WOW! This is going to be great!

Well I must say there's lots of Chicken people out there...This forum is going to be a great source of information....On that note...I need to make up my mind about what HERITAGE chickens I want to keep...I bought a book sometime ago and these are the ones I checked off as possibilities....Keep in mind, I would like to produce medium to large Brown Eggs for selling and A tasty meat Bird also for selling to friends and such...I'd like to let them do their business to lay and hatch eggs. I'd like keep our farm status so I need to sell some and not treat it stickly as a hobby...Barneveler, Jersey Giant,Maran, North Holland Blue, Orpington,Plymouth Rock,Rhode Island Red, Sussex, Welsummer,Wyandotte...that's it from my book. Soooo that's why I need help figguring this out and prior to this, finding the breeds I want doesn't seem very easy...One thing is for sure...they will be happy chicken..The are 2areas we are going to be developing with nice grass, there's lots of shade from trees and 2 new chicken coups..1 area for laying and reproducing hens and another larger area for meat hens. I anxiously await your opinions and ideas...

I personally like the rosecomb/cushion comb/pea comb breeds for our climate. Not sure how cold you get at Kamloops but if you get extended periods below zero I would shy away from the tall single combed breeds. Unless of course you are willing and set up to keep them warm.
For the traits you describe the wyandotte's, chanteclers (not on your list but everyone seems to love them) and Orpingtons would be my top 3 choices. They all produce a great amount of eggs, and finish out nicely for the table. I have 2 of the 3 breeds and really enjoy them, they have great personalities.
I also moved this to the advise category since you already have a new here/welcome post. And will hopefully get more replies on your chicken choices and not just welcomes.

I love Jersey Giants. They are the number one breed around here, I love their size and temperment. In my eyes you can never go wrong with a giant.
Speckled Sussex is next. I think they are the sweetest birds.

Thank goodness there is such a variety of birds. A breed for everyone.

Hidden River wrote:I personally like the rosecomb/cushion comb/pea comb breeds for our climate. Not sure how cold you get at Kamloops but if you get extended periods below zero I would shy away from the tall single combed breeds. Unless of course you are willing and set up to keep them warm.
For the traits you describe the wyandotte's, chanteclers (not on your list but everyone seems to love them) and Orpingtons would be my top 3 choices. They all produce a great amount of eggs, and finish out nicely for the table. I have 2 of the 3 breeds and really enjoy them, they have great personalities.
I also moved this to the advise category since you already have a new here/welcome post. And will hopefully get more replies on your chicken choices and not just welcomes.

Thanks for moving me...I thought I should but wasn't sure where...

la-chicken wrote:I love Jersey Giants. They are the number one breed around here, I love their size and temperment. In my eyes you can never go wrong with a giant.
Speckled Sussex is next. I think they are the sweetest birds.

Thank goodness there is such a variety of birds. A breed for everyone.

The Jersey Giants primarily a meat bird correct? And please bear with my dumb questions!

I prefer the rosecomb chickens myself because we do occasionally get cold weather here. In mid January on the coldest night of the year a snowplow went off the highway and into a Hydro ploe. Our power was off for 5 hours. Almost every rooster had some frozen parts, but the one with the most damage was a Black Cochin with a single comb. Most of our Isabrowns had frozen combs as well. The Isabrowns quit laying during the cold weather, but the Wyandottes continued on as usual. If you want a big bird for meat and eggs the Brahma would be a good choice. They are reliable layers, but probably not the best in the mix. The Buckeyes are reputed to be good plus there is a breeder close to Salmon Arm that you have already contacted. There is a person at Cherry Creek with good Chanteclers.

The meat chicken of choice in our area is the Cornish Giants that come from Millers/Rochesters Hatchery at Westlock. They produce great meat in a hurry, but they can be challenging to raise outside of a cage. Some people on the forum are looking at importing Freedom Rangers or other Label Rouge chickens which grow fairly quickly, but behave more like real chickens.

The Jersey Giants would be another large, dual purpose chicken.

welcome

My opinion is Chanteclers Chanteclers Chanteclers!

Coops your home! Sorry off topic.
As you will see there will be many different ideas on the ideal chickens, not going to make your search any easier are we.

coopslave wrote:welcome

My opinion is Chanteclers Chanteclers Chanteclers!

Very Funny! and Cute!

Hidden River wrote:Coops your home! Sorry off topic.
As you will see there will be many different ideas on the ideal chickens, not going to make your search any easier are we.

I found your website...actually I pretty sure I emailed you awhile ago in regards about chickens..

Hidden River wrote:Coops your home! Sorry off topic.
As you will see there will be many different ideas on the ideal chickens, not going to make your search any easier are we.

Yep, just a quick look before I go ride the new horse.

New horse? Sorry off topic...

I say Chanteclers and Buckeyes, both calm, cold hardy and good layers year round. We get cold! I did Freedom Rangers last summer and really liked them or at least I liked the ones the weasel hadn't liked already.

heda gobbler wrote:New horse? Sorry off topic...

I say Chanteclers and Buckeyes, both calm, cold hardy and good layers year round. We get cold! I did Freedom Rangers last summer and really liked them or at least I liked the ones the weasel hadn't liked already.

where the heck is Tatlayoko lake? Yes...Im leaning towards the Buckeyes for 1 thanks to Cynthia!

Drive up to Williams Lake and go west. Tatlayoko Lake is the heart of the Chilcotin.

You will love Buckeyes. The only problem I find is that they are so friendly and curious it is hard not to step on them. Cynthia will get you some great stock!

We must of passed on the way to Bella Coola last year?

Yes, if you had turned south off the highway just before Tatla Lake. You drove right past us and never even knew!

I should put in a plug for the chickens I raise. The Wyandottes are one of the foundation breeds for the White Chantecler. They have very similar attributes as both the Buckeyes and Chanteclers. They come in a variety of different colours although the Silver Laced and Gold Laced are the most popular.

Hi Kim from Kamloops.

I have ordered meatbirds from Rochester before and been happy with them. But the minimum order is 25 and sometimes I just want 10 or 12 meatbirds.

Keep in mind that an hour and a half away from you in Armstrong is the Okanagan Hatchery. They supply meatbirds to all the large growers around here and sell small numbers too. Their birds are white, called a Cobb. I no longer order chicks to come by bus/mail when I can pop up the road 20 minutes from here and avoid the stress of the trip for the birds.

Only problem...they like to throw in a few 'extras'. So my order of 10 chicks has often come home with 10 or 12 EXTRAS! If they get the odd chick with a few stray black feathers they like to send them to private homes as the big producers do not want them (the other birds pick them). SO keep Okanagan Hatchery in mind if you want to take a day drive for your meatbirds. Call ahead, but they hatch year round and as long as you have a warm place for your babies, you can get started raising them long before Rochester is able to ship (due to weather).

Good information Uno, I never knew that!

Yes...it must be stressful for the birds for sure...I've got a good design for a brooder that Andrea Gunner sent me...we will be building it in the days to come. Part of the reason I joined this group is so I can buy "local"...A road trip to get the chicks is the easy part...figuring out which ones and who has them is the hard part.

I like the Chanteclers (of course) but the last few years I have tried Buff Orpingtons and Silver Laced Wyandottes and both have really impressed me.

Oh Okanagan Hatchery, guess I never knew about that, so new yet to what is what in the area. Road trips anyone? Sure would be better to get the birds yourself than have them mailshipped. Ooops, ramblin', off topic.

My choice absolutely as far as weather, like we get in B.C. (Chilcotin, Cariboo, Kootneys, Okanagan) and everywhere else where it stays below zero for times in winter, absolutely the breeds without the single combs and not huge hangey down wattles, like some breeds for not getting head freeze, smiling. That is why I am happy with buckeyes, tight feathering too (just like the Chantecler, so much in common with those two breeds), the pea comb of buckeyes, the cushion comb of the Chantecler, rose comb of the wyandotte. Brahma, with their pea comb are a good choice too, magnificent birds. So thinkin' I really like non-single combed birds. BUT.....I have cochins and buff orpingtons, never ate a cochin, too pretty, but the buff orpingtons were a work of wonder, in my eyes, they dressed out at about 4 pounds at 20 weeks, as did the buckeye cockerels, both tender, juicy and meat firm. A perfect size for me. But yep, popsicle wattles on the bottom of one of my buff orpingtons, had the biggest wattle, much longer than his counterpart, huge hangy down wattles, smiling, the girls sure did like him (My fault, had open water, slap my hand, wattles dipped in it and froze bottom, removed water, different type of waterer used with them -- no open water for big wattle birds in winter here henceforth, I'm going to make a post soon about this, so don't hijack this thread anymore than I have This is a good post, we all get to talk about what we like and what we want, of course, probably two different things, don't always get all that we want, smiling that big smile. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

I want to have nice looking birds frollicking in my fields...but one thing I don't know yet is how I'll react to the actual slaughter of the chicken..such a harsh word,( is that the right word in the chicken world)I plan to do it myself...but not in the beginning...There's lots of examples on utube of how to do it...I'll definantly think I want a chicken plucker....(or is this something you don't talk about)

CynthiaM wrote:Oh Okanagan Hatchery, guess I never knew about that, so new yet to what is what in the area. Road trips anyone? Sure would be better to get the birds yourself than have them mailshipped. Ooops, ramblin', off topic.

My choice absolutely as far as weather, like we get in B.C. (Chilcotin, Cariboo, Kootneys, Okanagan) and everywhere else where it stays below zero for times in winter, absolutely the breeds without the single combs and not huge hangey down wattles, like some breeds for not getting head freeze, smiling. That is why I am happy with buckeyes, tight feathering too (just like the Chantecler, so much in common with those two breeds), the pea comb of buckeyes, the cushion comb of the Chantecler, rose comb of the wyandotte. Brahma, with their pea comb are a good choice too, magnificent birds. So thinkin' I really like non-single combed birds. BUT.....I have cochins and buff orpingtons, never ate a cochin, too pretty, but the buff orpingtons were a work of wonder, in my eyes, they dressed out at about 4 pounds at 20 weeks, as did the buckeye cockerels, both tender, juicy and meat firm. A perfect size for me. But yep, popsicle wattles on the bottom of one (My fault, had open water, slap my hand, wattles dipped in it and froze bottom, removed water, different type of waterer used with them -- no open water for big wattle birds in winter here henceforth, I'm going to make a post soon about this, so don't hijack this thread anymore than I have This is a good post, we all get to talk about what we like and what we want, of course, probably two different things, don't always get all that we want, smiling that big smile. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

How do you put the footnote at the bottom regarding your profile?