Different Breeds.

[di]

Right,this may be a silly or non workable idea,but following on from Wan's thread(and many that often prop up)I thought maybe it would be a good idea for us to post pics of our chooks,stating their breed and giving a brief description of what they're like....temperament,how well they lay.colour and size of eggs etc etc.
(a jolly good excuse for us to all to show of our Girls(and Boys)too)but also to create our own little library of breeds.

Sorry,I can't start it off as I don't have any up to date pics....I'll also understand if you all think it a silly Red Wine induced idea(I like to finish any started bottles on a Sunday)

[MaureenHall]

Good idea

First one is Alice, my Black Minorca (before I knew whether she was a boy or a girl ) She's quite docile and lays beautiful pure chalk white eggs 4 or 5 times a week. Pure black feathers with a greenish sheen, huge white ear lobes and a big floppy comb that makes her look as if she's wearing a french beret

Next is Basil and some of his laydeez. Basil was a feisty monster but made a delicious family dinner . These are Bluebelles, the girls are lovable and lay most days pinkish-brown eggs

Last is Rowan and some of his girls. I've only got Hebe left now (sold him and the others). She's a Welsummer that I hatched out this time last year. She was slow to come into lay, about 9 months old, but she lays really dark brown eggs (not as dark as a Marans though) most days. Hebe is standing just in front of Rowan, sorry you can't see her face

[Bramble-Poultry]

Ok so here we go -

we have a stunning Barbu D'Uccle cockerel, we have around 15-16 Barbu D'Uccle here, split up into three laying flocks so we can cross between to keep the bloodlines fresh. Lay around 100 eggs each year, quite small as bantam eggs go, usually very light brown, sometimes almost white egg

Barnevelder - Stunning bird, sadly we no longer have these at our house, but mum still has one of them in her garden

Black Cochin - Nik, Bok and Glory (say it fast enough to get my daughters joke) stunning huge irds, around 24" high with fathered legs. Gentle Giants
Normal sized egg, on the smaller end of the scale though, despite being a big bird. Around 150-200 eggs per year, better into the winter from our experience

Black Pekin - look just like the cochins, but only 8" high - little man complex sometimes! literally hundreds of little pale cream golf ball sized eggs

Buff Sussex - beautiful sussex birds laying a light brown egg

[Bramble-Poultry]

Buff Pekins - same qualities as the black pekin, but obviously buff coloured. cross a buff hen to a lemon cuckoo cockerel to refresh the bloodlines on the lemon cuckoo

Copper Blue Maran - havent got around to taking a photo of the girls, but this is the colour of the eggs

cream legbar - we have around half a dozen of these and they lay around 200-250 light blue/green eggs in their first year. quite friendly too

cuckoo maran - lay a deep brown egg, but no where near as dark as the copper blue maran

gold partridge pekin - as for the rest of the pekins really!

[Bramble-Poultry]

Partidge Cochin - of all the cochin this type always seem to be on the small side. we are working with the cochin club to increase the size of the birds to equal that of other cochins

porcelain barbu d'uccle - stunning little birds like the millefleur, but a pure lavender colour

silver dorkin - reputed to be britains oldest breed brought to the uk by the romans. has five toes and a good crow. lay around 100-125 whitish eggs, but ket mainly as a meat breed as cross with an indian game to get the double breasted gene to make a good table bird

millefleur pekin- same old pekins, just a speckly one!

ducks - these are my "duck of the day" campbell runner cross. lay huge blue eggs nearly every day through the winter so good for keeping up the egg quotas!

[RichmondHens]

Is the CL cock Nuffin? Is he doing the job? Despite advertising my boys for quite a while the remainder got eaten, then I got chatting to a breeder the other day who said oh I wish I'd known you had spare cocks, I would have had one. Typical!

[matthew2riches]

Chickens, and lots of them They'll all lay eggs soon, when they're with their new owners.

[frias]

Chickens, and lots of them They'll all lay eggs soon, when they're with their new owners.

This looks like the selection from Meadowsweet. Is it? I went to see some the other day. At last we are going to have a supplier not too far away.

Lovely idea to post piccies. I must, I must, I must learn how to!

[RichmondHens]

Lovely idea to post piccies. I must, I must, I must learn how to!

Yes so must I. Battery in camera keeps going flat, then when I do take any pics, OH is too busy to help me get pics sorted and on here.

[matthew2riches]

This looks like the selection from Meadowsweet. Is it? I went to see some the other day. At last we are going to have a supplier not too far away.

Not that I am aware of... Light Sussex, Cochins and Marans are bred by me and others are bought in. All for sale or should I say all sold

[its hilly]

Well I need to take some more pics, but here are my first two breeds.
Silver Sussex-large fowl (top) and Cuckoo Wyandotte-bantam middle and bottom.





The SS are big easy going birds. The hen doesn't look as good in the pici as in reality, they are lovely black but with that 'starlings wing' green/blue sheen. Lay large very pale/white eggs, not as many as the Light Sussex, but still reasonable quantity. They are also decent meat birds too. Not greedy feeders, and good foragers. Quite happy to be handled, especially the cockeral. Mine are free range, but as they are easy going I think they would be quite happy in a run.

The Wyandottes are very attractive little birds, extremely economical feeders. Lay normal banty sized eggs, light brown to very pale color range. Not sure what kind of quantity yet. Friendly but very fast runners if you're trying to catch them. Definately landing net birds. Ok to handle once caught. Happy in a run, but need room as they are very active.

[di]

Sorry...I started this and have only now got any half decnt pics

First pic is Our Norfolk Greys.Must admit I wasn't too keen on them as toddlers/teens(looked like Rooks)but they've actually grown into beautiful girls with great character.They're not so keen on being picked up but will follow around under your feet.One of them escapes every day to lay an egg(very pale brown)in the compost heap and after a little wander get herself back in.
The Boys are huge and make a good few meals(if that's the route you plan on taking),although have a bit of a Bad Boy reputation.

Second is a rather windswept Cream Legbar.Not sure if it's common of the breed but our two would much prefer no human company at allDuring the day they just tend to stay away and evenings when I've tried to approach them for cuddle time when they'rwe roosting they hiss and peck at youWe thought they were very good last night as it was time for their dust down...Andi chose to do them first and they weren absolutely fine...however once back on their bars they pecked at hime evry time he went to get the next bird in line.
They lay a powder blue egg.

Next up is one of our fluffy Buff Orpingtons...the other one is busy doing secret stuff...Absolutely gorgeous girls,very friendly and love a cuddle...and with feathers so fluffy it's impossible to resist.They also lay a pale egg.
One possible problem with them is that they're reknowned for going Broody,so egg production might not be great in theSpring/Summer months.
Despite everything I've read about them being docile and often bullied if kept with other breeds,our two are definately Queens of the coop...no one messes with our Buffs.

Lastly,my absolute favourite...Roo the Dark Brahma.Daft as a brush and doubly soft and fluffy.Unfortunately she's the only one of her breed in the run and she does get picked on a bit,but they obviously allow her to eat sometimes as she's got a bit of meat on her...not that she'll ever ever be eaten.She's great with the kiddies also.You can't see too well on the pic but she's got really fluffy feathered feet which need to be kept an eye on...if they get too muddy they'll need washing and I also inspect her feet for parasites regularly.

I've not included our ISAs as I think others have already posted them...all I'll say is that they're incredibly friendly girls...very inquisitive(to the state they can be a little annoying when digging or cleaning them out)They're also very reliable layers.

[RichmondHens]

They all look lovely Di.

[OverWyreGrower]

Ooohhh.... this is a good thread... I am very taken with Buff Orpingtons!!

Welsummer
Pure breed, originally Dutch in origin. Lay lovely dark brown eggs. Cockerels are very handsome (and extremely loud!). I find the hens aren't quite as friendly as my hybrids - quite standoffish really. Have had a couple go broody, but only for a couple of days

[di]

Thanks Richmond
OWG...the BO's really are particularly georgeous...I'm just dreading a season of having one or t'other(or both)going broody as and when!So far they've both been very friendly broodies,so at least I don't get my hand pecked off when I shove them off eggs...unlike Dandelion,who I haven't managed to get a pic of.(I'll browse through previous threads...I know there's one of her and Marigold with last years chicks)