Re: Brooding hens that won't let me near the eggs

Jill

Your questions made me sit down over my breakfast this morning to try
to clarify my thoughts on what I want from chooks with concentration
on purebreds since that is how you are focussed.. It was not a good
decision as my cereal got so soggy I had to throw it out.

Anyway, I decided that I'd delete all your comments and just focus on
what I thought adn just lay it out as it occurred to me or as I
grabbed a book to look up a particular point. I may have to do this
over a couple of nights though as I'm not a good typist so bear with
me if I break before I'm finished.

I think I tended to delete certain breeds as I went on as I defined my
criteria but I can't be too sure now since my notes covered several
pages and they all ended up mixed by the time I collected them off the
table.

So:
The current criticisms of purebreds in Oz (not mine but well recorded
in various poultry literature here)
Small egg size, low egg production and the worst problem, inbreeding
(not necessarily even in some less common breeds and unfortuantely the
number of rare breed holders is dropping dramatically) and thus
associated health problems.

I defined my "looks" and "egg look" preferences as being:
Chooks with a single comb, soft feathering but not frizzled, (amazing
how effective looking at combs in a book can refine htoughts!) not
brown or pure white feathers but buff is OK. Brown egg layer but not
white.

I like chooks to go broody so I thought that would include: Silkie,
Pekin, Australorp, Sussex, Orpington, RIR, Plymouth Rock, Faverolle
and Langshan.

I've excluded Banties as I want composter turners so short legs or
Silkies which are less active would be less successful. I have a big
garden and so there is lots of turning.

Since egg production isn't a prime consideration but colour is, then
preferred breeds would include Sussex, RIR, Wyandotte, Favarolles,
Barnevelder, Welsommer, Australorp and Araucana. General breed
hardiness is also associated with larger bodied brown egg layers as
they cope better with rain, cold and wind and less than optimum
nutrition but there is no such reports that I could find in my
literature on heat coping ability.

Table: not really important but would include Australorp, Orpington,
Plymouth Rock, RIR, Wyandotte and Faverolles

General appearance: I like the look of Barred Plymouth Rock,
Australorps and Light Sussex.

Good Foragers: Limited information available but I do know that
Permaculturalists report Araucanas as being good on this score.

Docility/temperament should include RIR, New Hampshires and
Australorps. (But I've never liked RIRs and you will ask why, dunno,
may as well ask why I like one person more than another. There I'd be
able to at least give you a better explanation as humans can at least
talk and I could give a rational and more objective assessment. I
just have never taken to RIRs - rather like someone who so puts up
your hackles on initial meeting that you never bother even talking to
them).

I think if I came down on the side of any purebred it'd be Australorps
looking at that list but that doesn't include the ability to chook
talk. Also being locally bred they may??? be better able to cope
with the heat.

Well I got through the list but I know I've forgotten something vitalt
hat occurred to me as I was in the middle of a para..







.

Quantcast