Breed suggestions??

[snacks_on_snacks]

Yeah I've heard good and not so good about the Jeresys. May be the breeder. Mine are totally friendly towards people, and generally are fine with my small flock of Buckeyes.

I'm thinking more of hardy free rangers, but if you want personality and friendly, along with free range then I offer up my Buckeyes, they will establish an order, but generally chill together without too much issue.

My Black Copper Maran is an excellent free ranger, and she's got a lot of personality too.

Buckeyes are another I had not heard of, but I think those or the jersey giants would be great! Although those dark egged from the Marans are beautiful too. Too many good options!!

If you could only pick one of those 3, where order of priority is docile, hardy, then egg production, would you still put Jersey giant first?

Thanks for all this info, super helpful!!

 

[snacks_on_snacks]

We had a lovely BJG years ago that was a total sweetie. Had another just a few years ago that lost part of his comb and some of his wattles to frostbite, broke my heart to see him in pain. He was a sweetie too. He was barely an adult when we lost him to a coyote, defending his girls. I won't have another due to the frostbite but I do love them.

Do you think the jersey giant hens could also have risk of frostbite? I am in MN so definitely have some cold days.

Sorry you lost yours

 

[snacks_on_snacks]

Here is an older but informative article written by a member here. It doesn't discuss EVERY breed, but does have great charts of lots of them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ide-to-picking-backyard-chicken-breeds.64518/

I'm partial to silkies, but I'd only get those if you have a desire to raise chicks, as they are some of the broodiest chickens! We've had only those for eight years and wouldn't change for anything!

Thank you so much!

Lol I think silkies seem adorable, but I can’t get my husband on board he is afraid I will get attached to them and lose them to predators with free ranging.

If I do end up getting some, are they best staying in a covered run while the others free range?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do you think the jersey giant hens could also have risk of frostbite? I am in MN so definitely have some cold days.

Sorry you lost yours

I really don't know. His single comb and wattles were HUGE. We water with open buckets (electric so they didn't freeze). His wattles would get wet, then freeze, apparently. It was an unusually long, bitter winter. And our no-waste feeders had 3-inch ports he had to stick his head into. I think when it was so cold, he would bump his comb on those ports and bruise them, leading to frostbite. We have hens with single combs, like Leghorns and they seem to be okay. I don't know if a BJG hen would have the same problems the rooster did.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If I do end up getting some, are they best staying in a covered run while the others free range?

I'm just trying to figure out the logistics of this. If they all sleep in the same coop, how do you sort them out in the morning so some go "out" to free range and some stay "in"? It'd be like trying to herd cats, I'm thinking.

 

[snacks_on_snacks]

I'm just trying to figure out the logistics of this. If they all sleep in the same coop, how do you sort them out in the morning so some go "out" to free range and some stay "in"? It'd be like trying to herd cats, I'm thinking.

Right, that would probably be quite an undertaking…. hahahaha

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Right, that would probably be quite an undertaking…. hahahaha

Unless you had two coops ...

 

[snacks_on_snacks]

Right, that would probably be quite an undertaking…. hahahaha

Unless you had two coops ...

lol, I’m not sure I have a hope of convincing my hubby to build another one maybe I just need to have some house silkies….. lol

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Whatever works, eh?

 

[AinaWGSD]

I second the buckeyes. The ones we had were very docile and even though we didn't socialize with them much they always ran right up to the fence whenever we went out to the coop. Probably gonna get some more soonish.