Buff orpingtons were on my short list for chickens, then at the last minute I changed my mind. The girl at TSC said "those are some BIG birds, are you sure?"

No. I dunno. I don't know what I'm doing at all, I just think they look pretty.

She managed not to roll her eyes and then gently coaxed me back to just barred rocks and americaunas.

Well, I just got back from the fair. Those orps were HUGE. Like I mean really HUGE. Stack 2 of those breeding hens and they were as tall as gusty.

LOL...I love our Buff Orpingtons. So mellow and such good layers through the winter.

See now I could handle mellow. My americaunas are a bit....tense. :)

We love our Buffs!

They're beautiful, fluffy, friendly and make great mama's if you let them do that. :-)

Have you seen all of the colors? There are blacks, blues, splashes and whites, too. I love the blues!

I'll have to file that info away because one would be fun to have around if we need an incubator. Maybe I'll put 1 or 2 on the short list again next spring.

They are super sweet! They're not at all the largest in our flock though. You should see my son's Brahmas! We did have one go broody. The buff, a brahma and all the black astralorps. Those blacks, they're not the friendliest of the bunch though.

Marina, I'm googling breeds now. lol.

I should get a picture of him with his. I don't have one. Here's a good picture of a light brahma, they're really large and fluffy and sweet but they have feathered feet. So, some don't like the mess that comes with that.

http://www.brbpoultry.co.uk/light%20brahma%20cockerel.jpg

Oh my gosh stop. you're killing me here. :p

I suggested, just last night, to dh that I still had time to get in a meat flock this year and he pleaded "please katie, enough this year." Ok, fine...but watch out next summer. You've been warned.

I have, without a doubt, savored every last moment by adding "livestock" to my gig. I had no idea how rewarding a few birds could be for me...for the kids...even dh because he does sit in the coop and drink his morning cuppa while throwing out food. ;)

This is definitely a gig I want to nurture forever. these baby steps are (sometimes) frustrating for me....but good for the future additions, I suppose. patience. blah. :)

www.feathersite.com and click on chickens. It's chicken window shopping for a poultry lovers soul. ;)

See, our first flock was 6 buff orpingtons, 4 ameracaunas (ours, these girls anyway, were 2 friendly 2 standoffish), a bunch of different kinds of reds, and 3 Speckled Sussex. The Buffs are so mellow and friendly, easy for the kids to catch, and seem most comfy through the winter. The Sussex - also great, curious, personable (more personality and spunk than the Buffs) birds. All of them though are super friendly and easy to pick up.

This batch is 8 Partridge Rocks, 7 Barred Rocks, and 7 Ameracaunas. So different! Skittish as all heck, run cheeping from us whenever we come near (though they're starting to figure out that we're their meal ticket and seek us out when out of food). I hope they mellow as they mature...

See now I could handle mellow. My americaunas are a bit....tense. :)

Our americaunas are total pains! Total LOUD pains. Before them we had banties (sp?) and they were quiet smart birds that only made noise if they saw a cayote, fox, or eagle. These americaunas - oooooooh, I have threatened to kill them all so many times. They lay an egg and then must sound the alarm call for 20 minutes. Okay, I exagerate the length of time, but not my frustration with them. I seriously don't like them and will never get them again. : (

Rhea

Our americaunas are total pains! Total LOUD pains. Before them we had banties (sp?) and they were quiet smart birds that only made noise if they saw a cayote, fox, or eagle. These americaunas - oooooooh, I have threatened to kill them all so many times. They lay an egg and then must sound the alarm call for 20 minutes. Okay, I exagerate the length of time, but not my frustration with them. I seriously don't like them and will never get them again. : (

Rhea

Most of our chickens do this! We have lots of different breeds. It's always been perplexing to me. I mean, wouldn't a mother want to keep the fact that they just laid a potential baby on the down low? It goes against natural instincts, unless I'm just not thinking it through. Maybe we've just bred all sense out of them.

I think they do the alarm call to scare away any potential predators. And, maybe, you know, it just feels really freaking good to pass that egg. :p

I never knew they'd do that, now I can't wait to here that "I laid an egg" alarm.

Our americaunas are total pains! Total LOUD pains. Before them we had banties (sp?) and they were quiet smart birds that only made noise if they saw a cayote, fox, or eagle. These americaunas - oooooooh, I have threatened to kill them all so many times. They lay an egg and then must sound the alarm call for 20 minutes. Okay, I exagerate the length of time, but not my frustration with them. I seriously don't like them and will never get them again. : (

Rhea

Funny, when I was at the fair, pics HERE (http://hansenhootenanny.blogspot.com/2008/07/at-fair.html),
an americauna hen laid an egg, right in front of me and all I heard was, thunk, on to the plywood she was standing on. Of course, there was some bedding in there but she had scooted it all around and laid the egg directly where she had no more bedding. I have a friend that has them and LOVES them. Raves about how she loves the taste and quality of the eggs more than anything.

I just want some chickens!!

Funny, when I was at the fair, pics HERE (http://hansenhootenanny.blogspot.com/2008/07/at-fair.html),
an americauna hen laid an egg, right in front of me and all I heard was, thunk, on to the plywood she was standing on. Of course, there was some bedding in there but she had scooted it all around and laid the egg directly where she had no more bedding. I have a friend that has them and LOVES them. Raves about how she loves the taste and quality of the eggs more than anything.

I just want some chickens!!

That pic of the hen and the egg is great! So cool that it happened while you were standing there. :)

Perhaps we'd adore americanas from another genetic line. These ladies don't sit on their eggs but insist on hiding them. On top of that, when one of the banties is brooding the americaunas force their way (once three at once) into the banty's nesting area and lay their eggs. The banty then pulls those eggs under too. BUT... the banties are just tiny things and can't sit on 15+ eggs. We tried moving one of the banties (our favorite mother) and her eggs to a different spot, which worked last year, but this year she just walked away from her eggs. :( So I'm really frustrated with the A's. We do like the colored eggs, but I don't know if I'd risk getting them again. How frustrating that would be if I got new ones just to have them behave the same as these current ones. (I should probably say that all of our chickens are free range with a house they roost in at night. I'm sure collecting their eggs would be much easier if they were locked into a chicken area with limited acreage, but that's not for us.)

Rhea

That pic of the hen and the egg is great! So cool that it happened while you were standing there. :)

Perhaps we'd adore americanas from another genetic line. These ladies don't sit on their eggs but insist on hiding them. On top of that, when one of the banties is brooding the americaunas force their way (once three at once) into the banty's nesting area and lay their eggs. The banty then pulls those eggs under too. BUT... the banties are just tiny things and can't sit on 15+ eggs. We tried moving one of the banties (our favorite mother) and her eggs to a different spot, which worked last year, but this year she just walked away from her eggs. :( So I'm really frustrated with the A's. We do like the colored eggs, but I don't know if I'd risk getting them again. How frustrating that would be if I got new ones just to have them behave the same as these current ones. (I should probably say that all of our chickens are free range with a house they roost in at night. I'm sure collecting their eggs would be much easier if they were locked into a chicken area with limited acreage, but that's not for us.)

Rhea

when I see my friend, on Friday, I will ask her what her set-up is and what other breeds, etc. She lives 45 minutes away and is a friend I know through homeschool co-op. We don't have children within same age-range to get-together!! I just buy stuff from her (like eggs and butter from her jersey cow!).
Anyway, I LOVE these stories. I know frustrations exist but that is so much the fun part, to me, as an outsider looking in on folks who have acreage! I can't wait to have my own stories!!
I think I would be skeptical about getting them again, acting that way and waaay funny about the bantams. They are the cutest little things!!! So dainty. What is the draw to have those, instead of, say the full-sized huge orps? Or do you have all kinds? I think I want that. But I think I want a lot of things I am not sure I can handle ;)