If'n you were to concentrate on one or two breeds.....

What would they be and why?
Are there breeds out there that need assistance, or that people are not doing much of?
I am trying to decide what breed to pay attention to the SOP and perhaps sell offspring/hatchling eggs but do not want to have a breed that others are already doing in spades.
I love the BCM (they are beautiful) and the ameraucana..but it seems that both of these breeds are pretty common, and I would like to be able to sell pairs etc...also have great interest in the "old" RIR
Is it too early for me as a "chickener" to be even considering doing this?

so lots of advice...stern admonishment...whatever would be good..and thanks

Hmmm, a question that I may have to answer myself quite soon as I am in the process of downsizing. Just lost my old Silkie roo so that's another one gone.

I've worked for years with my Chanteclers and I still like them but right now, i don't know.  I haven't got a rooster so I may be out.  Just found some Black Ameraucanas and they're still young but I'm hopeful to finally have blue eggs.  Otherwise, I'm torn between the Silver Laced Wyandottes and Booted Bantams.  Just two is hard to pick.

That's gonna be tough... Until I went to the year end show at Hassen Arena a couple years back, I never realized just how many types of chicken duck and pigeon there are... So many cool types to choose from

Two chicken breeds for cold hardiness: Buckeyes and White Chantecler.

Two turkey breeds: Blue Slate and Beltsville Small White

Two goose breeds: Shetland and Toulouse

BUT that's still too many breeds for my housing. And to work seriously on a breed I think you need quite a few different pens/housing to keep separate lines. Sigh.

Right now my only heritage bird is Light Sussex. I have some Muscoveys (not mine, but my grandfeathers and they somehow ended up here   ). Once you find one breed that you love you will know it because when you think about adding new ones you never do

I keep Mottled Houdans for the creativity and determination to bring this bird back to what they should be.

I keep Silkies for their beauty and sales offset my costs.

I keep SOP Cornish for meat

I keep Cochin for their temperaments.

Partridge Chantecler. Because they're awesome birds. So smart and friendly, and very pretty to look at. Oh, and winter hardy, and mine are laying like a hot damn, they started laying the week it was -40.

It seems like there are a lot of people breeding White Chanteclers, but not as many working on the Partridge variety. I have some Whites as well, but they're not as cool as the Partridges. I have taken to calling them The White Wimps. My original two hens were terrible witches and couldn't be put with other hens, so I rehomed them. The three pullets I kept from them are too wimpy to pick on anyone, luckily.

I also have some non-Chanteclers. My two Houdan girls make me laugh with their crazy crests and weird little squawky voices and their sad attempts to mean-girl the others. They lay huge honkin' eggs when they feel like laying. My black Olive Egger lays me pretty green eggs. I have a black Ameraucana as well, I can't wait for some blue eggs! The OE and Am both blended beautifully into my laying flock, no fighting and the Houdans only occasionally take a half-hearted peck at them. My White Chantecler rooster lives with the mixed laying flock and keeps everyone in line. I'd like to add at least another Olive Egger and another Ameraucana to the group, and a dark egg layer or two would be nice as well.

And then there's my White Cornish cockerel, who is so juicy and delicious, I want to eat him every time I look at him. He lives with The White Wimps and I am hoping to make some cold-hardy meat birds this year with the Chantecler/Cornish cross.

Someday, though, I might need some Barnevelders. They're so pretty.

Hands down, my fave bird so far has been an Australorp x Dark Brahma.

I like the size and temperament of the Dark Brahma and when you inject AUstralorp you get those plus a bird that lays better. THey were just a large, pleasant hen with a small comb that didn't freeze.

The boys get very tall and when mature, quite heavy. Smaller combs that don't freeze. I would keep Dark Brahmas and AUstralorps to always have a fresh supply of this cross.

I have only been doing this for a few years and am trying to do just that. Only two breeds. Makes my life easier. So far we have settled on Barnevelders because they are beatlful, very gentle and I love the colour of their eggs. We also like our Buff sussex who are so friendly and gentle. I want the two colours because I like to do paintings of chickens. I really like the buff ones. Great so there are my two breeds. Life will be simple. Not so. We got a little red dorking roo by mistake in a batch of chicks from performance.( He is breeding red dorkings but who knows when he will have them for sale). We tried to sell this guy but no luck. He has grown into a big beautiful rooster. We are both attached to him. He has such a nice nature. We have decided to keep him. I have found someone in Ontario who has some hatching eggs. So now we have three breeds. I am not sure there is a cure for this disease.

You are never to new to make a choice on either a breed or two. The wonderful thing is you can always change if you find a breed you picked isn't right for you.

I went with Houdans and Polish. Houdans because I fell in love with them when I got a hen ages ago. Polish just because they are royal, regal and can be funny as heck. For me, meat birds were not an issue. I have always kept birds for beauty rather than function. I also love cockatoos and had always wanted one since I was a kid but the cost of a bird is high. Then I say polish and it was "YES!"

Working with some heritage breeds are easier than others. You may want to consider that when going with a breed. If you choose a really scarce, rare breed, finding suitable stock to start with may be hard to do. It may mean weeding through a lot of inferior stock just to find a few good birds. There is already a problem with inbreeding with some heritage breeds that makes finding good stock harder. Hatcheries may have the breed but they can be of poor to only good quality. Breeders with SOP birds will likely not want to part with stock.

So true Toybarons - I have had lovely Golden Sebrights but they are so difficult to keep healthy and haven't been very productive for me - then suddenly the young rooster died and I've never been able to replace him. Love them but think that's it for me. Stick to my cold hardy, easy going Buckeyes and White Chanteclers. They need improvement but there is stock around and I already have 3 lines of each.

Sometimes though I think I'll just go back to my early days and keep a rainbow flock of banties.

After having to many different types to count I am down to only two types. Easter Eggers, to satisfy my love of colourful feathers and my own version of R.I.R's that gives both egg layers and extra roosters for the dinner table. It would be nice to have more but I just cannot find the time to be able to keep track of the breeding and care of any more than what I have. Even the space requirements would become a major cost, I spend around 250.00 a month on feed and I don't even count the electricity or time washing the few eggs we get in return. But who should ever put a cost on anything that gives you a little enjoyment.

bigrock wrote:What would they be and why?
Are there breeds out there that need assistance, or that people are not doing much of?
I am trying to decide what breed to pay attention to the SOP and perhaps sell offspring/hatchling eggs but do not want to have a breed that others are already doing in spades.
I love the BCM (they are beautiful) and the ameraucana..but it seems that both of these breeds are pretty common, and I would like to be able to sell pairs etc...also have great interest in the "old" RIR
Is it too early for me as a "chickener" to be even considering doing this?

so lots of advice...stern admonishment...whatever would be good..and thanks

I think you are really smart to be thinking about just concentrating on 2 breeds. You culd also think of one breed in 2 different varieties.

It is nice to pick something that needs a bit of work, but don't be to ambitious with this when you are just starting out. You don't want to get discouraged as you are finding your feet and developing your eye for poultry. Maybe one 'easy' one and one 'tougher' one.

Breeds that are not to rare are a nice choice because if you do need some genetic diversity or run into a breeding road block, you will be able to find birds around to help you out. Just ask some of the people with rare breeds how tough it can be sometimes.

The most important thing is pick something that tickles YOUR fancy. Be practical, but not TO practical about it. You have to love and be inspired by them and if you pick them purely for practical reasons, sometimes it gets old quick.

Good luck with your choices, I look forward to hearing what they are.

So lets say Bigrock picks one breed to improve on, Rhode Island Reds.
How may pen would she need to make this work? How many line of the breed would she need?

I would pick winter hardy breeds or varieties like the Wyandottes. I usually run into trouble whenever I decide to cut back to fewer breeds. I doing nicely a few years ago until I joined an egg swap. I sold all the Black Cochins that hatched from the swap, but it was too late because some family members liked them. A rooster was reacquired and some stock was acquired from the Okanagan. Then I decided to try some of the heritage meat chickens and imported some Delawares and Cornish varieties in hopes of raising our own meaties. While both of these are nice hatchery chickens (I particularly like the Delawares) but they are not any better than the Wyandottes. I will be selling the Delawares in the spring and have already sold the Dark Cornish. I have also acquired some very nice White Chanteclers.

Chickens for 2014- Gold Laced Wyandottes, Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, Chanteclers, Black Cochins
Turkeys- Blue Slates and Beltsvilles

Is there a heritage breed that IS doing really well? It seems to me everyone wanting to work on a breed struggles to find good birds and other breeders. They are around but distances and low numbers seem to make it all difficult. Most people around here only have barnyard mix birds.

bcboy wrote:So lets say Bigrock picks one breed to improve on, Rhode Island Reds.
How may pen would she need to make this work? How many line of the breed would she need?

Gosh thanks BC boy...you are right..i don't even know all the right questions to ask...

bigrock wrote:

bcboy wrote:So lets say Bigrock picks one breed to improve on, Rhode Island Reds.
How may pen would she need to make this work? How many line of the breed would she need?

Gosh thanks BC boy...you are right..i don't even know all the right questions to ask...

I guess it depends on the rarity and quality of the breed. There are so many heritage breeds that rarely resemble their ancestors. So much has been lost and really, you are rebuilding a breed.

However, if you want quality birds that will win at a show, you need to chose your breed form the many that still resemble the SOP.

You know the questions to ask Bigrock it's your thread. Sorry for hijacking, but it's a good topic and I was wondering what others have done with one breed.
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There are various breeding plans but each person has to adapt things to their own situation.  Not everyone can save a breed on their own.  Even someone with one coop can keep a flock that could act as a genetic reserve for someone who is able to do more constructive work on a breed.

My advice would be to keep what you like.  If you're not enjoying it, what's the point?

I really think that this is a very important topic.  I think too many people have too many breeds and always wondered, and know this from experience, where do they have the room and how on earth can so many breeds be worked on at the same time, to try and have some nice birds.  I know I can't.  I am too limited with space, and limited with desire to have too much to focus on.  I began with 6 breeds that I thought were  nice, and having experience with these 6, chose two that really tickled my fancy.  And that was cochins and buff orpingtons.  I have no interest in bantam breeds, I don't like the shrill sound of the rooster voice and I like size.  I like big and fluffy.  I like a bird that you can pick up and you feel like you have a ball of feathers.  I love to pick up my cochins and my orpingtons, they are calm, they are like big balls of love, all tucked inside big fluffy feathers.  That tickles me pink, I love that feel.  So much I want to say.  I am so glad that there are so many people in this world that love all the different breeds and are breeding them, to carry on having these breeds.  If we all only loved one or two breeds of bird, would this not be a very boring world?  Some like big, some like small, some like fluffy, some like tight feathers.  It is all good.  

My Husband asked me to really think of what breeds I wanted to live on our farm.  I chose light brahma, buff Orpington and cochin.  Large fowl .  After seeing how much work that I would need to do with the light brahma, from a wonderful poultry judge that changed my attitude, I decided to let this breed go.  I had a flock of 6, rooster included.  The birds were wonderful, lovely rooster with great temperament, hens, calm and fabulous layers.  A friend of mine bought the flock.  The friend was not into exhibition, and knew that the birds were beautiful, in their own right, and was pleased to have them, despite the fact that they were not up to what the standard was for the breed.  That did not matter, he was after a strong and beautiful bird, and that is what he got.  My focus then turned to the two said breeds.  I dabbled with another breed, thinking that I might like to breed that, but then changed my mind.

I will stick to the two breeds I love.  I know there are others that I would like to have, but for now, my focus remains on these two.  I like that both my breeds have the propensity to be wonderful mothers, bring on broody mammas any day, they are welcome here.  I find both these breeds, even moreso the cochin, like to brood chicks, the buff orpingtons like to as well, but not as much as the cochin.  I love the health and the longevity.  I have four cochins that are now coming into fifth year of life, and still lay their ever loving hearts out.  They are calm.  I have about 14 cochin hens, some pullets, mostly hens.  When I encourage them to go into their home at night when I want them in early, I herd them like a herd of cattle.  They do not run, fuss, nothing like that, they slowly meander along and one by one, go into the door that leads to their inside world.  There is not a single bit of hurry with cochins, they are laid back and just say “ya OK, give us time, we will all get in”.  Calm, friendly, very strong immune systems, very docile roosters.  Oh and did I mention voice?  Cochins, well any that I have had experience with, the males have a voice, a deep voice, that carries forth clear and ever present.  Beautiful, and I love that voice of the cochin rooster, I think it is the deep breast, something makes the voice loud, but very deep.  So, too yes, I love the voice, and the hens are the same, not noisey, very quiet, and they talk softly, just as their temperament.  I love the voice of the rooster, in both breeds.  In the Orpington, I find the voice of the male, strong, clear and he means business.  His voice is not deep as the cochin breed, but more shrill, still a beautiful and loud voice.  And they speak in a manner, which to me, is pleasant to the ear.  I do not like the shrill voice of small birds, that hurts my ears.  I have sensitive ears and many things hurt my ears.  I love the colour buff.  I love to look at the beautiful contrast in summer of the summer colours, and I speak mostly to green.  To me, there is nothing more pretty than that buff colour up again green.  The Orpington breed is the same love.  The roosters are calm, take good care of their girls and the girls respond.  They respect and adore their fellow that leads them on wild adventures.  Well, moreso, I should really say, he follows as the girls lead him on great adventures.  A flock of this buff is amazing to watch and look as they are off in the wild blue yonder.  Pretty as pretty can be.

As I said, the reason in short, why I keep the two breeds I have is the mothering ability, strong immune systems, roosters with beautiful voices, balls of fluff that you can bury your face in and they just say “what?”, none are flighty, they will hang around me, nosing to see what I am doing in their world, they seem to be very thrifty in food consumption, lay beautiful eggs that are clean as a whistle, both breeds seem to be wise, the buff orpingtons are excellent layers, the cochins, not so much, but decent when they are laying.  They are rather lazy when it comes to laying, and do like to take that winter off, and then want to raise so many babies, that I would not consider my line of cochins excellent layers, by no means.  But that is just fine, the other breed makes up for that.  I like little chicks, so if these hens prefer to be mammas, bring it. I was packing around a black cochin the other day, cause I wanted to treat her for a small lesion on her leg, and got caught up talking to someone.  I held that girl for about 15 minutes, and she didn’t squirm, nothing, she just hung out in my arms, like she was part of the conversation.  No worry from her, no terror, she just hung out and visited too.  I like that.  Calm, sweet birds.  s I think this pretty much covers the breeds I have and want to breed, took a long time to get these words out, and probably long time to read, but there, for this record, my thoughts.  Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

Very interesting, Cynthia. I too let my Light Brahmas go having seen the work I would have had to do with them to bring them up to snuff. It was not just the work but the lack of knowledge of how to go about it. On the other hand, the Houdans have just as much if not more work needed. However, I have a plan for them and ideas as to how I can improve them.

So, if I had to keep one breed, I would let go of the Cochin, the silkies and the Cornish. There are great birds of those breeds out there. There are no good Houdans...yet. Toybarons and I hope to leave our mark in the fancy with them. I figure I have 15 years left in my life to do so. Wish us luck!

Ok Sue, let's pick on you, because I know you can take it and be articulate about it. How many lines do you run, or what is your approach to breeding/improving the houdan? How many roosters do you keep?
Do you have a plan?

Cynthia you write so well - I know now just why you keep those breeds now and the joy and fondness you have for them.

Ohh la, la!  Heda, you ask the difficult questions.  

There really are no lines yet that even closely resemble the SOP.  We (Toybarons and I ) started with chicks from hatchery A.  I lost close to 90% to leg issues (splay legs, etc) as chicks and Mareks as young adults.  The remainder had duckfeet, a DQ.  They were Polish in shape and stance and way to small.  

A wise old chickener said choose one trait and work on it.  Health issues were paramount with proper feet secondary.  No way to show and get a judges opinion on your stock if they were all DQed.

So we bred the remaining birds that at least had all their toes.  Again more losses to leg issues and Mareks, but we ended up with a few more than the year before.  So we got some chicks from Hatchery B  They were better quality than hatchery A chicks but still had the same health and feet problems.  

The next year I bred the best second generation Hatchery A hens to the best Hatchery B roosters.  As well, I borrowed a silver grey dorking with extraordinary feet, shize and shape.  In those three areas he was what we aspired to in houdans. Of course in color and comb he was not. Few splay leg and some but less loss to Mareks.

The next year I bred my best Houdan rooster from the previous year to the best new hens and their moms.  As well, I bred him to the Houdorks.  I have a barn full of healthy Houdan crosses and Houdans.  Almost none had splay legs and only a couple losses to Mareks.

This year I have acquired a couple good quality Houdans from Hatchery B.  They are much better and very different from our first hatchery B birds which makes me think they are from a different source.  This spring I will breed them to my best Houdans and Houhoudorks (1/4 dorking now.)  

I plan to hatch early.

As well, Toybarons is doing her thing.  She has some of my hens, she provided me with a rooster.  I suspect this year we will look at what we have and do another trade in the fall for hatching in spring of 2015.

Opps, gotta go.  add more later!

Thank you Sue! That's a tremendous start.

Do you put one rooster in with the only the best hens (for that one trait) or run the rooster with all the "almost acceptable hens" and hatch all the eggs resulting and cull chicks as they grow? I guess what I want to know is are you keeping track of hens for those that produce "better" chicks or just working forward with chicks. If you know what I mean.

Also how you work your physical set up - big hen yard with little breeding pen? I"m trying to work out the best way to set up my buildings/run.

Late for chores, more later....