What attracts you to certain breeds?

[seeds]

hi. i have two Warrens(my first chickens)who we bought of a local farm to 'experience' keeping chickens,they are very friendly but one is very ill and has developed a tumour and the last one(we started of with three) died suddenly.I would not recommend this breed to be desease resistant but they are good layers all the same.
We also have two Rhode Island Reds who lay an efficient amount but can over-eat as we have found out.We have a light sussex who is the sweetest thing(one of my favourites)who is the best layer by far(we can tell because she lays wonderfull white eggs) finally we have a barred plymouth rock and a lavander auracona,who doesn't lay well at all but is beutiful all the same.We are hoping to extend and invest in a few black rocks(we have heard that they are excellent in laying eggs)

so for me it is definatley the eggs that makes my mind up xxx

[bluemoon]

Such a shame about your Warrens, Seeds. I think they are bred for battery cages and I doubt that anyone has ever really considered disease resistance in their breeding programmes as they are not intended to live longer than 74 weeks. I know lots of people do have Warrens and ex-batts and they are fine, but I think keeping them in 'normal' conditions is something which has only happened recently, let's hope the hatcheries start considering their that their birds might have lives which extend beyond this and breed accordingly. A farmer I know prices his hybrids by how long their lifespan is expected to be, so Warrens are considerably cheaper than Bluebelles which are his most expensive, not a nice way to think about it, but at least he's honest.

As for the Rhodies overeating, you should see mine when one finds a tasty morsel, it's all out war!

[seeds]

Thankyou Bluemoon, yes i agree even though we wouldn't buy that breed again(unless we rescued some ex-batts)they were good for our first ever chickens and they are very friendly They are the top of the pecking order at the minute

xxx

[julesapple]

I don't particularly like white chickens of any breed. Don't know why, but it probably stems from childhood and seeing what I assume were light Sussex or white leghorns apparently permanently covered in mud.

I've never been very keen on white chooks either. However, last Sunday we went on one of our many visits to the Devonshire Traditional Breeds Centre. They've had a sort out and are selling this years breeding chooks and now have pens full of perfect young chooks to breed from next year.

In one of the pens was the cutest white chook I've ever seen. It was a Cream Legbar but white all over even down to her 'hat'. I have no idea what it's actually called as a breed but I loved it. I want one very badly....

Jules

[di]

I'm not keen on totally white ones either,they always look quite vicious to me...especially the cocks.
I could be swayed by Leghorns though!

[Bramble-Poultry]

the white stars i picked up from morda sale are ok actually. look worse than they are, but my god they are flighty. you have to be careful letting them range otherwise they take off at the slightest noise!

[julesapple]

Next time....

...Next time we're at the DTBC I'll take the camera and get a piccie. Wished I'd thought about that last time.

Jules

[Maddie106]

No, no, no, no, no, no, noooooooooooooo. Do NOT say that Rhodie Cockerels are nasty, I'm getting one on Saturday to keep my Rhodie girls in line! He's only young, is there a chance that by being well handled he'll be OK? It's one of Waldanzig's, it turns out we live within walking distance of each other. In fact if I listen closely I could probably hear him crowing (the cockerel that is, not Waldanzig). I did hear that Rhodie hens could be a bit neurotic, but we've had ours since they were 8 weeks and they are beautifully calm. The cockerel is about 12 weeks I think. Another thing is, what would be the best way to introduce them? The girls are about 24 weeks now and I've introduced young girls to older boys, but never the other way around.

I hope your boy behaves..... We had a Rhodie Cockerel years ago when my girls were younger and he was SO nasty that we re-named him "Dracula"!! The kids refused to collect eggs from the run he was in and even I had to trap him under a plastic dusbin when I cleaned out the run!!
We had a Wellsummer boy in the other run, who was both handsome and gentle and took corn from the girls' hands.
Perhaps Dracula was just jealous??

[Gro-Bag]

I've never given it anywhere near enough thought!! First time around, many many years ago I was asked if I'd take 'a few' hens in desperate need due to an eviction. I said, errm, OK...cleared out a shed, and 13, yes 13 black leghorn crosses arrived that afternoon!!! A couple of years later someone asked would I take 6 rhodies and a cockerel, and again I said errm, OK... I lived rurally and they were very, very free range - (would regularly escape from the garden, and go for little strolls in the neighbouring field). I was find of George (Rhodie cockerel) - but he was a bit scary.

This time around I have a much smaller outdoor space and didn't think it would be enough for hens, although I liked the idea of rehoming ex-batts. But in June I rescued a baby bluetit that fell out of its nest, and was ridiculously grief -stricken when it died. A friend just happened to have a huge rabbit hutch with built-in run going, so I grabbed it, set it up on the patio, went out to buy three or four bantams and found myself instead saying yes to three rather expensive cream legbar pullets, because I liked their hair-dos.

They are lovely girls and I have had not a moment's regret (or as yet a single egg, lol). They spend a lot of time free-ranging on the patio, which is safe and secure, and is a real adventure playground for them, with lots of nooks and crannies to explore, and plant-pots to jump on and off. They seem very happy. These ones are definitely pets, and I already know them better, and know more about them, than I did last time around. Still lots to learn though - which is why I love this forum! I think next time I'll bear the cuddliness factor in mind and take my time researching and choosing a docile breed (and then probably come home with something completely different )

[Birdie Wife]

I really like hens that are just one colour - and I'm a sucker for a beetle-green shine too, so although I try to come home from auction with some interesting coloured birds, usually I come home with something black! Would really like something red or blue next time though.

[Maddie106]

I'm afraid that I picked the 3 ladies who now live in the back garden for their looks!
They are all hybrids....Samie has black rock in her and is a very handsome girl, but is a "flity git"! ( I had black rocks before and found them highly strung)
Debbie is a light sussex hybrid....really sweet, but always looks grubby!
I think Melanie is a "Bluestar" hybrid...a really pretty grey chicken, with a sweet personality.

In the past I had "speckledy" hens, which were a Marran cross..........they were lovely friendly girls, who laid fantastic brown eggs.
As regardes cockerills, we had a Wellsummer boy called Sam who was MAGNIFICENT....he was really handsome and also very friendly too.

Then there was the Rhodie boy, who used to fly up at us feet first, as if he was in a cock-fight!
What an evil sod HE was.....my kids named him "Dracula" and refused pont blank to go into his run to earn their spending money.I had to put a platic dustbin over him when I cleaned out the hut.

[bluemoon]

I'm really not happy about these tales of evil Rhodies! We've started allowing Sir Samuel to free range with the Rhodie girls to allow them to get to know one another, they chased him back into his run the first two or three times, but they've started to tolerate him now. The night before last I was watching Dotsie attempt to pull up a worm in classic blackbird fashion when he flew at me. It definitely meant 'Oi you lookin' at my bird?'

[Pumpkin Becki]

I forgot to say why I wanted Orpies in my other post.

1) they are docile
2) due to their size, they tend not to be flighty
3) the books say they can easily be bullied by other breeds in a mixed flock - how cute is that!
4) when the hens bend over to peck the ground, they look like CanCan dancers flicking their skirts up.

[Bramble-Poultry]

And they are soo pretty too becki

[Pumpkin Becki]

And they are soo pretty too becki

Oh I know! I want them, I want them, I want them! I'm just going to have to be patient for another year.