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Stocking the Eglu

Standard or Bantam  

15 members have voted

  1. 1. Standard or Bantam

    • Standard
      13
    • Bantam
      0
    • Mix it up!
      2


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I'm going to be a new eglu owner and I'm agonizing over my pullet chook combo.

I will only ever have one eglu, and I intend on using the run. I'm trying to pick out a comfortable long term number. Can I have two standards and two bantams? I figure two bantams could have each others back if the bigger ladies are bullyish? Or is that too many? If it is I would rather two standards and one bantam. Is that unfair? Should it be two bantams and a standard so they out number the bigger gal? Or is the size difference not really an issue?

 

Here's my priorites:

I want eggs! big blue eggs, so I would like at least one standard araucanas. That's sort of my starting place. Since my hatchery will ship them in assorted colors I was considering two, but I like the below standards as well.

 

We have a two year old, and I want some of the funnier unique breeds as well. We live in Essex, MA USA on a lake, but with neighbors, so I'm valuing good pet characteristics, with less noise over style. They'll be pets and won't be butchered, so meat isn't an issue.

 

The contenders:

 

bantam: White silkie, black frizzle cochin, silver polish, bantam araucanas

standard: araucanas, silver laced cochin, buff laced polish, silver polish

 

So, knowing that I value eggs, (average of 2 or 3 a day would be awesome)particularly colored ones (remember a 2 years old!) hilarity and style how would YOU stock my eglu? Thanks!

 

-Brooke

 

I'm thinking: Standard araucana, standard silver laced cochin, bantam white silkie, bantam black frizzle cochin. Is it too many? Would there be enough eggs?

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I think out of all the breeds you mention, only the araucana will lay reasonably regularly, but even then will not lay a large amount of eggs and will take a long break over winter. From what I remember, silkies are very poor layers but make good broodys, cochins don't lay many a year and are also likely to go broody. They are all very decorative but not a good bet if you value your eggs. Can you get hybrids? They would be your best bet, 3 hybrids in an eglu would give you 2-3 eggs a day, most days of the year.

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hi

i sort of had the same dielemma as you

 

so considering what you want i would go for 3 standards

 

 

A Skyline = lays more eggs than an aruacana and iff you get them from a good breeder are almost certain to get blue eggs

creamlegbar_hen.jpg

 

A Light Sussex = looks great and lays a good number of eggs

ULSHen.jpg

 

A Calder Ranger = looks nice and lays 300 eggs + per year

coriander.jpg

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Thanks for the great feedback! I'm looking straight into the skyline. So, this leads to my other post about maximums. Could I have 2 skyline and a bantam for fun, such as a silkie? Or even 3 standards and a bantam? I appreciate it and I LOVE the pics!! Big Love from the US! -Brooke

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I've done a search and Skyline and Heritage Skyline does not show up on our regular hatcheries. Are these newer UK breeds? How do people tend to buy hybrids. Not much of that in my hatcheries here, and as I'm not buying a rooster it looks impossible on the home front. Or maybe I'll name each Mary and just pray? -Brooke

 

Oh and thanks for the mix up feed back. It looks like all standards.

 

So what about a blue egger, and like a red star or egg producer, and a silly cochin?

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If I were you, I'd have two standard and two bantam - a lone bantam might be a bit outnumbered, as it were! By 'cochin' I take it you mean a bantam with feathered feet - what we call a pekin (over here, cochin only refers to the heavy breed). Cochin/pekins are friendly little birds and fairly quiet, and a couple of those would give you the fun factor :)

 

If you're having bantams as well, you might be better off with slightly lighter hybrids - some can be big chunky girls! My Speckledy was on the light side, very pretty and quite placid (she got on well with my Wyandotte bantam), and laid lots of lovely brown eggs with very strong shells - highly recommended!

 

Best of luck, whatever you choose!

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