Murray McMurray hatchery, why did you have to send me your catalog so soon?
We won't be able to accommodate any additional chicks until Spring, after we've designed and build our new, vastly expanded coop. Yet here I sit ogling the Buff Brahma's, Phoenixes, Barred Rocks and Blue Cochins like most women my age would pour over a jewelry store catalog. Is it wrong that I'm kind of proud of that? ;)
After intensive research (mostly on Livy's part), we're leaning towards adding more Americauna/Aracaunas and a few Buff Brahma's to our laying/breeding flock, and mulling over Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds for our meat flock. Livy's advice is that we go with the RIR's because they are not known to be overly friendly, a good trait in critters that are destined for the dinner table.
But in the mean time, I'll just sit here by the fire, reading and re-reading my battered catalog, and changing my mind 50 times between now and March about how many and what kind of birds to get.
Oh, the torment of waiting!
I just ordered my own copy of that catalog!! Any recommendations for 'starter' chickens? they'll be for laying, someday I hope to have a meat flock, too :) However in suburbia you take what you can get!!
ReplyDeletePS I want your farm!
Proceed with caution, my friend - I want one of everything from that catalog! :) We've decided that we need to pace ourselves a little though, so we're going to focus on just chickens this year and *maybe* a pair of turkeys. Between building the monster coop and putting in the garden, we're going to have our hands FULL, so I guess piggies, cows, ducks and the blueberries will have to wait a year or two. I know that once it's all up and running that life will be nuts 24/7 but I still can't wait! :)
ReplyDeleteAs for starter chickens - our first hens were Americaunas (blue/green eggs)& Wyandottes (light brown/pinkish eggs). They've been mostly good egg layers for us, taking the occasional unplanned hiatus now and then. But I would recommend them mostly based upon their sweet temperament. The girls pick them up and smooch them all the time and the hennies rarely seem to mind. Ours have also been pretty capable foragers which means less lawn mowing and weeding - woohoo!
Good luck, lady! I can't wait to read about the Witch's Brood! :)))