I'm ordering chicks with my next financial aid installment (I know, not a school expense, but whatever). I need some birds that will be hardy in cold and heat and preferably ones that will go broody. I've narrowed it down to a few breeds that I like, has anyone had any of these and can tell me if they're good birds? I'll be ordering 25 of the final choice from Sand Hill Preservation Center.

Norwegian Jaerhons

Russian Orloffs

Iowa Blue

Andalusian (I know they aren't cold hardy or broody, but I'm a sucker for any blue animal)

or just more Buckeyes, which if I get those, they'll be Mom's birds, not mine

Never heard of the first 3, but a lot of chickens no matter the size tolerate the cold well. Heat can be iffy, but with plenty of deep shade, cold water and good dust bath areas, they will be ok, too.

This link should help you find the best birds for what you need.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds

I had Russian Orloffs from Welp and LOVED them. Don't know about the Sand Hill strain. But the ones I had were very cold hardy, amazingly personable birds, beautiful, and laid a nice mediam/large tinted egg almost every day—BUT, attempted to go broody anytime I forgot to collect eggs. She was easy to break from being broody, but I didn't have a rooster so I never let them hatch any.

I have a friend that has the Jaerhons (Ideal Hatchery line) and swears by them. They have large combs prone to frost bite, but otherwise seem very hardy and are efficient little layers of large white eggs. Small, flighty birds. I'm not familiar with their broodiness.

I am turned off by the birds with big combs. Planning to make my own line of rosecomb bantam Rhodebars using bantam buckeyes and bantam dominiques. I love breeding projects.

I ordered 100 chicks from Randall Burkey...Speckled Sussex. their pricing right now is $89 on 100 chicks. Shipping was $32. I'm thrilled.

Just out of curiosity, why not just have Buckeyes? I love ours, I like them better then our Rhodies.

__________ Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:48 am __________



Just out of curiosity, why not just have Buckeyes? I love ours, I like them better then our Rhodies.

Yeah, that's the thing about the Barred Rocks. Thinking of switching or mixing with dominiques, they pretty much look the same, except I wouldn't have to worry about comb frostbite.

We have Dominiques and they're very cold hardy, but their egg production dropped off a cliff in their second year. Haven't seen an egg since September.

These are all less than a year old. I guess I'll know this fall.

I prefer barred chickens to red because you can sex them at a day old. For my purposes, I need to be able to sell pullet chicks, and I have a market for the cockerel chicks with a ferret rescue so I don't have to waste a dime growing them out. The Rhodebar is an attractive red barred bird that would ideally combine the best traits of the original parent breeds, and is VERY easy to sex at hatch.

I'll be recreating them instead of acquiring an existing strain, but here's the basic info: http://www.britannicrarebreeds.co.uk/br ... odebar.php

Now imagine it in bantam, with a rose comb. I'm super excited.

__________ Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:06 pm __________

I prefer barred chickens to red because you can sex them at a day old. For my purposes, I need to be able to sell pullet chicks, and I have a market for the cockerel chicks with a ferret rescue so I don't have to waste a dime growing them out. The Rhodebar is an attractive red barred bird that would ideally combine the best traits of the original parent breeds, and is VERY easy to sex at hatch.

I'll be recreating them instead of acquiring an existing strain, but here's the basic info: http://www.britannicrarebreeds.co.uk/br ... odebar.php

Now imagine it in bantam, with a rose comb. I'm super excited.

We've had Dominiques. Got them in 2006 and the sole survivor is still with us. She was still laying several eggs a week until September. The Doms here typically quit laying with the first snowstorm or intense cold snap (mid-December) and started up again in mid-to-late January. The rest of the year they laid well... with time off for moulting, of course.

This year we got Welsummers and Cuckoo Marans. The Marans remind me of the Doms. I really like the Welsummers... very lively birds and the rooster is gorgeous. They are all excellent free-rangers.

I still kind of miss my first chickens... Speckled Sussex. They were great birds.