So what do I need to do what do I need to do to get them lay again something I have all kind of different only just quit laying and they are very young they will not lay eggs they were doing good when they start laying eggs they started doing well for a walk with since they start at the beginning a couple weeks later no more eggs what went wrong
@@georgemcintyre-mi7jg Ours never stop laying. We have light in the barn from 6am - 10pm. We feed them Purina Layer feed with 16% protein. Laying is all dependent on light and good feed. I hope this helps!
There are a lot of breeds out there, and a lot of good breeds. For our money, these are the best of the layers and good dispositions! Thanks for stopping by Malissia!
I have four Rhode Island Red hens. So far they are very productive layers. They've slowed down a bit for the winter but they make wonderful pets also. They are very friendly.
We had Reds and they were great layers. They had bad attitudes and would pick on everyone else. Some have said that their Reds are very docile. I think it is the hatchery you get them from. It just wasn't worth it for us. As soon as we got rid of the Red, the flock relaxed and it was more enjoyable for everyone! Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment!
I heartily agree about the Barred Plymouth Rocks being great chickens. Friendly, good layer good attitude and curious as cats. I’m a backyard “chicken tender”with five hens. Fun to interact with and a fairly quiet bird. Mine don’t sing the hen laying song. I’m so happy that these are the hens I chose.
Thanks for joining us Grandma! We love our Rocks. I've been thinking about the Rocks and their song. I think ours started to use the Egg Laying Song but I don't think ours sing it anymore. I'll be more aware of it now and listen for it. Cheers!
Good evening Y’all all, I came across your video by mistake and am so glad. 14 days ago I aquired seven chickins and a coup. I have a lot to learn so am looking forward to being part of your community. I have just subscribed.
Welcome aboard! It can be a bit intimidating when you start chickens. You'll learn a lot very quickly. If you have questions, or need help, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to help! Cheers!
Hello! I just found your page. I’m a new chicken owner! I have 6 Speckled Sussex chicks. I have to estimate their age because TSC didn’t know their age. I think they are about 3 weeks old. As far as layers, they can produce 250+ a year. I believe their eggs are more medium sized, but they are so sweet and definitely a lap chicken. I’m so excited to see them grow. Thank you so much for all of the information. Maybe I will be able to check out the breeds you mentioned one day.
One breed at a time. Learn about your new chicks and how to care for them best. Once you get the hang of it, add a few more breeds. If you have any questions, or need help, don't hesitate to reach out - oldswedesfarm@gmail.com. Have a great weekend Jovanne!
Hi guys! Well you know I love the Isa Browns, that’s what we have and we are so pleased with them too!! But I do love the look of the sapphire splash, so pretty! Great to see these beautiful girls displayed so beautifully!! Hope your egg season goes really well!! Much love guys xx 🌸💓🌻💐
I know nothing, but it sure is interesting to listen to someone that knows their stuff!! You are a scholar my friend!! Keep up the great work!! Hello to the Mrs for me, way late I am!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸😁😁👍👍 Cheers my friend!!
Thanks for stopping by and watching! We're going to do an entire series devoted to you and getting you & your wife some chickens! We'll just point out all the things to do and you just need to pick them up at the hatchery! We're going to get you two into chickens by next year! Holly says hello! Cheers!
You make awesome videos. Show and tell explaining what, why, how, etc.... very informative. I don't have chickens anymore, however I still enjoy them when ever I can ... sometimes only through videos. I went fishing and when I stopped at a small store for some ice a bunch of chickens surrounded my car in the parking lot while I was inside. It was a hoot of laughs when I came back out trying to get back in the car. They must have gotten used to getting treats from customers. Love your channel.
I'm glad you love the videos. If you have ideas for videos, let us know! We were in Hawaii, and they have lots of feral chickens on the islands. We stopped at a small food stand and had the same situation as you. It was as if they knew we had chickens at home. We ended up feeding them some wheat bread we had from a sandwich. I did shoot one video of chickens in the park in Honolulu (Jan 22) if you want to find it. It's amazing how big our hens are versus those tropical breeds! Thanks for stopping by!
I wonder how far you are from Beresford South Dakota. Good video. I agree. I love the barred rock as well. Just the nicest. We are breeding barred rock, golden comets, black stars, Rhode Island, reds, etc. and others. But we’re cranking out the golden comments. Going after egg cells. They lay an egg a day.
Looks like we are 180 miles from you. The Comets are egg machines! If I had to add a third breed, after the Rocks and ISA Browns, I'd add the Comets. Great layers and great disposition. Good luck with the breeding program. Keep us updated! Cheers Tod!
The Rocks are incredible! We love them! Ours are from Hoover's (as I said in my previous comment). If you go to Hoover's, I know you'll be happy. We've ordered Rocks on three occasions and we've always been happy with their disposition and laying. Cheers!
We have never had an Australorp, but we've heard good things about them. We'll look into them. Check out the ISA's for egg production. The Calico's are great layers and really can hunt (mouse killers!). Thanks for stopping by to watch! Cheers!
Have to add Wyandottes to the list...280 eggs a year, good attitude, not lap chickens but mind their own business unless confronted. A little loud, but one of the best cold weather birds out there, and beautiful coloration to boot.
I have had Isa Browns and Plymouth Barred Rocks among 7 other breeds. The Rocks are winter layers and the Isa don't seem to go broody ever. I would never recommend a feather footed bird for my hot, humid summers but Brahmas are amazing gentle birds suited for cooler climates. Good list, Cheers from Ontario, Can!
Thanks for watching and for your comments! We love the ISA's and Rocks! Great layers all year. I have no interest in the feather footed hens. I just feel it would bring in more dirt and mess. Thanks again for watching. Stay warm!!! Cheers!
Our favorite is White leghorns. Crazy breeders. A White Leghorn chicken can lay between 280 and 320 white eggs per year. They are known for being one of the most prolific egg-laying breeds and are often used in commercial egg production. White Leghorn chickens are heat tolerant, but they are more heat tolerant than cold hardy. Though they can be skittish in a coop setting, White Leghorns are friendly, active, and alert. Hens rarely go broody in this breed and the roosters are very good at protecting their flock as they free range.
We haven't looked at the White Leghorns due to the extreme cold up here. We're not sure how they'd do. We'd love to have the numbers but the cold can be intense for weeks in Jan/Feb. Cheers Susan!
I have 5 ISAs and they are amazing layers and we just got 3 Barred Plymouth Rocks this spring. The Plymouths aren’t laying yet but as for friendly? VERY! I have one hen in particular who LOVES to jump up in my shoulder! We call her Velcro because she wants to be stuck to is! Great breed!
The Rocks are really friendly and we have a few that want to help us on every project. Great hens. The ISA's just don't stop laying and lay for us year 'round. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!
That's a great list. I would put my Black Astralorps in there as well. I've only ever raised them with Isa Browns. If I sat on a bucket they would hop up on my lap. Great info. Thanks
Thank you for sharing this informative episode of your beautiful chickens. One of my favorite chicken videos on your channel. The variety of colors and breeds of your chickens are just joyful to watch. 🙏☺️🌻
do your barred rocks and black sex links lay the same size brown eggs ? what size eggs do those two lay in the first year and what size during their second year of laying . thanks
Both breeds lay L or XL eggs. Once they get rid of the little starter eggs, they are consistent for all their years (we've found). Every now & then we get a monster egg, but they seem to be pretty consistent. Hope this helps. Cheers Brenda!
ISA BROWNS lay almost EVERY day and Large/XL Brown eggs!!! My number 1 laying hen!!! You RIGHT!!! GOOD LAYER HENS!!! The GOLDEN COMETS right up there with ISA BROWNS!!! GET YOU SOME!!!
We have one Golden Comet. We got it as an exchange as one chick died in transit. Maybe we'll get some more next season. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! Cheers!
Thanks for the great video, and for actually showing us your girls. We currently have several different breeds and are looking to possibly get some Sapphire Gem or Sapphire Splash. I saw you had videos about both. Any thoughts/preference?
We would never get a Sapphire Gem again. They turn into bullies as they age. They just pick on others. The Sapphire Splash are beautiful and lay very regularly. They are also very calm and great around other people. Hope that helps. Cheers!
@@jshack7851 Glad it helped! I think you'll be really happy with the Splash. Thanks for subbing. If we can ever help, feel free to reach out! Let's just pray for spring!! Cheers!
Barred rocks are one of my fave breeds. And have had good experience with Black Sex link and Golden Buff (I believe is same as ISA Brown). I have had Sapphire Gems but not heard of Sapphire Splash. I want some of those! They are so pretty!!!
The Splash are very gentle. We've got several who tug at our jeans every time we head into the barn. They just want to be petted and get some attention. They are very docile. Their varied plumage is gorgeous. You'll enjoy them! Thanks for watching and commenting!
If you have BPRocks and can obtain a quality RIR male breed him to them and you will get your own Black Sex Link Hybrid. Our parent birds are Bred to Standard and the BSL from the cross makes not only for a high producing egg layer but the surplus birds especially the BSL cockerels can be grown out and then finished for harvesting at 16-22 weeks with a very nice large carcass.
Does any one can recommend chicken breed that is both good egg layer and goes broody as well? I know New Hampshirite red and Wyandotte fall into that category. Any other breeds?
We've had Buff Orpingtons that went broody very often. They are known as great Moms! I don't know about the NH Reds or Wyandotte. We want production and no one to be broody! Hope this helps!
They are great chickens. We're so happy with our hens! If you love the name, you'll have to check out our video on the naming of the Old Swede's Farm. Check it out and let me know what you think. Cheers Sonja!
Each hen has a different comb. Some are large and many "fingers." Some stick up and some lean a bit. Others fall to the side. I figured it was just one of the hens trying to look cool! We've had several breeds that had a comb leaning. I think it's just the individual hen. If you hear otherwise, please let me know.
Thank you! I love my buff Orpington s but when we add to our small flock; I’d love some Plymouth Rocks!! We don’t need huge production (just 2 of us and 3 birds currently) but sweet personalities are a must
You'll love the Rocks! Great hens and great production! We had Buffs but they were always broody. Just not worth the time. Beautiful hens, and friendly but always broody! Thanks for stopping by!
Hey Holly and Rich...another fantastic video...talking about crossbred/sex link chickens...farmers have been crossbreeding beef cattle and hogs for years for feed efficiency, health and great temperments. I have many relatives that are grain and livestock farmers that do this with livestock and have done this for years and have had excellent results. I am still looking for my place in the country and when I get it chickens will be at the top of the list. Thank you for providing such helpful information. Keep up the great work!!
I would bet every animal has been cross bred to produce better animals. I'm not sure I could do that. I don't have the room. Keep us posted on your place in the country! When it happens, we'll be here to help! Thanks for stopping by!
Great list! Power layers are where it is at if you’re looking for production like we both are. If you have the ability to turn your flock over that is. Great info friends!
I know you're not crazy about the Rhode Island Reds because of their attitudes, but they are great layers. That's why people crossbreed them to get that egg production. We love their personalities. They can be sassy little girls, but I adore how excited they get and start talking to me when they see me in the yard.
There is no doubt that the RIR's can produce a lot of eggs each year. We had RIR hens for years (still have three). The attitude just overshadows the production. They just pick on the others too much. I'm glad yours have been good. Ours were not good. If they could lose the attitude, they would've made the list. Cheers Doug!
I’m raising ISA browns and golden comets right now. When they get big enough for the coop, i’m getting barred rocks and more ISA browns. Your hens are huge. What percent protein are you feeding them and where are you getting your feed?
yes on both the top 1's!!! those are some of my girls!! but i also got some rhode island reds great in winter...summer not so much...those girls like to sit on the cold rocks in the water mode to cool off.
Glad we're in agreement! We're just tired of the attitude from the RIR's. We'll just keep going with Barred Rocks and ISA Browns. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
Great info thanks for sharing. We've made it to our homestead busy first week. Stuck the camper in the mud pulling in. As soon as internet is hooked up we have something to put out. Take care and be safe.
I need 2 of those Black Star birds, please! Or the Bard Plymoth Rock. Really, I need 2! Oh my goodness, they are all beauties. This was such an incredibly helpful video. Thank you two for putting this together!
You would love the Black Star or the Barred Plymouth Rocks. They are great layers and are incredibly beautiful hens. Great eggs and they give you great garden fertilizer!! A win-win! Cheers Sheree!
@@AtHomeWithSheree When do you get your chicks? I believe we get ours on April 15th. Once we get the snow to melt, if you'd like to come down and look at the coops, and ask questions, we'll help you all we can! If you have questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to ask! We're here to help!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm I should have mine around the same time-Wed the 18th! I bought everything in December and it’s been sitting in my garage since January waiting to be assembled outside so I can have my coop inspection before it’s time to put them out. I’ll definitely reach out if I have questions, I’m sure I will. I especially want to be prepared for when it gets cold. I might have to do a coop upgrade or reinforcements. We shall see! I had a huge oak tree taken down that was dead and next to my garden. So there is a nice big space for them. But I need the snow to melt to get out there. I’m really getting antsy now. I’m so glad I saw you on that one chicken panel video. I was so scared to go for it as I just thought it was too cold here for backyard chickens.
@@AtHomeWithSheree We can definitely have chickens up here. They can be outside all year. No heat is needed. Make sure there is a windbreak as chickens don't do well in a cold breeze. Cold air, no problem. We'll talk and we can walk you through setting up. Have a great weekend!
If you need help, just drop us a note. We're here to help! We hope our videos will help as well. We've tried to cover a LOT of topics regarding chickens. Thanks for watching Granny! Cheers!
Great picks ! Isa Brown / red sexlink/Cinnamon Queen which are all pretty much the same and very similar, Black sexlink and Ancona are my favorites. I like looks as well as egg pumpers.
Isa Brown are awesome and maybe the best egg layers, but boy, they are bullies towards other chickens and to me the harmony in the flock is a must. My favorite breed is Buff Orpingtons which I adore for their fluffy looks and sweet disposition towards me and chickens. They even keep the peace in the flock without being a bully themselves.
We had Buffs but they just went broody. We kept one that would actually lay. Our ISA's have been perfect hens. Great production and they are easy going hens. I've wondered if hens from different hatcheries have different attitudes. It's funny how different they act. Thanks for stopping by to watch!
We had ten Buffs and nine went broody constantly. They just took up nesting boxes and got in the way. We sold nine to other Farms that wanted a broody hen. Kept one that was so kind, gentle and laid about 4-5 times a week. Beautiful hens but just don't lay enough for us. If we were going to raise chicks, I'd use a Buff.
We get day-old chicks from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa. They deliver to our local feed store. We order, they deliver. So far we've never had an issue with them. Cheers!
I love this video!! Thank you for reviewing your favorite breeds. Do you know who lays what well enough to show the eggs of each breed? I know who lays the welsummer egg... (and it turns out those are always my smallest eggs) and who lay the olive egger eggs (by far the largest) but I don't know which of my hens lay the other brown eggs (from almost white to medium brown). I wanted darker brown eggs. But it's not turned out that way. So I'm wondering if you can show some of your darker brown eggs and if you know which breed lays them. Of course... I don't know why I'm asking. I. DO. NOT. HAVE. ROOM. FOR. MORE. CHICKENS. hahahahahaha.
We need to get a team together and build you a larger coop this summer! The ISA Browns lay a darker brown egg. The rest lay a lighter brown egg. The ISA's lay early in the morning. They're all done when I head out at 8am for the first pick-up! Cheers Dawn!!
I have 5 breeds in my flock and my Rhode Island reds are wonderfully friendly. Everyone gets along. Buffs, barred rock,Americana, Rhodes, Wyandotte. All these birds are roughly 10-13 lbs. all super layers. Do not over produce them in winter.
I think each hatchery has a different strain of each bird and they are slightly different. Our Reds were nasty and others have claimed the same from our hatchery. Glad yours all get along. It sure makes life better in the coop!! Cheers!
It might have made a difference that all our babies are hand raised in the house by a lot of people/ children . Until fully feathered before going into the coop. And then they get scooped up and hugged willingly or not there after.🤣
I loooove my Barred rocks ❤️ they’re so friendly and my first layers of my flock (new-ish chicken mom). Love your list! I second the guy whose talking about black australorps, I want some! Hear they’re amazing layers and really docile, even the roosters. According to Mike at The Fit Farmer 🤗.
We will look into the Australorps and try to learn more about them this season. Maybe they will be our next breed to try! We keep hearing good things. I'm glad you're loving the Rocks and they are producing for you. How many hens do you have now? Thanks for stopping by Laura!! Have a great weekend!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm we have 10 hens and 1 rooster :). 4 barred rocks, 3 buff orpingtons, 2 dark Brahma hens and that’s also the rooster, and one Rhode Island Red. I think the fact that the Rhode is solo makes her less sassy perhaps 😂. Take care over there in Minnesota!
@@lauraorsorichmond Maybe that's the secret to Rhode Island Red management....keep them on their own! Good luck with your flock. They sound like a lively group! Cheers Laura!
Barred Rock is a must. We have a tiny backyard flock and 2 of the 3 BRs will "puff" up against our cats and Pits (that don't pay them any mind) but we like that they seem to be a bit on the tougher side. They lay great (no forcing in winter.) We had 2 Australorps that were great and will get again, great layers and heat tolerant. Ameraucana (we have 1) not a good layer and has eaten a lot of eggs, thin shells. She laid a double yolker when young and her production after that has been sporadic. Pretty eggs when we get them but not again.
We've never had the Australorps (heard good things about them) or the Ameraucana. We just want eggs, eggs, eggs. It's funny that your BR will puff up and stand up to the other animals! Thanks for stopping by!!
This was out first year win hens and we have 5 ISAs….they are rockstars for laying. Most days I get at least 4..I have several 5 egg days per week. And they are so fun to raise. We just added 3 Plymouths and 4 Buff Orpingtons…excited to see what this year will bring!
The ISA's sure are great layers! You will love the Rocks! They will be in the nests almost as often as the ISA Browns. We got rid of our Buffs. They all went broody and wouldn't lay. We ended up selling them to farms that needed broody hens. The Buffs are beautiful but they just went broody and weren't adding to our production. Thanks for commenting Alison! Cheers!
Good Morning Rich and Hollie! I am so glad you shared this, I have the Plymouth Barred rocks, buff Orpingtons, Blue Plymouth rocks and Easter eggers. These are the only ones I could get I had an option on silkies but didn’t want them. Not many options here and there is a waiting list for chicks and chick breeds. One of my barred rocks is special and she has melted my heart. Way too cute and sweet. Love her. I am looking forward to eggs and selling eggs along with my CSA. Have a blessed day Happy Spring and stay warm! 🙏🏻🇺🇸. Wendy
We've never had the Blue Rocks or the EE's. Our Buffs went broody all the time so we sold them to farms that wanted broody hens. The Rocks are a special breed. We love them and they are some of the best lap chickens. You're gonna love them! Your CSA people will love the eggs! Have a great week, Wendy!
We have never had the Sussex. We had Buff's. Beautiful hens, and very friendly, but they were always broody. We had ten Buffs and sold them as adults to farms that wanted a broody hen. Just not worth the time, in our opinion. Thanks for stopping by Natalie!
Thanks, Rich. These videos are super helpful. The BPR are beautiful. Here's a dumb question- do all breeds eat the same amount of food ? I think they would, but not sure. People rave about the Ophitons (sorry, probably butchered that, lol). I noticed you don't. Could be a regional/ climate thing, too ? Cheers 🌱
I believe they all eat the same, although we've got breeds that are all similar in size. You hear a lot about Orpingtons. We had Buff Orpingtons (big tan birds). They are beautiful but they are broody, meaning they want to sit on the nest 24 hours a day and they want to hatch eggs, not lay them. We ended up selling them to other farms that wanted to hatch chicks. We'll probably never have another Orpinton. Hope this helps. Cheers!
I totally laughed out loud when you said 100° Rich. I love the breeds you have chosen as favorites. But I'm a "hatch em myself" type gal and most of mine are crosses of this that and another. Mostly because I like egg color variety.
We hit 100 most summers and many days in the mid to high 90's. We don't have the space to hatch them so we just buy the chicks. I also don't want to deal with roosters!! Thanks for stopping by Gwen!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm I was recently reading about Minnesota temps, and it said there had only been like 67 days recorded at 100° in the last 30 some odd years. (Twin Cities area). Wanna Trade?
@@BroqueCowgirlHomestead Maybe we don't hit 100 often but we have weeks in the mid to high 90's. It's muggy and hot. Right now I'd trade you!! It's 32 and snowing (again)!
@TheOldSwedesFarm Haha no thank you on that 32° trade. It's a balmy 75° today, overcast, so nice. Edit: Make that 80°... had to turn on the fan in the barn.
Could you show a basket of eggs for the size and color color Do you use roosters Do you incubate to raise your own flock What do what do you. Use as shell nutrient AND yolk taste York c o lor?
Egg production is very important as well as temperament. Another thing to consider is different breeds of chickens are suited better for different climates. Chickens with little or no combs do better in very cold, chickens with very high Combs are better suited for hot temperatures because that's how they dissipate heat. If you live where you do Minnesota you can experience heat and cold so it's kind of a double-edged sword. As long as your chickens can get out of the cold in the winter or you have a way to keep them warmer a large comb chicken will be fine. But if someone doesn't their combs can get frostbit and they'll turn black. I grew up in northern Michigan and we always had chickens that had little or no Combs. As far as what I've got here in Kentucky I've got some of both I've got white leghorns which are great egg layers have very large Combs I have golden comments which have medium-sized Combs and a couple different varieties of Easter eggers some have combs some don't. I know they say you shouldn't heat a coop but this winter when we got down into the minus degree temperatures I did put a heat lamp in my coupe that was secured. The chickens seemed to appreciate it.
Our girls all have nice thick coats to handle the cold. They've handled -25f several times. We get some frostbite, but it is minor and seems to grow back in the summer. We're good about keeping a LOT of water around in the summer to keep them cool. Our deep litter keeps them warm all winter too. So far all our breeds have handled the varied weather very well. Thanks for stopping by again, and commenting! Have a great weekend!
We did name them but maybe I said it too fast. Here is the list: Tied for #3: Calico Princess & Sapphire Splash, #2: Black Sexlink, Tied for #1: ISA Brown & Barred Plymouth Rock. Hope this helps. Cheers Susan!
i narrowed mine down to barred rock and buff orpington. but i will say my ultimate laying chicken was the white leghorn! so many eggs from such a small breed, but everyone wants brown eggs so…
We have never had the leghorn. We got rid of the Orpington as they all went broody. The laying just wasn't good. You will be very pleased with the Barred Rocks. Thanks for stopping by and watching!
I watched your video and typed out a lengthy comment, but it was on the page of a different video that popped up after yours so you would have to go there to read it. HA I basically said that I agree that ISA Browns are the best period for laying eggs. I'm 71 and have had a lot of breeds in my time. The last flock of Barred Rocks were not that great. They didn't lay early, never laid very large eggs, and several wanted to go broody. Maybe I just got some with bad genes. I don't consider any breed that goes broody a good production bird. You lose too much time getting them over the broodiness and it's a lot of trouble. The other comment went to the Little Hollow Homestead if you want to read that one. It's about my breeding experiences to obtain a create a sustainable ISA Brown flock by crossbreeding. The video was titled "Top 9 Best Chicken Breeds ..........."
I'll go check out your other comment. We've never had a Rock go broody and we've had them for four years. Love the Rocks and ISA Browns. Thanks for stopping by to watch and add your thoughts and wisdom to the discussion! Cheers Ron!
We order our chicks through Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa. I would assume most of these breeds are available at most hatcheries. The Barred Plymouth Rocks are very common. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing! I just started my flock of 12 chicks 3 weeks ago. I have Easter eggers, Olive egger, Isa brown, barred Plymouth Rock, buff Orpingtons, black australorp, Salmon Faverolle, speckled sussex, cream legbar. Hope they are all great chickens. I live in Northwest Indiana so we need cold hardy chickens.
Wow! You got a big variety pack! We've only had three of those breeds so my experience is limited. Let us know how they all do. I'll be interested to hear! Good luck with the flock. If we can help in any way, don't hesitate to reach out. Cheers!
We do not. We get all our chicks from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa. They ship to our local feed store. Contact Hoover's and they may be able to help you. Cheers Ruth!
Let me think on that. It would be such an opinion piece. I'm trying to think about how to present the material. Our needs and wants with our hens are different from others so the hens we want/need will be different. Let me think on this. What are your needs and how would you want us to present this?
@@TheOldSwedesFarm well I have 4 & outta the 4 my golden comet is the sweetest & good natured. My easter egger, barred rock, & sapphire gem are all bullies. If I'd of known 7 months ago what I know now I would've gotten only golden comets. Goldie follows me like a puppy, lets me hold her just very docile & vocal. She is a joy. I wasn't sure how many breeds you had access to just curious by what you've dealt with. I've never had chickens so this is all new to me, any info even opinion wise would be appreciated.
@@darlene5621 We've had about 11 or 12 breeds so we've got some opinions. Some of our opinions cross over your breeds. I agree with the Golden Comet. Great layer and great attitude. I do not know Easter Eggers. The Sapphire Gems can be nasty. I wouldn't get them again. I think the Rocks are great. I'm wondering if your Rock is more aggressive because of the Gem? We had one that was aggressive when the Gems and Rhode Island Reds were around. When we eliminated those two breeds, she really mellowed out. When you add more hens, I'd add another couple Comets and a couple Rocks. You could also add a couple ISA Browns. You'd have a well-behaved group of great layers!!
Listing the best breeds is nice. But it really depends on where you get the chickens from. For instance, you could pick out Rhode Island reds from five different hatcheries. And you could get five completely different chickens. From egg production to personality you would never know you have the same breed. So if you have a bad experience with one breed, I wouldn't necessarily write them off forever. Try them from a different source. You might be surprised.
I've wondered that. If the various hatcheries have different "strains" of the same breed. I wondered if they would behave different. I looked but never saw a study on this. Our RIR's were so nasty. We've had such good luck with Hoover's Hatchery that I never want to change. Maybe I need to get the same breed from two hatcheries and raise them separate. Then I can look at them and find out. OR do this with a friend and keep them separate and compile data. Great comment! Thanks for watching and adding your thoughts!!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm there used to be four different stores in my area that sold chicks and they came from four different hatcheries. That's how I realized this.q sometimes the chicken would live up to its breed standard, and other times it wasn't even close. for instance, I've never had a nasty Rhode Island red. But I've heard that Plymouth rocks can be terrible but the ones I've had have been good. So I guess I'm saying that if people have a bad experience with a breed maybe try that breed from a different place and see how it works out.
@@nogames8982 Really interesting. Thanks for sharing all this. It is a really unique topic and I'm not sure I have the space to learn more about this. It would be fun to get five of the same breed from each hatchery and see how they act. Maybe they have become sub-breeds of the main breed by breeding them, over time, at the various hatcheries. Great comment! Thanks again for stopping by to comment! Cheers!
Your Red and White (Icea Brown) is called a Golden Star in our area...I just got 3 September 2022 and have 4 more in my Brooder Box. The three I got last Sept are egg laying machines! I was to teach two of them to fly up on my forearm to eat snacks. I'm sure they would be less jumpy if I didn't have a 4yo Buff Orrington who rules over all my hens. I also have 3 Plymouth Rocks in the Brooder. I have small odd numbers because chicks don't last very long at any of the feed stores! One thing I have learned about chicken breeds. If you are going to have carryover hens from the previous year, don't add Gray Brahma chickens to your flock! They are too passive and everyone will pick on them! Plus you have a huge chicken that lays small eggs. The only Gray Brahma I have left, I got in September too. So she is young but her eggs are by far the smallest.
I don't know much about the Gray Brahma. You're right about the Golden Star/ISA Browns being egg laying machines! You're going to love the Rocks! They are so nice and friendly. Keep us updated on your flock! Cheers!
My favorite were the Buff Orpingtons. But this time I ordered 50 Novogen Browns. They look like the Buffs, they lay huge eggs, they lay an average of 395 eggs a year and they are supposed to be very sweet birds. Talk about a crazy bird. But they were also engineered towards egg production. It’ll be interesting!
I'll have to look into them. 395 eggs seems high as hens can only lay one per day. I'll check this. Thanks for making me aware of this breed! Cheers Katy!
The one that I have had the most trouble with has been the buff Orpington. I will go out and they will have just drop dead. No warning. Nothing. That being said, they are great egg layers, and their eggs are rather big. I think that’s probably why they have some trouble. My thought is that they get egg bound. Other than that, I really do like the breed.
We had Buffs but they were all broody. Constantly. They just wanted to sit on a nest. We sold all but one. She laid frequently and was great to have around. Beautiful birds but not great layers like our other breeds. We've been lucky and have never had an egg bound hen. Thanks for stopping by to watch! Cheers Jan!
I'm not caring about just egg production, I like Buff Orpingtons, I am starting out with that breed, ill get back to you on how much I like or don't like maybe later, but my goal is neat production and they DO go broody and raise their own, and are dual purpose, eggs are not a problem around here cuz SO MANY ppl HAVE backyard chickens, so looking to raise and butcher for meat...so thats my take...don't need an egg business although I already have egg customers and they've not started to lay yet...lol
We had ten Buffs. We ended up selling nine as they were constantly broody and we sold them to farms that needed a broody hen. We kept one Buff as she would actually lay. If I could buy one Buff, I would. Beautiful but not worth the hassle of constant broodiness. I hope they work for you Judi! Cheers!
Rich and Holly, Mrs. Betty and I need a breed of chickens that like children and dogs, are less likely to be attractive to foxes, coyotes and other predators and safe to free range…to let forage around The Ole Church from time to time. Does such a breed exist? Good egg production is a must too.
I can't change the predator threat although the dog may help keep some of them away. The breeds highlighted are great with children. Dogs can be tough as they have an instinct to take out the chickens. You may need a fenced run for the chickens with the coop in the middle.
The only one on your list that I’ve ever had is the barred rock - she is definitely one of our most consistent layers, and very friendly! I may have to try some of the other breeds you mentioned in the future.
They're all beautiful birds but the hybrids have a tendency to only lay great the 1st year or so. Many of these high-producing chickens end up egg bound or prolapse as they get a little older. It's really sad. The Barred Rocks are good birds depending on strain - some are real bullies! I've been raising chickens for 45+ years and wish I hadn't sold some of my Barred Rocks, Australorps, and RIRs. They were from awesome older lines; I should have kept them for their offspring instead of venturing into other breeds which only led me back to BR, A/L, RIRs.
We have sure had great luck (for years and years now) with the ISA Browns. The Rocks we've had have been so gentle and sweet. We get them from Hoover's Hatchery and this strain seems to be gentle. The RIR's were complete bullies. Great layers but we'd never get them again due to attitude. We need to look into the Australorps. Cheers!
I like the black sex links too. We got our first ones 2 years ago. I picked up 5 this year. The only new girls to our flock this year so far. I may need to try some isa browns.
It's all in the title. Egg layers with great attitude. Our Reds were the thugs of the group. They would pick on everyone and were not nice birds. We don't have any room for bullies in our flock.
My Gen2 Fayogiants averaged 75g. Maxing at over 86 gram. They lay biggest eggs when u need thm most. Winter. Thats when I would breed. *FAYO GIANT CHICKEN BREED FACTS* I made new breed Fayo Giant chicken breed. I began by using 4premium strains Jersey Giant fed diet unlike any other@ a cost of $1,000 per bird. That 1st year I averaged 75g vs 64g egg size2 yeild bigger stronger chick& fertility rose 35%. Chickens get locked in DNA/color/shape gene pools like dogs due to ludicrous "Standards of "Perfection" rule. Crossbreeding dog makes much better dog. So, 1st I corrected this problem with 4Jersey bloods. Chicken feed currently limits protein so egg not too big to fit a carton = tiny chickens we have today vs 25lbs 1900. Feed is 20% innocuous brutal to digest seed coat saps chicken energy 2digest vs my birds ate 50% meat bone hide fur fish scales organs & all with greens salt spices garlic wood ash, sugar& sprouted oily dry corn. My Jersey Giant initial new breed Gen1 emphasis focused on massive bigger then ave. leg strains 2forage much deeper with energy efficient calm demeanor they are tractors. They get many more insects. Initial cost Gen1 averaged $28 an egg these breeders eggs av. 64g with horrendous 45% fertility due to inferior feeds. Diet was key my eggs became huge thru diet unlike any other. Chicks became muscular Secretariats. Best? Facts: ...6 of my Gen2 birds yielded 9lbs fat = as much calories as 175lb deer in 6 months. No other bird touches this. Chest cavity packed with 1lb premium organ fat prized by chefs & 1/2 lb fat riddled thru meat like wagyu beef. Did u know oil = #1 killer of off grid survivalists. Human organs begin fail in 1 week without oil = why people died en mass depression eating fat free rabbits. Oil is basically non existent on farms & in nature it is manufactured product only. No money = no oil. Chicken fat th oil of all oils the cullinary chef leverage king of kings. My moto is delete money. I bred my Gen2 with a Fayo Giant Gen1 rooster. A STUNNING bird unlike anything I have ever seen. He would knock on door jump on my arm come in at night, yet guarded thflock like a master sheep dog he owned thfarm. Pure Fayoumis by far most intelligent dog like birds. This trait stuck with my Fayo Giants u can discern th intelligence just looking @their eyes. Fayo roosters tolerate each other yet are fierce regarding hens THEY NEED 2B. Thus was born my Gen 3 Fayo Giants. Fayomis mature fastest crowing 4.5 months with legendary disease resistance& lay earliest on minimal protein. Streamlined, refined Hondas vs my original Gen1 Jersey as a clunky cumbersome loose fitting Ford. My garden engines: Premium diet = superiour (fall only) manure 4garden I use zero fertilizers just thick mulch & my birds. All thworlds problems can be solved in thgarden no other farm animal can make bread& cookies& pastries& gives u meat (eggs) every day while continues work 4u. Fayoumis were eaten by Egyptian Pharoahs. They lived wild thousands of years till today. My Fayo Giants just from cmpletely dffrnt next level factory. Immediately they strike u as a wolf vs a Jersey Giant being a big inferior design domestic dog. Friendly yet fiercely street wise &independent. I have no inerest in raising breeding birds. I live on food forests I build& sell& I coined thword. People breeding grossly inferior birds using "Standard of Perfection." It stifles suffocates gene pool while on crippling feeds with deliberate protein ceiling/all across thboard methods my velociraptors told me absolutely dont work. This has cost me absolutely massive losses with 40 incredibly dreadful teeny tiny tuff bad tasting breeds. 15hour days 1.5 years yeided my Gen1 Fayo-Giant.
Looking for hens for great egg production? Here are our recommendations for the hens to add to your flock. Let us know your thoughts.
Okay what okay what kind of hens do I need to get for a lot of eggs
So what do I need to do what do I need to do to get them lay again something I have all kind of different only just quit laying and they are very young they will not lay eggs they were doing good when they start laying eggs they started doing well for a walk with since they start at the beginning a couple weeks later no more eggs what went wrong
@@georgemcintyre-mi7jg We're getting 40 this spring (for egg production) and we're getting 20 Barred Plymouth Rock and 20 ISA Brown.
@@georgemcintyre-mi7jg Ours never stop laying. We have light in the barn from 6am - 10pm. We feed them Purina Layer feed with 16% protein. Laying is all dependent on light and good feed. I hope this helps!
Okay where do you get your Purina chicken food I think that's what I need to change to where do I get that kind of food and where do you get it
I blundered in to the egg business a few years ago and I'm constantly considering breeds for my next expansion. Thanks for the recommendations.
There are a lot of breeds out there, and a lot of good breeds. For our money, these are the best of the layers and good dispositions! Thanks for stopping by Malissia!
I have four Rhode Island Red hens. So far they are very productive layers. They've slowed down a bit for the winter but they make wonderful pets also. They are very friendly.
We had Reds and they were great layers. They had bad attitudes and would pick on everyone else. Some have said that their Reds are very docile. I think it is the hatchery you get them from. It just wasn't worth it for us. As soon as we got rid of the Red, the flock relaxed and it was more enjoyable for everyone! Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment!
I heartily agree about the Barred Plymouth Rocks being great chickens. Friendly, good layer good attitude and curious as cats.
I’m a backyard “chicken tender”with five hens. Fun to interact with and a fairly quiet bird. Mine don’t sing the hen laying song. I’m so happy that these are the hens I chose.
Thanks for joining us Grandma! We love our Rocks. I've been thinking about the Rocks and their song. I think ours started to use the Egg Laying Song but I don't think ours sing it anymore. I'll be more aware of it now and listen for it. Cheers!
We have a variety of chickens as well! Thank you for the information!
It's nice having a bunch of different breeds and watching them (and comparing them). Keep us informed of your favorites. Cheers!
Good evening Y’all all, I came across your video by mistake and am so glad. 14 days ago I aquired seven chickins and a coup. I have a lot to learn so am looking forward to being part of your community. I have just subscribed.
Welcome aboard! It can be a bit intimidating when you start chickens. You'll learn a lot very quickly. If you have questions, or need help, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to help! Cheers!
My two favorites too!!
Our top two are your favorites? We love hearing everyone's opinions. Let us know if it's our top two, or another two. Cheers!
Hello! I just found your page. I’m a new chicken owner! I have 6 Speckled Sussex chicks. I have to estimate their age because TSC didn’t know their age. I think they are about 3 weeks old. As far as layers, they can produce 250+ a year. I believe their eggs are more medium sized, but they are so sweet and definitely a lap chicken. I’m so excited to see them grow. Thank you so much for all of the information. Maybe I will be able to check out the breeds you mentioned one day.
One breed at a time. Learn about your new chicks and how to care for them best. Once you get the hang of it, add a few more breeds. If you have any questions, or need help, don't hesitate to reach out - oldswedesfarm@gmail.com. Have a great weekend Jovanne!
Hi guys! Well you know I love the Isa Browns, that’s what we have and we are so pleased with them too!! But I do love the look of the sapphire splash, so pretty! Great to see these beautiful girls displayed so beautifully!! Hope your egg season goes really well!! Much love guys xx 🌸💓🌻💐
The eggs continue to flow! If we can get some warm weather, the hens will love to get outside! Have a great week, Anita!
Awesome! Greeting from Germany
Thanks for stopping by Maria! Cheers!
Great video!! Totally sharing because everyone needs to see this!
Thank you for sharing! We appreciate the support! Cheers Monica!
Good one
Thank you for watching and commenting! We appreciate you! Cheers!
It was real market research!
Obviously, there is a result. Now we need a real diploma of a connoisseur of chicken families! Great job!
We'll work on the graduate level courses for your diploma!! Have a great week!
I know nothing, but it sure is interesting to listen to someone that knows their stuff!! You are a scholar my friend!! Keep up the great work!! Hello to the Mrs for me, way late I am!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸😁😁👍👍 Cheers my friend!!
Thanks for stopping by and watching! We're going to do an entire series devoted to you and getting you & your wife some chickens! We'll just point out all the things to do and you just need to pick them up at the hatchery! We're going to get you two into chickens by next year! Holly says hello! Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤣🤣😂😂😂😂 Yes sir always!! Sometimes Late though
You make awesome videos. Show and tell explaining what, why, how, etc.... very informative. I don't have chickens anymore, however I still enjoy them when ever I can ... sometimes only through videos. I went fishing and when I stopped at a small store for some ice a bunch of chickens surrounded my car in the parking lot while I was inside. It was a hoot of laughs when I came back out trying to get back in the car. They must have gotten used to getting treats from customers. Love your channel.
I'm glad you love the videos. If you have ideas for videos, let us know! We were in Hawaii, and they have lots of feral chickens on the islands. We stopped at a small food stand and had the same situation as you. It was as if they knew we had chickens at home. We ended up feeding them some wheat bread we had from a sandwich. I did shoot one video of chickens in the park in Honolulu (Jan 22) if you want to find it. It's amazing how big our hens are versus those tropical breeds! Thanks for stopping by!
I wonder how far you are from Beresford South Dakota. Good video. I agree. I love the barred rock as well. Just the nicest. We are breeding barred rock, golden comets, black stars, Rhode Island, reds, etc. and others. But we’re cranking out the golden comments. Going after egg cells. They lay an egg a day.
Looks like we are 180 miles from you. The Comets are egg machines! If I had to add a third breed, after the Rocks and ISA Browns, I'd add the Comets. Great layers and great disposition. Good luck with the breeding program. Keep us updated! Cheers Tod!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm I love them for profitability
Thank You, your vid was great, I got the same objectives that you mentioned in your vid.
Great minds think alike! Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! Cheers Dennis!
I also like the Plymouth BARD rocks. I don't have any right now, but next year I plan to get a couple. I've had them in the past and they are great.
The Rocks are incredible! We love them! Ours are from Hoover's (as I said in my previous comment). If you go to Hoover's, I know you'll be happy. We've ordered Rocks on three occasions and we've always been happy with their disposition and laying. Cheers!
These are a few great options! I have some of these.
I've seen a few in your flock. We love these five. Such nice ladies! Cheers Cady!
Black Australorp is my number one breed! Your list was very helpful. I have never had Isa Brown or Calico Princess.
We have never had an Australorp, but we've heard good things about them. We'll look into them. Check out the ISA's for egg production. The Calico's are great layers and really can hunt (mouse killers!). Thanks for stopping by to watch! Cheers!
Great list! Appreciate the info! 😊❤
I hope it helps. If you ever need help with chickens, don't hesitate to reach out! Cheers!
Have to add Wyandottes to the list...280 eggs a year, good attitude, not lap chickens but mind their own business unless confronted. A little loud, but one of the best cold weather birds out there, and beautiful coloration to boot.
I've heard good things about the Wyandottes but we've never had them on the Farm. They sound like a winner!
I have had Isa Browns and Plymouth Barred Rocks among 7 other breeds. The Rocks are winter layers and the Isa don't seem to go broody ever. I would never recommend a feather footed bird for my hot, humid summers but Brahmas are amazing gentle birds suited for cooler climates. Good list, Cheers from Ontario, Can!
Thanks for watching and for your comments! We love the ISA's and Rocks! Great layers all year. I have no interest in the feather footed hens. I just feel it would bring in more dirt and mess. Thanks again for watching. Stay warm!!! Cheers!
Our favorite is White leghorns. Crazy breeders. A White Leghorn chicken can lay between 280 and 320 white eggs per year. They are known for being one of the most prolific egg-laying breeds and are often used in commercial egg production. White Leghorn chickens are heat tolerant, but they are more heat tolerant than cold hardy. Though they can be skittish in a coop setting, White Leghorns are friendly, active, and alert. Hens rarely go broody in this breed and the roosters are very good at protecting their flock as they free range.
We haven't looked at the White Leghorns due to the extreme cold up here. We're not sure how they'd do. We'd love to have the numbers but the cold can be intense for weeks in Jan/Feb. Cheers Susan!
Thanks for your info.
Thank you for stopping by and watching! Cheers!
I have 5 ISAs and they are amazing layers and we just got 3 Barred Plymouth Rocks this spring. The Plymouths aren’t laying yet but as for friendly? VERY! I have one hen in particular who LOVES to jump up in my shoulder! We call her Velcro because she wants to be stuck to is! Great breed!
The Rocks are really friendly and we have a few that want to help us on every project. Great hens. The ISA's just don't stop laying and lay for us year 'round. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!
That's a great list. I would put my Black Astralorps in there as well. I've only ever raised them with Isa Browns. If I sat on a bucket they would hop up on my lap. Great info. Thanks
We've never had the Australorps but we'll take a look at them. I've heard good things about them. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
Thank you for sharing this informative episode of your beautiful chickens. One of my favorite chicken videos on your channel. The variety of colors and breeds of your chickens are just joyful to watch. 🙏☺️🌻
The hens are so beautiful! Each breed has it's own attributes and beautiful traits! Cheers Martina!
do your barred rocks and black sex links lay the same size brown eggs ? what size eggs do those two lay in the first year and what size during their second year of laying . thanks
Both breeds lay L or XL eggs. Once they get rid of the little starter eggs, they are consistent for all their years (we've found). Every now & then we get a monster egg, but they seem to be pretty consistent. Hope this helps. Cheers Brenda!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm yes, thank you and please keep those video's coming on those chickens !
@@brendaprice8284 If you have ideas for videos (something we haven't covered), let us know. Cheers Brenda!
Did you guys sall fertilized eggs for all of them
None of our eggs are fertilized. We do not have a rooster. Everything we sell is unfertilized.
ISA BROWNS lay almost EVERY day and Large/XL Brown eggs!!! My number 1 laying hen!!! You RIGHT!!! GOOD LAYER HENS!!! The GOLDEN COMETS right up there with ISA BROWNS!!! GET YOU SOME!!!
We have one Golden Comet. We got it as an exchange as one chick died in transit. Maybe we'll get some more next season. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! Cheers!
Thanks for the great video, and for actually showing us your girls. We currently have several different breeds and are looking to possibly get some Sapphire Gem or Sapphire Splash. I saw you had videos about both. Any thoughts/preference?
We would never get a Sapphire Gem again. They turn into bullies as they age. They just pick on others. The Sapphire Splash are beautiful and lay very regularly. They are also very calm and great around other people. Hope that helps. Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm great insight and appreciate your response! Definitely subscribing! Thanks again and best of luck from Missouri!
@@jshack7851 Glad it helped! I think you'll be really happy with the Splash. Thanks for subbing. If we can ever help, feel free to reach out! Let's just pray for spring!! Cheers!
Barred rocks are one of my fave breeds. And have had good experience with Black Sex link and Golden Buff (I believe is same as ISA Brown). I have had Sapphire Gems but not heard of Sapphire Splash. I want some of those! They are so pretty!!!
The Splash are very gentle. We've got several who tug at our jeans every time we head into the barn. They just want to be petted and get some attention. They are very docile. Their varied plumage is gorgeous. You'll enjoy them! Thanks for watching and commenting!
If you have BPRocks and can obtain a quality RIR male breed him to them and you will get your own Black Sex Link Hybrid. Our parent birds are Bred to Standard and the BSL from the cross makes not only for a high producing egg layer but the surplus birds especially the BSL cockerels can be grown out and then finished for harvesting at 16-22 weeks with a very nice large carcass.
Does any one can recommend chicken breed that is both good egg layer and goes broody as well? I know New Hampshirite red and Wyandotte fall into that category. Any other breeds?
We've had Buff Orpingtons that went broody very often. They are known as great Moms! I don't know about the NH Reds or Wyandotte. We want production and no one to be broody! Hope this helps!
Love the title “ Old Swedes Farm”
I have some of those chickens in my flock
They are great chickens. We're so happy with our hens! If you love the name, you'll have to check out our video on the naming of the Old Swede's Farm. Check it out and let me know what you think. Cheers Sonja!
Great video
Thanks for stopping, watching and commenting! Have a great week!
what makes their combs lay over to the side? It is the breed?
Each hen has a different comb. Some are large and many "fingers." Some stick up and some lean a bit. Others fall to the side. I figured it was just one of the hens trying to look cool! We've had several breeds that had a comb leaning. I think it's just the individual hen. If you hear otherwise, please let me know.
Good to know which is good Durant summer. Thanks
Glad this helped. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! Cheers!
Thank you! I love my buff Orpington s but when we add to our small flock; I’d love some Plymouth Rocks!! We don’t need huge production (just 2 of us and 3 birds currently) but sweet personalities are a must
You'll love the Rocks! Great hens and great production! We had Buffs but they were always broody. Just not worth the time. Beautiful hens, and friendly but always broody! Thanks for stopping by!
Barred rock was my favorite when I use to raise chickens, And they taste good.
We have yet to eat one of our hens. But the Rocks are our favorites too. Have a great weekend!
All wonderful breeds for eggs.. My New Hampshire Reds and Brahmas lay very large eggs but they all do a wonderful job! 🥚
We've never had the NH Reds or Brahmas. We may need to explore a new breed (or breeds) in the next couple years. Cheers Barb!
Hey Holly and Rich...another fantastic video...talking about crossbred/sex link chickens...farmers have been crossbreeding beef cattle and hogs for years for feed efficiency, health and great temperments. I have many relatives that are grain and livestock farmers that do this with livestock and have done this for years and have had excellent results. I am still looking for my place in the country and when I get it chickens will be at the top of the list. Thank you for providing such helpful information. Keep up the great work!!
I would bet every animal has been cross bred to produce better animals. I'm not sure I could do that. I don't have the room. Keep us posted on your place in the country! When it happens, we'll be here to help! Thanks for stopping by!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm Thanks Rich!
Great list! Power layers are where it is at if you’re looking for production like we both are. If you have the ability to turn your flock over that is. Great info friends!
I love that comment! Power Layers! I need to retitle this the Power Layer Top Five!! Cheers Lisa!
I know you're not crazy about the Rhode Island Reds because of their attitudes, but they are great layers. That's why people crossbreed them to get that egg production. We love their personalities. They can be sassy little girls, but I adore how excited they get and start talking to me when they see me in the yard.
There is no doubt that the RIR's can produce a lot of eggs each year. We had RIR hens for years (still have three). The attitude just overshadows the production. They just pick on the others too much. I'm glad yours have been good. Ours were not good. If they could lose the attitude, they would've made the list. Cheers Doug!
I’m raising ISA browns and golden comets right now. When they get big enough for the coop, i’m getting barred rocks and more ISA browns. Your hens are huge. What percent protein are you feeding them and where are you getting your feed?
We feed Purina layer crumbles. It is a 16% protein. We get it from our local feed store.
yes on both the top 1's!!! those are some of my girls!! but i also got some rhode island reds great in winter...summer not so much...those girls like to sit on the cold rocks in the water mode to cool off.
Glad we're in agreement! We're just tired of the attitude from the RIR's. We'll just keep going with Barred Rocks and ISA Browns. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
Great info thanks for sharing. We've made it to our homestead busy first week. Stuck the camper in the mud pulling in. As soon as internet is hooked up we have something to put out. Take care and be safe.
I hope you can get the camper out of the mud. Not a great start! We'll be watching to see how you're doing. Cheers!
Beautiful, happy flock!
They really are a good looking bunch! Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
I need 2 of those Black Star birds, please! Or the Bard Plymoth Rock. Really, I need 2! Oh my goodness, they are all beauties. This was such an incredibly helpful video. Thank you two for putting this together!
You would love the Black Star or the Barred Plymouth Rocks. They are great layers and are incredibly beautiful hens. Great eggs and they give you great garden fertilizer!! A win-win! Cheers Sheree!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm Rich, I just ordered! Thank you so much for the advice. Now for the snow to melt so I can assembly the coop and run!
@@AtHomeWithSheree When do you get your chicks? I believe we get ours on April 15th. Once we get the snow to melt, if you'd like to come down and look at the coops, and ask questions, we'll help you all we can! If you have questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to ask! We're here to help!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm I should have mine around the same time-Wed the 18th! I bought everything in December and it’s been sitting in my garage since January waiting to be assembled outside so I can have my coop inspection before it’s time to put them out. I’ll definitely reach out if I have questions, I’m sure I will. I especially want to be prepared for when it gets cold. I might have to do a coop upgrade or reinforcements. We shall see! I had a huge oak tree taken down that was dead and next to my garden. So there is a nice big space for them. But I need the snow to melt to get out there. I’m really getting antsy now. I’m so glad I saw you on that one chicken panel video. I was so scared to go for it as I just thought it was too cold here for backyard chickens.
@@AtHomeWithSheree We can definitely have chickens up here. They can be outside all year. No heat is needed. Make sure there is a windbreak as chickens don't do well in a cold breeze. Cold air, no problem. We'll talk and we can walk you through setting up. Have a great weekend!
Good to know I’m a beginner in the process of building my coop and chicken yard and a tractor . Need all the education on chickens. Thank you.
If you need help, just drop us a note. We're here to help! We hope our videos will help as well. We've tried to cover a LOT of topics regarding chickens. Thanks for watching Granny! Cheers!
Great picks ! Isa Brown / red sexlink/Cinnamon Queen which are all pretty much the same and very similar, Black sexlink and Ancona are my favorites. I like looks as well as egg pumpers.
I will check out the Ancona. Never looked them up. We love out Black Sexlink. Beautiful hens!! Cheers Dan!
Have you tried Whiting True Blue or Green before?
We have never had either of those breeds. If you get them (or have them), let us know how they work out. Thanks for stopping by Nicole!
Isa Brown are awesome and maybe the best egg layers, but boy, they are bullies towards other chickens and to me the harmony in the flock is a must. My favorite breed is Buff Orpingtons which I adore for their fluffy looks and sweet disposition towards me and chickens. They even keep the peace in the flock without being a bully themselves.
We had Buffs but they just went broody. We kept one that would actually lay. Our ISA's have been perfect hens. Great production and they are easy going hens. I've wondered if hens from different hatcheries have different attitudes. It's funny how different they act. Thanks for stopping by to watch!
I like the Buff Orpington. They are a quiet breed.
We had ten Buffs and nine went broody constantly. They just took up nesting boxes and got in the way. We sold nine to other Farms that wanted a broody hen. Kept one that was so kind, gentle and laid about 4-5 times a week. Beautiful hens but just don't lay enough for us. If we were going to raise chicks, I'd use a Buff.
Where do you get your chickens.
We get day-old chicks from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa. They deliver to our local feed store. We order, they deliver. So far we've never had an issue with them. Cheers!
I love this video!! Thank you for reviewing your favorite breeds. Do you know who lays what well enough to show the eggs of each breed? I know who lays the welsummer egg... (and it turns out those are always my smallest eggs) and who lay the olive egger eggs (by far the largest) but I don't know which of my hens lay the other brown eggs (from almost white to medium brown). I wanted darker brown eggs. But it's not turned out that way. So I'm wondering if you can show some of your darker brown eggs and if you know which breed lays them. Of course... I don't know why I'm asking. I. DO. NOT. HAVE. ROOM. FOR. MORE. CHICKENS. hahahahahaha.
We need to get a team together and build you a larger coop this summer! The ISA Browns lay a darker brown egg. The rest lay a lighter brown egg. The ISA's lay early in the morning. They're all done when I head out at 8am for the first pick-up! Cheers Dawn!!
I have 5 breeds in my flock and my Rhode Island reds are wonderfully friendly. Everyone gets along. Buffs, barred rock,Americana, Rhodes, Wyandotte. All these birds are roughly 10-13 lbs. all super layers. Do not over produce them in winter.
I think each hatchery has a different strain of each bird and they are slightly different. Our Reds were nasty and others have claimed the same from our hatchery. Glad yours all get along. It sure makes life better in the coop!! Cheers!
It might have made a difference that all our babies are hand raised in the house by a lot of people/ children . Until fully feathered before going into the coop. And then they get scooped up and hugged willingly or not there after.🤣
I loooove my Barred rocks ❤️ they’re so friendly and my first layers of my flock (new-ish chicken mom). Love your list!
I second the guy whose talking about black australorps, I want some! Hear they’re amazing layers and really docile, even the roosters. According to Mike at The Fit Farmer 🤗.
We will look into the Australorps and try to learn more about them this season. Maybe they will be our next breed to try! We keep hearing good things. I'm glad you're loving the Rocks and they are producing for you. How many hens do you have now? Thanks for stopping by Laura!! Have a great weekend!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm we have 10 hens and 1 rooster :). 4 barred rocks, 3 buff orpingtons, 2 dark Brahma hens and that’s also the rooster, and one Rhode Island Red. I think the fact that the Rhode is solo makes her less sassy perhaps 😂. Take care over there in Minnesota!
@@lauraorsorichmond Maybe that's the secret to Rhode Island Red management....keep them on their own! Good luck with your flock. They sound like a lively group! Cheers Laura!
Great list for egg production! The Calico Princess is the only one I don't have any experience with.
They are gorgeous hens. We have a couple that are huge and the rest are "normal" size. Beautiful! Thanks for stopping by Andrea!
Barred Rock is a must. We have a tiny backyard flock and 2 of the 3 BRs will "puff" up against our cats and Pits (that don't pay them any mind) but we like that they seem to be a bit on the tougher side. They lay great (no forcing in winter.) We had 2 Australorps that were great and will get again, great layers and heat tolerant. Ameraucana (we have 1) not a good layer and has eaten a lot of eggs, thin shells. She laid a double yolker when young and her production after that has been sporadic. Pretty eggs when we get them but not again.
We've never had the Australorps (heard good things about them) or the Ameraucana. We just want eggs, eggs, eggs. It's funny that your BR will puff up and stand up to the other animals! Thanks for stopping by!!
This was out first year win hens and we have 5 ISAs….they are rockstars for laying. Most days I get at least 4..I have several 5 egg days per week. And they are so fun to raise. We just added 3 Plymouths and 4 Buff Orpingtons…excited to see what this year will bring!
The ISA's sure are great layers! You will love the Rocks! They will be in the nests almost as often as the ISA Browns. We got rid of our Buffs. They all went broody and wouldn't lay. We ended up selling them to farms that needed broody hens. The Buffs are beautiful but they just went broody and weren't adding to our production. Thanks for commenting Alison! Cheers!
Agree 100% the Red Star (Isa Brown) and Barred Plymouth Rock are the best layers. Where do y’all source your chicks from?
WE order all our chicks from Hoover's in Iowa. They ship them to our local feed store and we pick them up there. Thanks for watching!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm d
Great list.
Thank you, Janie! We appreciate your support!
Another a I’m winter what temperature should be for girls inside safe temps
This first time for me
All of these hens are fine down to -30. We keep them out of the wind but they are very cold tolerant. They need to be to survive a Minnesota winter!
Good Morning Rich and Hollie! I am so glad you shared this, I have the Plymouth Barred rocks, buff Orpingtons, Blue Plymouth rocks and Easter eggers. These are the only ones I could get I had an option on silkies but didn’t want them. Not many options here and there is a waiting list for chicks and chick breeds. One of my barred rocks is special and she has melted my heart. Way too cute and sweet. Love her. I am looking forward to eggs and selling eggs along with my CSA. Have a blessed day Happy Spring and stay warm! 🙏🏻🇺🇸. Wendy
We've never had the Blue Rocks or the EE's. Our Buffs went broody all the time so we sold them to farms that wanted broody hens. The Rocks are a special breed. We love them and they are some of the best lap chickens. You're gonna love them! Your CSA people will love the eggs! Have a great week, Wendy!
Our barred rock is our grumpiest. So interesting how they are all so different for different people and places I guess.
Do you only have one Rock? Maybe that is why she is grumpy! Are hens are so sweet and love the attention. Thanks for stopping by!!
Do you have any opinions on Buff Orpingtons and Speckled Sussex? I’ll be having my first ever flock in the Spring!
We have never had the Sussex. We had Buff's. Beautiful hens, and very friendly, but they were always broody. We had ten Buffs and sold them as adults to farms that wanted a broody hen. Just not worth the time, in our opinion. Thanks for stopping by Natalie!
Thanks, Rich. These videos are super helpful. The BPR are beautiful.
Here's a dumb question- do all breeds eat the same amount of food ? I think they would, but not sure.
People rave about the Ophitons (sorry, probably butchered that, lol). I noticed you don't.
Could be a regional/ climate thing, too ?
Cheers 🌱
I believe they all eat the same, although we've got breeds that are all similar in size. You hear a lot about Orpingtons. We had Buff Orpingtons (big tan birds). They are beautiful but they are broody, meaning they want to sit on the nest 24 hours a day and they want to hatch eggs, not lay them. We ended up selling them to other farms that wanted to hatch chicks. We'll probably never have another Orpinton. Hope this helps. Cheers!
@The Old Swede's Farm thanks!!
I totally laughed out loud when you said 100° Rich.
I love the breeds you have chosen as favorites. But I'm a "hatch em myself" type gal and most of mine are crosses of this that and another. Mostly because I like egg color variety.
We hit 100 most summers and many days in the mid to high 90's. We don't have the space to hatch them so we just buy the chicks. I also don't want to deal with roosters!! Thanks for stopping by Gwen!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm I was recently reading about Minnesota temps, and it said there had only been like 67 days recorded at 100° in the last 30 some odd years. (Twin Cities area).
Wanna Trade?
@@BroqueCowgirlHomestead Maybe we don't hit 100 often but we have weeks in the mid to high 90's. It's muggy and hot. Right now I'd trade you!! It's 32 and snowing (again)!
@TheOldSwedesFarm
Haha no thank you on that 32° trade. It's a balmy 75° today, overcast, so nice.
Edit: Make that 80°... had to turn on the fan in the barn.
Could you show a basket of eggs for the size and color color
Do you use roosters
Do you incubate to raise your own flock
What do what do you. Use as shell nutrient
AND yolk taste York c o lor?
This is a great idea for a video. We will film this and get it out soon. Thanks for the great ideas! Cheers!
Just got a video filmed and hope to have it out on 1/24. I hope it will answer all your questions. Thanks again for the great ideas!
My hens won’t lay eggs. Time of year to molt and shortened daylight 😢
We keep lights on from 6am - 10pm in the barn. Our hens never stop laying.
Where do you order your chickens from?
We order them through our local feed store. They order through Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa.
Egg production is very important as well as temperament.
Another thing to consider is different breeds of chickens are suited better for different climates.
Chickens with little or no combs do better in very cold, chickens with very high Combs are better suited for hot temperatures because that's how they dissipate heat.
If you live where you do Minnesota you can experience heat and cold so it's kind of a double-edged sword.
As long as your chickens can get out of the cold in the winter or you have a way to keep them warmer a large comb chicken will be fine.
But if someone doesn't their combs can get frostbit and they'll turn black.
I grew up in northern Michigan and we always had chickens that had little or no Combs.
As far as what I've got here in Kentucky I've got some of both I've got white leghorns which are great egg layers have very large Combs I have golden comments which have medium-sized Combs and a couple different varieties of Easter eggers some have combs some don't.
I know they say you shouldn't heat a coop but this winter when we got down into the minus degree temperatures I did put a heat lamp in my coupe that was secured.
The chickens seemed to appreciate it.
Our girls all have nice thick coats to handle the cold. They've handled -25f several times. We get some frostbite, but it is minor and seems to grow back in the summer. We're good about keeping a LOT of water around in the summer to keep them cool. Our deep litter keeps them warm all winter too. So far all our breeds have handled the varied weather very well. Thanks for stopping by again, and commenting! Have a great weekend!
I am getting lots of duck eggs right now. Big and so good. You might want to try. Dirty but so cute .
I have no place to put the ducks and no water. They'd be really tough to have in the winter. I'm glad they're producing for you!! Cheers Anne!
he farms dinosaurs in his backyard !
You are correct! We have a whole bunch of little dinosaurs on the Farm!!
I wish you would name each prior to showing them. I get lost easily. The second chicken, did you even say what it was?
We did name them but maybe I said it too fast. Here is the list: Tied for #3: Calico Princess & Sapphire Splash, #2: Black Sexlink, Tied for #1: ISA Brown & Barred Plymouth Rock. Hope this helps. Cheers Susan!
i narrowed mine down to barred rock and buff orpington. but i will say my ultimate laying chicken was the white leghorn! so many eggs from such a small breed, but everyone wants brown eggs so…
We have never had the leghorn. We got rid of the Orpington as they all went broody. The laying just wasn't good. You will be very pleased with the Barred Rocks. Thanks for stopping by and watching!
Don't forget the cherry Eggers and the Rhode Island reds, excellent birds.
Never seen a Cherry Egger. I'll look that one up. We won't get another RIR due to the bad attitude towards the other hens. Way too much attitude!
I watched your video and typed out a lengthy comment, but it was on the page of a different video that popped up after yours so you would have to go there to read it. HA I basically said that I agree that ISA Browns are the best period for laying eggs. I'm 71 and have had a lot of breeds in my time. The last flock of Barred Rocks were not that great. They didn't lay early, never laid very large eggs, and several wanted to go broody. Maybe I just got some with bad genes. I don't consider any breed that goes broody a good production bird. You lose too much time getting them over the broodiness and it's a lot of trouble.
The other comment went to the Little Hollow Homestead if you want to read that one. It's about my breeding experiences to obtain a create a sustainable ISA Brown flock by crossbreeding. The video was titled "Top 9 Best Chicken Breeds ..........."
I'll go check out your other comment. We've never had a Rock go broody and we've had them for four years. Love the Rocks and ISA Browns. Thanks for stopping by to watch and add your thoughts and wisdom to the discussion! Cheers Ron!
Thanks for share your experience
From where I can order eggs Plymouth Rock for hatching
We order our chicks through Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa. I would assume most of these breeds are available at most hatcheries. The Barred Plymouth Rocks are very common. Hope this helps!
Plz give the name of hens in written form . English is our language must mention ur country name. I'm from Pakistan.
The five breeds are: Calico Princess, Sapphire Splash, Black Sex Link (also called a Black Star), ISA Brown & Barred Plymouth Rock. Hope this helps.
Thanx up dear
Thank you for sharing! I just started my flock of 12 chicks 3 weeks ago. I have Easter eggers, Olive egger, Isa brown, barred Plymouth Rock, buff Orpingtons, black australorp, Salmon Faverolle, speckled sussex, cream legbar. Hope they are all great chickens. I live in Northwest Indiana so we need cold hardy chickens.
Wow! You got a big variety pack! We've only had three of those breeds so my experience is limited. Let us know how they all do. I'll be interested to hear! Good luck with the flock. If we can help in any way, don't hesitate to reach out. Cheers!
Do you ship chicks? I want to get some in July .
We do not. We get all our chicks from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa. They ship to our local feed store. Contact Hoover's and they may be able to help you. Cheers Ruth!
Could you do a vid on breeds you WOULDN'T recommend?
Let me think on that. It would be such an opinion piece. I'm trying to think about how to present the material. Our needs and wants with our hens are different from others so the hens we want/need will be different. Let me think on this. What are your needs and how would you want us to present this?
@@TheOldSwedesFarm well I have 4 & outta the 4 my golden comet is the sweetest & good natured. My easter egger, barred rock, & sapphire gem are all bullies. If I'd of known 7 months ago what I know now I would've gotten only golden comets. Goldie follows me like a puppy, lets me hold her just very docile & vocal. She is a joy. I wasn't sure how many breeds you had access to just curious by what you've dealt with. I've never had chickens so this is all new to me, any info even opinion wise would be appreciated.
@@darlene5621 We've had about 11 or 12 breeds so we've got some opinions. Some of our opinions cross over your breeds. I agree with the Golden Comet. Great layer and great attitude. I do not know Easter Eggers. The Sapphire Gems can be nasty. I wouldn't get them again. I think the Rocks are great. I'm wondering if your Rock is more aggressive because of the Gem? We had one that was aggressive when the Gems and Rhode Island Reds were around. When we eliminated those two breeds, she really mellowed out. When you add more hens, I'd add another couple Comets and a couple Rocks. You could also add a couple ISA Browns. You'd have a well-behaved group of great layers!!
Listing the best breeds is nice. But it really depends on where you get the chickens from. For instance, you could pick out Rhode Island reds from five different hatcheries. And you could get five completely different chickens. From egg production to personality you would never know you have the same breed. So if you have a bad experience with one breed, I wouldn't necessarily write them off forever. Try them from a different source. You might be surprised.
I've wondered that. If the various hatcheries have different "strains" of the same breed. I wondered if they would behave different. I looked but never saw a study on this. Our RIR's were so nasty. We've had such good luck with Hoover's Hatchery that I never want to change. Maybe I need to get the same breed from two hatcheries and raise them separate. Then I can look at them and find out. OR do this with a friend and keep them separate and compile data. Great comment! Thanks for watching and adding your thoughts!!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm there used to be four different stores in my area that sold chicks and they came from four different hatcheries. That's how I realized this.q sometimes the chicken would live up to its breed standard, and other times it wasn't even close. for instance, I've never had a nasty Rhode Island red. But I've heard that Plymouth rocks can be terrible but the ones I've had have been good. So I guess I'm saying that if people have a bad experience with a breed maybe try that breed from a different place and see how it works out.
@@nogames8982 Really interesting. Thanks for sharing all this. It is a really unique topic and I'm not sure I have the space to learn more about this. It would be fun to get five of the same breed from each hatchery and see how they act. Maybe they have become sub-breeds of the main breed by breeding them, over time, at the various hatcheries. Great comment! Thanks again for stopping by to comment! Cheers!
Welcome my friend 🌹🌹🌹🌹 love you 💗
Thank you for stopping by and watching! We appreciate the support! Cheers!
Your Red and White (Icea Brown) is called a Golden Star in our area...I just got 3 September 2022 and have 4 more in my Brooder Box.
The three I got last Sept are egg laying machines!
I was to teach two of them to fly up on my forearm to eat snacks. I'm sure they would be less jumpy if I didn't have a 4yo Buff Orrington who rules over all my hens.
I also have 3 Plymouth Rocks in the Brooder. I have small odd numbers because chicks don't last very long at any of the feed stores!
One thing I have learned about chicken breeds. If you are going to have carryover hens from the previous year, don't add Gray Brahma chickens to your flock! They are too passive and everyone will pick on them!
Plus you have a huge chicken that lays small eggs. The only Gray Brahma I have left, I got in September too. So she is young but her eggs are by far the smallest.
I don't know much about the Gray Brahma. You're right about the Golden Star/ISA Browns being egg laying machines! You're going to love the Rocks! They are so nice and friendly. Keep us updated on your flock! Cheers!
My favorite were the Buff Orpingtons. But this time I ordered 50 Novogen Browns. They look like the Buffs, they lay huge eggs, they lay an average of 395 eggs a year and they are supposed to be very sweet birds. Talk about a crazy bird. But they were also engineered towards egg production. It’ll be interesting!
I'll have to look into them. 395 eggs seems high as hens can only lay one per day. I'll check this. Thanks for making me aware of this breed! Cheers Katy!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm I looked it up. Novogens are crossed between the Rhode Island Red and Rhode Island White. They lay 395 eggs over 72 weeks.
@@amourdeparis That makes sense. I was wondering about the numbers. Thanks for clearing that up!! I'm still going to look them up. Cheers Frank!
Brown Leghorn
We've never had that breed before. I know they will lay 300 eggs a year. Might be worth a look!
The one that I have had the most trouble with has been the buff Orpington. I will go out and they will have just drop dead. No warning. Nothing. That being said, they are great egg layers, and their eggs are rather big. I think that’s probably why they have some trouble. My thought is that they get egg bound. Other than that, I really do like the breed.
We had Buffs but they were all broody. Constantly. They just wanted to sit on a nest. We sold all but one. She laid frequently and was great to have around. Beautiful birds but not great layers like our other breeds. We've been lucky and have never had an egg bound hen. Thanks for stopping by to watch! Cheers Jan!
I'm not caring about just egg production, I like Buff Orpingtons, I am starting out with that breed, ill get back to you on how much I like or don't like maybe later, but my goal is neat production and they DO go broody and raise their own, and are dual purpose, eggs are not a problem around here cuz SO MANY ppl HAVE backyard chickens, so looking to raise and butcher for meat...so thats my take...don't need an egg business although I already have egg customers and they've not started to lay yet...lol
We had ten Buffs. We ended up selling nine as they were constantly broody and we sold them to farms that needed a broody hen. We kept one Buff as she would actually lay. If I could buy one Buff, I would. Beautiful but not worth the hassle of constant broodiness. I hope they work for you Judi! Cheers!
Rich and Holly, Mrs. Betty and I need a breed of chickens that like children and dogs, are less likely to be attractive to foxes, coyotes and other predators and safe to free range…to let forage around The Ole Church from time to time. Does such a breed exist? Good egg production is a must too.
I can't change the predator threat although the dog may help keep some of them away. The breeds highlighted are great with children. Dogs can be tough as they have an instinct to take out the chickens. You may need a fenced run for the chickens with the coop in the middle.
The only one on your list that I’ve ever had is the barred rock - she is definitely one of our most consistent layers, and very friendly! I may have to try some of the other breeds you mentioned in the future.
Check out the other breeds. We think you'd love them. Cheers!
I have five golden hens layers
I bet they are producing nicely for you! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Keep us posted. Happy Holidays and cheers to a great 2024!
Thanks for replying my comment. I both are really nice human also. Happy Christmas.
They're all beautiful birds but the hybrids have a tendency to only lay great the 1st year or so. Many of these high-producing chickens end up egg bound or prolapse as they get a little older. It's really sad.
The Barred Rocks are good birds depending on strain - some are real bullies!
I've been raising chickens for 45+ years and wish I hadn't sold some of my Barred Rocks, Australorps, and RIRs. They were from awesome older lines; I should have kept them for their offspring instead of venturing into other breeds which only led me back to BR, A/L, RIRs.
We have sure had great luck (for years and years now) with the ISA Browns. The Rocks we've had have been so gentle and sweet. We get them from Hoover's Hatchery and this strain seems to be gentle. The RIR's were complete bullies. Great layers but we'd never get them again due to attitude. We need to look into the Australorps. Cheers!
Hi i need this from Bangladesh
I hope you can find the right hens for your area. Cheers from Minnesota!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm no. 😭😭
I like the black sex links too. We got our first ones 2 years ago. I picked up 5 this year. The only new girls to our flock this year so far. I may need to try some isa browns.
The Black Sex Links are gorgeous birds. Gorgeous! You'd love the ISA Browns for production and manners. Great layers and so nice. Cheers Lisa!
Sapphire splash cuando es que ponen juevo
The Splash are a very good breed! Thank you for watching and commenting! Cheers!
Road island red hold the world's record for eggs laid in a year so why change?
It's all in the title. Egg layers with great attitude. Our Reds were the thugs of the group. They would pick on everyone and were not nice birds. We don't have any room for bullies in our flock.
You aren't giving them a chance they are broody.
My Gen2 Fayogiants averaged 75g. Maxing at over 86 gram.
They lay biggest eggs when u need thm most. Winter. Thats when I would breed.
*FAYO GIANT CHICKEN BREED FACTS*
I made new breed Fayo Giant chicken breed.
I began by using 4premium strains Jersey Giant fed diet unlike any other@ a cost of $1,000 per bird. That 1st year I averaged 75g vs 64g egg size2 yeild bigger stronger chick& fertility rose 35%.
Chickens get locked in DNA/color/shape gene pools like dogs due to ludicrous "Standards of "Perfection" rule. Crossbreeding dog makes much better dog. So, 1st I corrected this problem with 4Jersey bloods.
Chicken feed currently limits protein so egg not too big to fit a carton = tiny chickens we have today vs 25lbs 1900.
Feed is 20% innocuous brutal to digest seed coat saps chicken energy 2digest vs my birds ate 50% meat bone hide fur fish scales organs & all with greens salt spices garlic wood ash, sugar& sprouted oily dry corn.
My Jersey Giant initial new breed Gen1 emphasis focused on massive bigger then ave. leg strains 2forage much deeper with energy efficient calm demeanor they are tractors. They get many more insects.
Initial cost Gen1 averaged $28 an egg these breeders eggs av. 64g with horrendous 45% fertility due to inferior feeds.
Diet was key my eggs became huge thru diet unlike any other. Chicks became muscular Secretariats.
Best?
Facts:
...6 of my Gen2 birds yielded 9lbs fat = as much calories as 175lb deer in 6 months. No other bird touches this. Chest cavity packed with 1lb premium organ fat prized by chefs & 1/2 lb fat riddled thru meat like wagyu beef.
Did u know oil = #1 killer of off grid survivalists. Human organs begin fail in 1 week without oil = why people died en mass depression eating fat free rabbits.
Oil is basically non existent on farms & in nature it is manufactured product only. No money = no oil. Chicken fat th oil of all oils the cullinary chef leverage king of kings.
My moto is delete money.
I bred my Gen2 with a Fayo Giant Gen1 rooster. A STUNNING bird unlike anything I have ever seen. He would knock on door jump on my arm come in at night, yet guarded thflock like a master sheep dog he owned thfarm. Pure Fayoumis by far most intelligent dog like birds. This trait stuck with my Fayo Giants u can discern th intelligence just looking @their eyes. Fayo roosters tolerate each other yet are fierce regarding hens THEY NEED 2B.
Thus was born my Gen 3 Fayo Giants.
Fayomis mature fastest crowing 4.5 months with legendary disease resistance& lay earliest on minimal protein.
Streamlined, refined Hondas vs my original Gen1 Jersey as a clunky cumbersome loose fitting Ford.
My garden engines:
Premium diet = superiour (fall only) manure 4garden I use zero fertilizers just thick mulch & my birds.
All thworlds problems can be solved in thgarden no other farm animal can make bread& cookies& pastries& gives u meat (eggs) every day while continues work 4u.
Fayoumis were eaten by Egyptian Pharoahs. They lived wild thousands of years till today. My Fayo Giants just from cmpletely dffrnt next level factory. Immediately they strike u as a wolf vs a Jersey Giant being a big inferior design domestic dog. Friendly yet fiercely street wise &independent.
I have no inerest in raising breeding birds.
I live on food forests I build& sell& I coined thword.
People breeding grossly inferior birds using "Standard of Perfection." It stifles suffocates gene pool while on crippling feeds with deliberate protein ceiling/all across thboard methods my velociraptors told me absolutely dont work. This has cost me absolutely massive losses with 40 incredibly dreadful teeny tiny tuff bad tasting breeds. 15hour days 1.5 years yeided my Gen1 Fayo-Giant.
I have never heard of them. I'll look into them. Thanks for sharing!