What breeds should I get? What colors?

[talkinboutchickens]

Hello! I know I know, I've asked this question multiple times already- in a poll, and in like two other threads But, the hatchery I'm going to just updated the list of breeds they have available and the prices. So there are a few more breeds for me to consider!! I swear, this hatchery has so many darn options its so hard for me to pick But that is a good thing!! So, my question is in the title- what breeds should I get?
I'll list all the colors I already have in my flock so that you can base what breeds I should get on what colors I already have in my flock. But most of all, base it on your personal opinions on the breeds Please include the reason why you said yay/nay to the specific breed so that way I know the ups and downs of the breed (my gosh how many times have I said the word "breed" so far?!)

I have:
4 blues/grays (3 sapphire gems, 1 sapphire gem mix)
2 black (1 black australorp, 1 black sexlink)
1 buff and white (easter egger)
1 "rainbow" (olive egger roo)
1 misty gray with gray splashes (she is a mixed breed- but would that still be considered mottled? She is a sapphire gem and EE mix)
1 white (white rock)
1 black and white (light brahma)
1 barred (barred rock)

And yeah.

The hatchery has a ton of available breeds, but the ones I am interested in I have circled in red. Please say if you recommend (or not) any of the circled breeds and why/why not. You don't have to pay attention to the giant yellow circle on each screenshot. Those are just circling all the chicken breeds so that u guys don't get confused with the duck/guinea/meat chicken breeds (its mostly because I got a little too carried away with outlining stuff lol) Ok. Enough blah blah blah. Here are the screenshots.

The ones NOT circled I'm not that interested in, but by all means, you can recommend one of the breeds not circled. Also, it may be that they are way way too expensive such as the Golden deathlayer for instance (I would say max price we are wiling to pay is $10 - $15 for one chick)

We are definitely getting an SLW because we have been wanting one for a long time

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this!

 

[Rose the Legbar]

Gold laced, silver laced, and blue laced red wyandottes are just gorgeous. A lot of my non chicken keeper friends love my SLWs. Spunky and usually sweet birds from my experience. Their lacing is always stunning.

Salmon Faverolles are awesome in my opinion . Kinda stupid like a silkie but a larger and bigger bird that can stand up for herself. Good egg layers too. Paying $12 for a straight run though? That’s quite pricey in my opinion. I got sexed pullets for around half of that price.

I would not recommend at all any bantam, especially silkies with your large fowl flock. Silkies tend to get picked on and they are dumber than rocks more than half of the time. Bantam cochins are also quite small that can and will get picked on in a large fowl flock.

Polish are treading along the same lines as silkies. Polish tend to get picked on and have issues if a flock hasn’t ever seen extra fluff before.

If you want unique, I would for sure go for one or two jubilee orps! Their patterns are like that of a speckled sussex and are quite beautiful (in my opinion ).

 

[WingItRanch]

You definitely should get some Olive Eggers because your own OE is a Roo (been there!) I'm on the hunt for F2 or F3.

Why Mystic Marans? Just curious. If I were to get Marans, I'd personally want the darker brown eggs which would be the Black Copper Marans. Mystic Marans are mixed with Plymouth Barred Rocks so they won't have the deep chocolate brown eggs.

Also if you want to add some color, why not Speckled Sussex? I have no experience with the breed but they're so beautiful and with your current breeds, it would add a different pattern.

Edited to add: I agree with @Rose the Legbar when it comes to bantams. Especially silkies and polish. I know a lot of folks love them but I personally wouldn't mix them with larger fowl. They can't roost like your other chickens and there may bullying issues.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Gold laced, silver laced, and blue laced red wyandottes are just gorgeous. A lot of my non chicken keeper friends love my SLWs. Spunky and usually sweet birds from my experience. Their lacing is always stunning.

Yes! I would love to have another. I used to have an SLW hen, named Vicky. She was the best!

Salmon Faverolles are awesome in my opinion . Kinda stupid like a silkie but a larger and bigger bird that can stand up for herself. Good egg layers too. Paying $12 for a straight run though? That’s quite pricey in my opinion. I got sexed pullets for around half of that price.

I agree. I think a lot of the hatchery's chicks are expensive/unreasonable mostly because of the high demand. I think it's only 1 guy who runs the hatchery so it's probably hard for him to keep up with the high demand. It can get hot where I live as well as very cold, I believe that they are very cold hardy but how do faverolles fare in the heat? I'm talking around 90-100 degrees max. It barely ever gets to be 100 though.

I would not recommend at all any bantam, especially silkies with your large fowl flock. Silkies tend to get picked on and they are dumber than rocks more than half of the time. Bantam cochins are also quite small that can and will get picked on in a large fowl flock.

You have a good point there, something that I never really considered much. I have a white rock who can be quite a bully to other chickens, not considering the roos that could crush a cochin bantam

Polish are treading along the same lines as silkies. Polish tend to get picked on and have issues if a flock hasn’t ever seen extra fluff before.

If you want unique, I would for sure go for one or two jubilee orps! Their patterns are like that of a speckled sussex and are quite beautiful (in my opinion ).

ok! Thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't originally considering a jubilee orpington but maybe now I will since you said that

 

[Penpal]

Townline hatchery will ship free within Michigan. I have bought from them and one of our local stores sells them.

You could always pick your favorite breed of the your current flock.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

You definitely should get some Olive Eggers because your own OE is a Roo (been there!) I'm on the hunt for F2 or F3.

Why Mystic Marans? Just curious. If I were to get Marans, I'd personally want the darker brown eggs which would be the Black Copper Marans. Mystic Marans are mixed with Plymouth Barred Rocks so they won't have the deep chocolate brown eggs.

I used to have a mystic maran and she was the sweetest, that's mainly the only reason Plus she laid really pretty eggs. Oh! I did not know that they were mixed with barred rocks.
Are copper marans friendly?

Also if you want to add some color, why not Speckled Sussex? I have no experience with the breed but they're so beautiful and with your current breeds, it would add a different pattern.

Edited to add: I agree with @Rose the Legbar when it comes to bantams. Especially silkies and polish. I know a lot of folks love them but I personally wouldn't mix them with larger fowl. They can't roost like your other chickens and there may bullying issues.

That makes sense, too, about the roosts. The roosts in one coop come up to about my neck or so. You're right, bantams will not be able to get to that roost at night! But, on the other hand, in my other coop, the roosts are about 2 feet off the ground

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Townline hatchery will ship free within Michigan. I have bought from them and one of our local stores sells them.

You could always pick your favorite breed of the your current flock.

Seriously? wow! I've never heard of a hatchery that ships free before, tysm for letting me know!

 

[Rose the Legbar]

It can get hot where I live as well as very cold, I believe that they are very cold hardy but how do faverolles fare in the heat? I'm talking around 90-100 degrees max. It barely ever gets to be 100 though

My salmon faverolles do okay in the heat (high of 98). They do appreciate shade and a fan on the hotter days.

 

[Altairsky]

Salmon faverolles forever!

 

[Rangergord]

If you want less choice in your hatcheries just move to Canada! We have far fewer hatcheries and the largest one in western Canada , Rochester Hatchery has a total of 21 varieties of chickens including bantams and meat birds. If I want something interesting like those Sapphire Gems, forget about it. Not happening! So with all those heirlooms you got picked out there I have to recommend ISA Browns. Champion layers that will reduce the keeping costs of those colored egg layers and Wyandotte’s.