there (anywhere from chicks to layers). A 3-5 month old pullet will usually run around $8-10.

I find that different breeds definitely have different personalities. I have a few cochins, and they are so sweet. I also have a white Langshan, who follows me everywhere! More flighty breeds include the leghorns.. but they will definitely lay! Wyandottes are lovely. A good hen will give you 2 eggs every 3 days. I have 16 right now, and on good days they give me about 5-7 eggs (I have a few breeds in there that don't lay quite as well as the others, but I love em!) For eye appeal and laying, I suggest Barred (Plymouth) Rocks, Araucanas/Americanas (lay the tinted eggs.. mine lay green ones!), Cuckoo Marans (lay the dark brown eggs) Salmon Faverolles (pink eggs!); not as pretty but good layers are the leghorns, RIReds, Sex Links. If you really want unique, get some frizzles or some Polish crested!

Check out:
www.backyardchickens.com
www.mcmurrayhatchery.com
www.mypetchicken.com

[Cielo Azure]

Love the buffs (sex linked females) bought from the feed store. I have gotten them again and again. They are a white leghorn and RI red mix. Great layers, brown eggs and mellow personalities.

I have cookoo marans. Kind of shy. Nice dark egg. Not great layers.

[arnika]

I've had Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire Reds, Buff Orpingtons and Australorps. The Buffs(golden colored) and the Australorps(shiny black) were the most gentle, even tempered and best setters(would hatch their own eggs). Definitely best around children and got along with all the other birds and animals on the farm. Heavy breeds that were good for egg production and also meat.

The other breeds would have an occasional one or two that were friendly but that was not the usual temperament. McMurray is a good hatchery but depending on where you live, you might have a local feed or livestock store that will have them for sale or special order them for you. Good luck, they are lots of fun!

[TheBandit]

I have Barred Rocks, Red Sex Link and 2 banties. I raised the barred rocks from day olds. They are my favourites. I got the Reds for replacement layers as ready to lay. The Reds are incredibly stupid!

[unbridledoaks]

I show chickens along with my horses. We have quite the flock of birds that we just enjoy!!!

We have the Polish as pets. My Rooster, Travis Barker is probably my favorite rooster that we own. He walks are a leash and enjoys the shows. He KNOWS he is something special! LOL!

Here he is this winter: http://www.wishbroke.com/images/travis_Barker_winter_09.jpg

He is a Grand Champion and has won Reserve Best in Show his only outing of last year.


Silver Spangled Hamburgs are one of the two breeds that we do breed. They are amazing birds, I LOVE them! Attached is a picture of our prized hen, Zee Zee, she has won Best In Show and we hope to have a few chicks from her this spring.

Zee Zee: http://www.wishbroke.com/jpgs/zeezee08.jpg



Then here is my pity buy I call him :D This is Napolean, who is a Mille Fleur d'uccles Rooster. I just love him! He runs around with our Buff Orpington Hens (Who are amazing egg producers). He will be shown this coming up show season.

Napolean - http://www.wishbroke.com/jpgs/littleman08.jpg



Then this is the other breed that we breed and show, the Black-tailed White Japanese Bantams. This is Tommy chilling in the barn office the other day. I bought him this winter from the local feed store. His comb was damaged from the cold, so he isn't going to be shown, but has all the other qualities we look for. He is so fun, and has such an attitude.... OMG!


Tommy - http://www.wishbroke.com/images/IMG_1289.jpg

[tikidoc]

We have a bunch. The first batch were from Murray McMurray, the second from Sand Hill Preservation. All straight run.

Batch 1:

Buff Orpingtons - hens are very sweet, lay big brown eggs. They are lap chickens. The roos (now in the freezer) not too aggressive, decent sized. My favorites.

Delawares - More lap chickens, they are very sweet. Kids can pick them up and they tolerate just about anything. Similar personality to Orps above. Huge brown eggs. Roos were fairly aggressive when mature, we were glad to see them go.

Easter eggers (advertised as Aracuanas, but unless you get them from a breeder they are not) - Outgoing, sweet hens. Colorful blue and green eggs, decent producers. The roos were the worst, aggressive and mean. Hens look sort of like little hawks. Very verbal, thye are the ones hopping up and down yelling at me to feed them when I walk in their house.

Buff Brahmas - Feathered legs, pretty birds. Kind of shy but quiet and easy to handle. Have only had hens. When I give treats, they all stand behind me and pull on my clothes as if to say "Mom, we're behind you, don't forget to give us treats." It's pretty funny.

Black crested golden Polish - Got them for comedic value, they are funny looking with their big crests. Don't produce a lot of eggs but they are very sweet. Initially quite shy. Small.

Batch 2. Hens got old enough to lay eggs in early winter, so not too sure about egg laying from these:

Black Jersey Giants - HUGE and still growing at about 6 months of age. We got mostly roos, they are shy but mellow and non-aggressive. But they are not fully mature yet. The one hen is also shy but mellow. HUGE birds.

Blue Cochin - We have one roo and one ??? (I think it's a small roo, DH calls it gender confused). Another feathered leg breed. Fairly mellow, not super friendly but doesn't avoid people either.

Silver grey Dorkings - we have several roos and one hen. Fairly shy, roos aggressive to other roos but not at all to people.

"Black crested blue Polish" - that's what they were billed as but we ended up with two solid black roos, a blue crested blue hen, and a splash hen. See other Polish above.

Rhode Island reds - Fairly mellow, not super friendly but not aggressive. Males tend to avoid us, hens vary from pretty friendly to very shy.

Batch 3, got adults from neighbors. Probably did not get much attention as babies, so shyness may be more a function of treatment than genetics. All hens.

Light Brahmas - we have 2, one is friendly, one avoids us. Decent layers of brown eggs.

Cuckoo Marans - most pretty shy. Lay lots and lots of huge, very dark eggs. We had one egg that was over 3 oz. Lay well even in winter.

[TikiSoo]

I wanna see unbridledoak's rooster on a leash!:lol:

I had White Leghorns & Barred Rocks. The Leghorns were bigger, more agressive and more prolific layers. The Rocks were sweeter, dumber (meaning more easily caught) and still gave us at least an egg a day, PLENTY.
I also kept ducks as pets. They gave me big gloppy eggs that I'd bake with or throw at noisy cars.
My MIL had Bantys as pets, and although cute, were a waste of time for eggs.

[NancyM]

Have had grey barred rock hens, and rhode island reds, and arucanas, good layers, not much trouble, and like to help in the garden if possible. Have had the occasional leghorn, they are a bit more hysterical. Had a cornish giant once, fell off a horrible chicken truck going down the road to the slaugher house, and came to live with us instead, recouperated from injuries, and gave LARGE eggs with crappy thin shells. That one died early, heart attack I think. Roosters are always jerks, it is part of their job description, doesn't matter the breed. All female grey barred rocks are called "Dorothy", due to one that was in the chicken house one day when a big wind came up, years ago. It was just like the Wizard of Oz. I like to have a couple of crossbred bantam hens too, to hatch out eggs for me as required. When one goes broody, I put the big chicken's eggs under her, but they usually manage to sneak a few of their own in there as well. They are so maternal, great mothers, better than the purebred egglaying breeds. They don't lose interest in brooding partway through, or eat their young. Haven't had chickens for a few years now, but the new henhouse is going under construction in the spring at our new farm. I have a nice sunny spot picked out for it and a big sheltered area outside for scavenging.

[ponygirl]

I have:

1 silver gray dorking
1 buff laced polish
1 golden laced polish
1 white crested black polish
1 blue cochin
1 ameracauna
1 australorp
1 birchen cochin bantam

All hens. I had 1 mille fleur roo who was just gorgeous but he was rehomed due to attacking little kids. He's a happy roo with his new harem of women.

[*JumpIt*]

I've had almost every breed of poultry available but since I'll be going to school next year I've been selling off and getting down to a little over a dozen chickens now. I have too coops, my Buff Orpingtons (and the three Easter Eggers) and my Seramas (and the one cochin and silkie).

I used breed but I am not doing any of that right now, too hard to find rooster homes and not enough room for more.

I love my Seramas chock full of personality and the smallest breed ever. My Buff orpingtons are excellent layers and settersand can handle our winters no problem. The seramas come inside for the winter.

[BEARCAT]

I have been thinking of getting a few chickens (for eggs), but am wondering what temperature they can put up with - as in how cold can it get...

[wateryglen]

We were advised to get RedStar Sexlinks. Males/females are different colors so you can tell them apart as chicks. They are good natured, cold resistant and known as good layers. 12 hens laying 10-12 eggs/day right now at 6 mos. of age. Dark brown thick shelled delicious eggs. Roosters rarely fight but they're free ranging around the yard. Absoloutely hilarious & entertaining. Most have been tamed and 1 is quickly becoming a pet.
So far so good!

[Vandy]

I have been thinking of getting a few chickens (for eggs), but am wondering what temperature they can put up with - as in how cold can it get...
Not sure what part of CO you are in, but it gets pretty cold here (single digits) and my chickens have done fine without any heat lamps, even laying through the winters. I do know that some breeds are better suited to cold climates than others, but don't know enough to tell you which - but I'd assume the people at your local feed store that carries chickens could advise you...and you could always diaper them and bring them in the house if it's really cold out ;)

[092556]

My Brother supports 2 dozen + chickens for his daughter's (my niece) egg business. They live in Montana where the temperature were down to -18 degrees, I asked how the chickens were doing? He said their house was like Miami Beach with heat lamps. I think they are Rhodes Island Reds? It cost my brother $30 a month so my niece can make $10 a month, but it was well worth it, it teaches her responsibility. My niece has a pet chicken that comes in the house and watches TV with her. I don't have any chicken, maybe this spring?

[3mares]

We have two Golden Comets - awesome girls - they are so friendly - love to jump in people's cars, will try to come in the house etc - very nice layers
we also have two buff cochins and 1 black cochin (had another but there was an oppposum incident : ( ) The cochins are sweet too - but a little more shy.

[winter]

I love chickens. I went on a crazed chicken acquiring rampage last year and ordered a batch from Murray McMurray. They are the most beautifull chickens ever.
I researched which breeds would be hardiest for cold weather since it gets very cold here in the winter (-40 celcius). I planned on having the chickens in an insulated coop with no heat lamp but due to my yard situation, I sent some of the chickens to live with friends. One of which put them under heat in the cold spell and one who didn't. Both seemed fine but who knows, they can't talk. Both groups laid less through the cold spell. You have to make sure their water doesn't freeze by changing it or giving them a heated dish.

The breeds I got were easter eggers, speckled sussex, buff rocks, salmon favorelles and light brahma. They are all heavy breeds. Do not get lighter breeds for cold weather, they won't do well. The brahma is fabulous, the sussex lay well and are very attractive birds, the Favorelles are hilarious but very skittish, the easter eggers are nice too. The rock is a big bird who is very pretty.

[poltroon]

We have bantam buff brahmas for my daughter's 4H project. We like them.

Here is a great resource for comparing chicken breeds:
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Also, if you want a book of chicken breeds with pictures, The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9036615925/cognitivity-20) is your book.

[chestnutmarebeware]

Bearded Silkies, Barbu D'Anvers, White Crested Black Polish, Red Pyle Old English Game, Cochin bantams, White-faced Black Spanish, Seramas, Japanese bantams, Mottled Houdans and Salmon Faverolles. Plus Bourbon Red turkeys and Royal Palm turkeys.

I got very good money selling the chicks!

[JSwan]

I have

Americaunas - (I agree with Tiki - the rooster we got was a homicidal maniac - he killed one of my hens!) EVIL roosters. (he's in the freezer)

Naked Necks - Excellent layers. Ok meat bird. My hens are really sweet and they talk to me.

Black Australorp - Excellent layers, fantastic meat bird. Harder to pluck. Very sweet natured, even the roosters.

RHR - was supposed to be Speckled Sussex but the order got screwed up. They all went in the freezer except for one rooster - Chucky. He's evil too but he takes excellent care of my girls.

My next batch is going to include Buff Orpingtons, Cuckoo Marans, Salmon Favorelles, and oh my I just can't decide there are so many!!!! :lol:

Really enjoying having home raised chickens for dinner. None have been tough at all.

[Hanosaurus]

I have:

Three silkies - one white roo, one white hen and one black hen
several Ameraucanas (blue egg layers)
Three Easter eggers (green eggs)
Two tufted/rumpless araucana roos
One clean faced tailed lavendar araucana hen

I had more than this but in the late fall a predator break in destroyed most of my nice blue egg laying araucanas. Also lost a really nice ameraucana pullet early winter thanks to a hawk attack :(.

BTW only have chickens for eggs and pets. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/Scstables/newsnowball.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/Scstables/araucanachicks001.jpg

[equusvilla]

I am learning so much....sigh - maybe next year we can get a nice size coop made.

Anyone have any cute or funny chicken stories?

[SmartAlex]

Lots. In one batch of chicks, I not only got a chick that never grew up.... she was still chick sized and fluffy when she died at 18 weeks, but I got an Americauna who laid giant egg-within-an-egg eggs. http://www.poultryhelp.com/oddeggs.html (scroll halfway down) My husband was looking all over the coop for the dead chicken when he started finding those eggs! Owie!

We got so much enjoyment out of our flocks. When my husband had a really bad day, I'd come home to find him sitting in the chicken coop feeding them spaghetti. They would even sit on his head.

He used to turn them out to graze, then herd them back in with a water hose if they wouldn't come. He even "grounded" one that was naughty and made her do time in the cat carrier for pecking other chickens. I never saw a more willfully naught bird in my life. You could see her deciding to do the opposite of what you wanted her to do. They are really very smart.

Oh, almost forgot. I've had a dozen different varieties, and my all time favorite is New Hampshire Red. I'm thinking the next batch I get might have to be Bantams though. I miss those.

[Rev]

I miss my Silkies. :(

They and their "cottage coop" sold with the farm back in the day (we'd upgraded to my current facility). FPF was a true "Gentleman's Farm" with fruit/nut, veggies, and eventually, the chooks in addition to the horses & temp board/layup biz. It didn't make sense to bring em to GW, which is a more straightforward Eq Facility.

Had I known how attached I'd actually become to them though, I would have brought them with anyway.

In my totally neophyte and ammy chicken owning opinion, the Bantie Silkies are da Bomb. Sweet, snuggly and soft--and wonderful mommas.
Ajax, the delivered by the friend who got him from the mother of the suburban children who roosternapped him from the "mean old man who said he'd eat him" and refused to divulge details rooster that started it all was such a character--he & I got along swimmingly, but he never missed an opportunity to terrorize my then DH (now NSDE) a tall strapping man.

I'd gifted on some of my silkie chicks to small acreage friends--all are hooked on the Silkies, too.

The eggs are smaller, but tasty and in their prime the hens are pretty consistent layers. Youd be hard pressed to get a Mcnugget out of an adult Silkie. But, if you're not needing an omlette to roaster type bird, but more of a manageable addition to a farmette (with bennies) check into the Bantie Silkies.

Heck--I may have just talked myself back into Silkie Chickenhood. ;)

[unbridledoaks]

:D I will get one for you in a few days of him on a leash. :D Just recovering from my baby boy being born.

I have LOADS of Chicken stories. They are quite entertaining. They say that people with chickens tend to live longer. I think it's because they make us laugh, A LOT!

I love the Bantams. They are probably my favorite to watch. Both my little roosters have this thing were they think they can fight anyone and anything, including the ponies. I am soooooo glad that our ponies are use to them. The ponies will be eating, and if they get to close to the rooster, the try to fight them. The ponies just toss their heads and walk away. I'm like OMG, you are so lucky that the pony didn't just strike you! Then my Polish Rooster can't see very well at all, so they take after him, cheap shot him I call it. He will be eating and they will just broadside him, and he doesn't see it coming. So he is all looking around for who hit him, they just stay behind him until he goes to eat again and hit him again.

Don't get me started on the hens. The ladies have chicken-tude, that's for sure. If they don't get what they want, I swear they go on strike and I hear them complain all the time about it. They are so funny!

[equusvilla]

I have:


BTW only have chickens for eggs and pets. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/Scstables/newsnowball.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/Scstables/araucanachicks001.jpg

Umm - everything on our farm is a pet. My husband is the one who tried to get a mouse off of a stickey trap with my best spatula!!!!

[BeckyB]

I have Brahmas,Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps
They are all very friendly
Large brown egg layers,quiet dispositions
excellent winter layers and great setters and mothers
They are very gentle and easy to handle

[equineartworks]

We have Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, Dominique's, Barred Rocks and White Silkies. All are excellent layers but the Silkies....oh the Silkies. Those little wee birds are just the sweetest darn things ever. Simply enjoyable birds to have.

I have pics posted on my blog of some of them :)

http://farmatnanticokecreek.com/?p=1053

[Amwrider]

Umm - everything on our farm is a pet. My husband is the one who tried to get a mouse off of a stickey trap with my best spatula!!!!

Awww...does he have a single brother? LOL

Reminds me of a story, over the summer I was working on a project and was using masking tape. I left a wadded up discarded piece sitting on a saw-horse. A couple of days later, I went out to pick up the stuff and there was a little lizard stuck to the hot, sticky tape. It took me 20 minutes to pry the little thing off. His belly, tail, neck and lower jaw were all stuck down.

Regarding chickens...I had a couple of silkie hens many years ago that I adored. Over the summer I bought a coachin frizzle bantam from the feed store and kept her as a pet, her name was Nugget. My landlord was not happy and as soon as she was big enough to not squeeze between the bars of a wire dog kennel, she ended up with a home in my back yard.

I would let her out to scratch and peck when I did my yardwork and cleaned the pool and such. Back in October though, I left the yard to head over to the barn to take care of a customer's needs and in the few minutes I was away a hawk got her. The hawk flew off as I went back into the yard.

I think my next chicken will be the itty bitty Malaysian Serama bantams. Someone has eggs on my local Craigslist but I don't want to deal with incubating them.

[Bluey]

We just had egg laying chickens, plain Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns.
We tried to keep gineas around, but the wildlife kept thinning them out for us.

Those two breeds get along well, there is hardly any pecking on each other, even if you crowded them and they very consistently lay eggs most of the year.
They are very tame and do well confined to a chicken house and yard, are not roamers or high roosters, which here is a death wish.
They also have enough meat to make good friers.;)

[MSP]

I have 10 Wyandottes, 5 gold lace and 5 silver lace. I got them from My pet chicken because they will ship as little as 3 chicks for those that don't want the 25 the other hatcheries require for a min. purchase.

I am surprised more people don't have Wyandottes. They are cold hardy and I guess I will find out this summer how they handle the heat.

They are laying eggs with out any additional light source. The eggs range from a beige color to a light brown and are about the size of store eggs. They are fairly friendly and easy going but I did not get any boys so no idea what the roosters are like.

They are a pretty chicken and do very well free range. They have a hen house to spend the night in for safety but are out every day all day in my fenced in backyard. They haven't had any fights or injured each other so they seem pretty peaceful.

http://www.mypetchicken.com/Wyandotte-B6.aspx

Forgot to add on this link look to the left bottom and you will see a link to a tool that helps you select the right breed chicken. I had many that would suite my needs but got the Wyandottes because that was what the hatchery had ready to ship when I wanted my chicks delivered. Other choices would have meant waiting longer than I wanted.

[chestnutmarebeware]

Here's the best picture I ever took of one of my Silkies and her chicks!

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p122/kmclaughlin21/?action=view&current=silkiehenandchicks.jpg

[Rev]

Ohhh. CMare....

That's it.
I give in. I am well and truely tempted....
Mark my words...come spring there will be SILKIES at GWS.

(actually, one side of the small barn will be perfect for a simple retrofit. complete with preexisting access in and out of a yard)....

Evil Evil temptresses...what have you done?
Anyone know a good local WWA source for silkies?

:D

[Carrera]

I've had a bit of everything. Unfortunately there aren't any hatcheries around here that offer a wide assortment of breeds. So I have a bunch of Shaver Reds from the Co-Op, an Amerucana banty hen, a pair of Campines and a Buff Orp roo. My buff boy is about 7 years old now and you can sure tell he rules the roost! I am thinking about importing some chicks from Murray McMurray...

[equineartworks]

Here's the best picture I ever took of one of my Silkies and her chicks!

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p122/kmclaughlin21/?action=view&current=silkiehenandchicks.jpg

I can't wait until my Silkie ladies have their chicks...SO CUTE!

I love my Silkies!

[chai]

Great thread! I'm going to print it out and save it for when I am ready to have chickens again.

When we moved to our farm in ME, the seller moved away and much to our surprise, left her chickens behind. We inherited a bunch of Rhode Island Reds, some Auracanas and a Black Sexlink. They were elderly and didn't lay eggs, but they were great company around the barn. The Black Sexlink followed me around like a puppy and she was great company.

A few years ago I was at our local feed co-op and I took home a chicken and a rooster that had been left on the loading dock, one in a birdcage and the other taped inside a waste basket. The rooster was the meanest thing I have ever met, and I think he may have been a fighting rooster from the way he would attack the broom, our cat, me...

[chestnutmarebeware]

I live to convert the unwary into Silkie fanatics! They're the best! :lol:

FWIW, I've found that the whites are the easiest (most prolific) to raise yourself. The blacks, blues, splash and grays seem to be the next easiest. I love the buffs, but I've found it almost impossible to get buff chicks from my own eggs. And most of the breeders I've talked to say the same thing.

Day-old chicks are amazing easy to send via the USPS, so if you find a reputable breeder you can always have some chicks mailed to you. (Sounds horrific, but I haven't had a mortality yet!) And the $30 styrofoam incubator from Tractor Supply works great and will help you expand your flock in the most fun way possible! :yes:

Here's a group shot of some of my "kids."

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p122/kmclaughlin21/?action=view&current=silkiechickens.jpg

[JSwan]

The rooster was the meanest thing I have ever met, and I think he may have been a fighting rooster from the way he would attack the broom, our cat, me...

I have his twin brother. He'd make one heck of a fighting cock.

Maybe I should set up a mirror in the coop and he can beat the crap out of himself and leave me alone for a change.

I've got two catalogs and simply can't decide which birds to buy. Maybe one of each!!!!!

[equusvilla]

Maybe I should set up a mirror in the coop and he can beat the crap out of himself and leave me alone for a change.



ROTFLMAO!!!!!! That made me chock on my drink I was laughing so hard!

[Rev]

Cmare--
Longtime Silkie lover & former owner (see my 1st post in thread). :)
But your pics pushed me off the fence I've been straddling regarding bringing some chooks "home to roost" once more.
Hadn't thought about the day-old ship option as previous hens were bought pre-lay age locally or hatched out by my own broodies.
Hmmmn....a USPS box full of fluffy insta-happy....Your ideas are intriguing. Please subscribe me to your newsletter, Temptress-Enabler. ;)
You can add time-bandit to your resume, CM, since now I think I HAVE to search out which legacy 'puter has our Silkie pics. lol.
Thanks!
Rev

edit to add: agree that the whites are the easy-keepers of the silkie world (and somehow stay pretty ad clean, to boot). Never had buffs, but loved the shading and fluff of my blues and the iridescence of my blacks.

[ponygirl]

I want a frizzled polish. That is what I covet. I have a friend with a frizzled bantam and he's gorgeous, though he's an evil little you know what. Very pretty though.

[TheBandit]

Both my little roosters have this thing were they think they can fight anyone and anything, including the ponies.

MY first Roo tried to pick a fight with my husky. He lost that battle.

[unbridledoaks]

Here's the best picture I ever took of one of my Silkies and her chicks!

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p122/kmclaughlin21/?action=view&current=silkiehenandchicks.jpg

I love, love this picture! How cute is that chick in her wing!!!

[PonyPile]

I have Rhode Island hens.
They are good pets, the kids have a blast with the hens, they hardy, take the cold well, great layers, will go broody if needed, great mothers, good pest control, not squaky, although the lead hen has a good vocab and has a repetious call if breakfast is late or the water is empty, or she wants to free-range.
They are good duals too, eat them or keep them for eggs.

[PonyPile]

I love, love this picture! How cute is that chick in her wing!!!

awww, thats cute!

I have a similar picture with my girls, adn one of all the babies sitting on mama hens back. They are the cutest little things.

[PhoenixFarm]

Ok chickken folk, looking for guidance. I'm getting ready to take the plunge in to poultry. I want to get six or so Wyandotte layers, and the raise some chickens and turkeys for meat. We'll be going thru mcmurray hatchery and they have a lot of good advice. Anyone have advice for a newbie? Dos and donts for coop design? Is there a market for chicks from the layers? Any turkey breed recomends? ( We like heritage or rare breeds). I read turkeys and chickens shouldn't be kept together? How far apart should they be kept? Adjoing runs ok? Anything else?

[Rev]

PhoenixF,
Suggest you "Cross the road" (oh ho ho! so punny am I!) and get aquainted with the fine feathered folks of backyardchicken dot com
They are to poultry what COTH is to horse.
Cheers
Rev

[unbridledoaks]

Ok chickken folk, looking for guidance. I'm getting ready to take the plunge in to poultry. I want to get six or so Wyandotte layers, and the raise some chickens and turkeys for meat. We'll be going thru mcmurray hatchery and they have a lot of good advice. Anyone have advice for a newbie? Dos and donts for coop design? Is there a market for chicks from the layers? Any turkey breed recomends? ( We like heritage or rare breeds). I read turkeys and chickens shouldn't be kept together? How far apart should they be kept? Adjoing runs ok? Anything else?

We are doing the heritage breeds for turkeys and they are wonderful! Do get them if you are looking into raising Turkeys for both breeding and eating. Don't go into the broad breasted bronze if you are looking into breeding. Them and the white turkeys can't breed.

Wyandottes are great for both eggs and meat. They may take a little longer to mature for meat, but they do weigh out pretty good. I had Golden laced wyandottes last year and they were good eggers and they weighed out to be 6 to 7 pounds.

[PhoenixFarm]

Thanks for the tips. Just an FYI the above web address should have a plural chicken in it, else you end up on a website educating you on how to go on a sex vacation in Vegas.

Ick.

Anyhoo, we're thinking of starting with the chickens to get broken in, and then go from there. When it comes to turkeys we're thinking Bouron reds. Any thoughts?

[deltawave]

So what do those of you who live in very cold and snowy climates DO with your chickens during the long winter months?

[columbus]

I have some questions. I have 12 very open acres with hawks flying the fields all the time. I am thinking some BIG chickens could live here...am I right or should I forgedaboudit. Also I THINK I could dine on my pets. How do you kill a chicken or is their a real life with chickens site that covers the nity grity too. Also I have constant posts in our area about people needing homes for roosters. Is this a problem as it sounds like many or you are living with tons of boys. PatO

[TheBandit]

So what do those of you who live in very cold and snowy climates DO with your chickens during the long winter months?

My chickens live in a pen in the barn over the winter. I don't use heat lamps. They will stop going outside on their own in late fall. That is when I shut them in the pen. Occasionally I let them out to roam in the barn during nice days.

[pj]

..and why did you pick that specific kind? ...or did you just buy what the local feed store was selling? How many do you have? How many eggs do you get? Do different breeds have different personalities? ..and anything else you can add. I have a tendacy to lean towards strange and interesting animals for our farm, but am still learning about chickens.
I haven't read the posts yet so probably these breeds have been covered but here is my experience.
Cochin Bantys, wonderful, sweet little chickens. Not going to set the world on fire laying but wonderful setters and Mothers.
We had Silver Spangled Hamburgs, wild as a bat and can actually fly a bit. Beautiful to look at. Decent layers.
Old English Bantams :eek::eek: Horrible horrible little chickens. My dh loves them and I hate them. They were forever killing each other's babies and one hen would kill one of her own if it was black! Odd thing...ALL of their eggs started disappearing so no more could be hatched. :D Now we only have one lonely old Old English. :D
We had one silver laced Wynadot bantam. Wonderful sweet and sometimes laid two eggs a day!!

[Auventera Two]

My three girls are a Black Sexlink, Partridge Rock, and a Aurocanna (spelling??) I chose them because they're dark colored, and small combed. We have very cold weather and hawks, so they were the best choice. This spring I want to pick up a few more of those same breeds, or similar at the spring small animal swap. My dear old Rhode Island Red hen died last year. She was such a sweet bird, very tame. I took her to the vet to be euthanized, and they were like - hu? She was around 10 years old.

[equusvilla]

Okay - I am confused about something. I read in one of my chicken publications that you should only have 1 kind of chicken - at least cooped together. They said that if they grow at different rates or different sizes - they will turn on each other..yet I see that many of you have several varieties. Did you raise them together - or???

[JSwan]

I raised mine together.

If you want to add chickens of different ages to an established flock that's a bit different.

[camohn]

I had Banties for a while. I got rid of them as they kept digging out from under the chicken coop, escaping, roosting in the barn and pooping all over the horses! They could fend for themselves though. The barn cats were actually afraid of them!
The humor of the chicken story is that those buggers could really reproduce. I had chickens everywhere and the barn cats or the foxes got not a one peep. Much to my neighbor's dismay....he was TRYING to raise free range chickens and the local fox got practically every one of em....while I was wishing he WOULD thin my population. One year the fox disappeared. I always suspected that neighbor or the Amish neighbor on the other side for his family's disappearance. I used to love watching the fox family running along the hay field.

[unbridledoaks]

We raised our together for awhile, until we started breeding them and raising them for show. They seemed to get along very well.

[Blue Yonder]

We raised ours together too, and they are a happy chicken family. :-) The (human) girls and their grandma and I got a bit out of control at the feed store a few years ago and bought "one of everything!" Americaunas, Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Red, Astrolarps, etc.. We have light and dark brown, white, and green eggs. Such fun!

The (chicken) girls sleep in a stall at night, and range freely during the day.

Our flock is almost 3 years old and continues to lay. We're back up to 5 eggs a day from 11 hens right now. Gotta love South Texas weather.

We're about to order new youngsters for fun, as the girls saw the "poodle chickens" in this thread and freaked out with the cuteness. www.idealpoultry.com is a great site to order from as well, in case anyone is interested.

[deltawave]

WHAT is a "black sexlink"? Sounds kind of kinky. :D I'm afraid to Google it. :p

[ponygirl]

lol-- here is a good site to see the different types everyone is talking about:
http://www.feathersite.com

I personally want a frizzle of any breed. Check this out:http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Friz/BRKFrizzles.html

A friend has frizzle bantam cochins. They are beautiful.