Poorly chicken

[dixie chick]

Would any of you mind giving me some sensible advice? I have never kept hens before, but have been planning for my new arrivals for ages (WIR all ready and nesting boxes looking really cosy!). After lots of research I had set my heart on a Brahma, a Sussex, a Wyandotte,a Plymouth Rock, an Orpington and a Barnevalder - in other words - 6 beautiful old fashioned pure breeds. The problem is -I was going to have to go on a waiting list for some of these - so in order to get them all together I would have to wait a few months and make an 180 mile round trip to get them.

Today though, I visited a small supplier called Garden Poultry in Cheshire just 20 mins from my home - where they sell a variety of hybrids. I was so surprised at how lovely the birds were and how they had such distinctive and different colours. They all looked really healthy and well cared for too. Most surprising was the cost - about a third the cost of the pure breeds I was planning.....What shall I do???? I could have six of these - all different, in a few weeks . Will I regret it? Am I just being impatient and is it worth the wait for the more exotic pure breeds? What are their advantages and why are they seen as more desirable?

Hopefully one of you will help me from being so pathetically indecisive!

And thanks to all of you for being such a great source of information and entertainment - I look forward to joining in more

[Egluntyne]

I'd get the hybrids now if I were you. You can always add to your collection when you have got a bit of experience.

 

Garden Poultry enjoys an excellent reputation.

 

Also, if you had just the Pure Breeds, you would be unlikely to have any eggs over winter. That is why I keep a mixed flock.

[sjp]

you could get 2 or 3 hybrids now then add 2 or 3 pures later but you'll need to keep new birds seperate for a while

introductions can take a long time as I'm finding out I've had 2 new girls since just before Easter they FR togeather every day but I've still got 2 girls that don't want to play nice yet so I'm having to keep the new one in they're own run and house

this is my 2nd set of intodutions but the first with older girls first set were 10 weeks old when I got them so I had to keep them on they're own. this lot were 30+ weeks when I got them and wont stand up for them selves

[Laura & CTB]

I've had hybrids for four years and they are great, you can get some lovely colours and they are all different personalities and they are quite hardy too.

Have recently introduced some cochins one of which laid 5 eggs and then went broody you wont have that problem with hybrids.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[ISCA]

It's all down to personal choice I guess. I chose pure breeds partly because I live near the excellent Devon Traditional Breeds Farm, so had visited (many many times!) and knew what I liked. But also because I am put off by the way some hybrids have been genetically bred to become living egg laying "machines". At the end of the day this means nearly all their energy goes in to egg production and they literally burn themselves out in a couple of years, and die. Pure breeds lay less eggs but live a longer, and live what I feel is a more natural life. There is the risk though you end up with hens that are old and rarely, if ever, lay eggs!

 

However, as others have said above, they have wonderful hybrids who are hardy birds, full of character and come in a real variety of shapes and sizes. They are also cheaper!

 

I suppose it is not different to getting a dog or cat. Would you choose a cross-breed or a pedigree? Whatever you choose, I am sure they will be delightful!

Edited May 12, 2010 by Guest

[chickenanne]

I have 2 hybrids and 2 pure breeds.

The pure breeds are much tamer. Unusually only one of the hybrids and one of the pure breeds laid over the winter - the more "utility" pure beeds tend to be better at keeping going than the more decorative types: to be honest, having fewer eggs over the winter wasn't a problem. Again, one of my hybrids went broody last spring, and was irritatingly persistent. None of my pure breeds did!

HOWEVER.... bear in mind that this is a sample of 4 chickens so hardly scientific! I do think it depends on many factors, including luck; I am adding my experience as somethimes it seems taken as being ALWAYS the case that pure breeds to x while bybrids do y, when really it's a generalisation at best.

 

A factor with pure breeds is that many were fairly rare and the survival of these breeds is dependent on hobbyist keepers to a large extent. So by getting pure breeds you are helping to maintain those genes.

 

180 miles is quite a treck and waiting for a few months is quote a trial of patince, particularly given that when you get them the days will be getting shorter so you won't get to spend as much time with them. I think in your shoes I would buy some pure breeds now (if some are available) and some hybrids, too.

[Lo]

I started off with pure breeds but in hindsight I wish I had started with hybrids.

 

Pure breeds are a bit more high maintenance than your hybrid - take a pure breed dog and your mongrel - mongrel always easier to look after (in my view).

 

I have one hybrid now with my pure breeds and she is fantastic. Lays most days and very easy to handle.

[Redwing]

 

Pure breeds are a bit more high maintenance than your hybrid - take a pure breed dog and your mongrel - mongrel always easier to look after (in my view).

 

 

I'm sorry but I personally disagree. Hybrids have been bred to be egg laying machines so they not only have a shorter life but they can be more prone to egg laying problems - Peritonitis is one that springs to mind (I think I've spelled it incorrectly though!) I also find hybrids more prone to behavioural problems such as bullying and feather pecking

 

I started with hybrids but now only have one out of 113 chooks and find life much easier as a result

 

I would stress though that these are my experiences and not representative of the whole chook world!!

 

If you get some of the Merecks prone breeds of pure breed then I'd agree about the maintenance however sturdy farmhouse breeds of chooks wont steer you wrong in most cases

[Old Speckled Hen]

I would go for three hybrids now and three pure next spring.

I have four hybrids; a bluebell and a speckeldy which are really chunky and the slighter blackrock and pepperpot.

They are easy to keep and lay through the winter. Now that they are getting on a bit I have ordered three pure breeds (Vorwerks .... and my, weren't they hard to track down!)

My original plan was to get three new chooks a year.

[cluckingmad]

I also have a mixed bunch of girls - three are omlet hens, one is an ex-batt (she was one of three originally), 7 pure breeds... must admit that my pure breeds are MUCH less aggressive than my hybrids but do tend to go broody more, the pure breeds in theory live longer because they aren't bred purely to maximise egg production and the breeds we have tend to lay for longer than a hybrid (just fewer eggs per week on average)..

 

It comes down to personal choice in the end - but I do like having my little mixed bag of girls (and OH says it makes it easier for him to tell who's who )

[Hen Watch]

I started off with pure breeds but in hindsight I wish I had started with hybrids.

 

I was going to say the exact opposite......

 

I got Omlet hybrids as I was nervous of sourcing chickens myself. They are brilliant chickens, easy to look after and definately a good intro into chicken keeping.

 

This is only with hindsight, two of them laid an egg EVERY day (even in Winter), wore themselves out, got problems with egg laying tackle on and off for a year, then both died aged 3. That said I still have 2 hybrids left, still going strong and healthy as anything. So for me, my next purchase will be pure breedsif I can get them but I certainly wouldn't rule out more get hybrids but not exculsively.

 

Waiting a few months for pure breeds will mean you miss great summer days in the garden with them getting used to their ways before winter sets in (when you see them less as they put themselves to bed early). I'd be inclinded to get any of your list of pure breeds available soon as well as some hybrids (for winter eggs), then you have the best of both worlds.

 

Good luck deciding.

[migsy]

I think what ever you choose you will be happy and will want more! At this time of year, for first birds, I would get hybrids because it might take a very long time for a young pure breed to come into lay now. I wouldn't worry too much about what you get though - you can always add later. Good luck

[Lavenders_Blue]

You're bound to get a different answer from everyone on this forum on the pure breeds vs hybrids question

 

I don't have any experience of pure breeds, so can't add anything useful to that side of the debate, but the 5 girls I have are all hybrids (4 are ex batts).

 

The ex batts are extremely friendly, inquisitive and fun. Mine don't really enjoy being handled, although I know others' do. I have one girl who loves to jump up on your knee though given half the chance!

 

I have had them 10 months now, so I suppose they are coming up to 2 1/2 years old. They still lay well apart from the odd softee, but that's no great problem.

 

I find them dead easy to look after and have been lucky that I've not experienced any bullying/feather pecking or other behavioural problems.

 

Personally, I'd choose ex batts every time, but we're all different and that's what makes us all so interesting!

[chicken bark]

I have a mixture of hybrids and pure breeds. There are lots of pure breeds out there with the same qualities and advantages of hybrids. As others have suggested I'd probably get some hybrids this year and some pure breeds next year. Introductions are a faff but worth it.

 

One point to note - if you have hybrids they will probably have come from a commercial breeder so will have been vaccinated etc. Rarer pure breeds you get may come from smaller breeders who don't vaccinate as it is not financially viable.

In my case this has not been a problem but mixing vaccinated and unvaccinated birds is something to consider.

[dixie chick]

The dilemma was resolved in the end - I ended up with seven gorgeous pure breeds from a local breeder who lives less than 2 miles away. She just happened to breed most of my favourite choices - I never got my Brahma but I did end up with a lovely little flock and am loving them to bits!

[chicken bark]

Looking at your signature you certainly do have a lovely selection. Any dark eggs from your Welsummer yet?

[brambles]

Hi Dixie

 

Are you near to Chester? I have two girls from Garden Poultry and five from Wernlas

 

My two original omlet girls died earlier this summer - they were gorgeous and much missed.

 

Is garden poultry still going? I had heard that she was selling up.

[Mollie333]

Edit: Goodluck with your new girls, lovely selection!

 

Now where are them pictures?

[migsy]

Edit: Goodluck with your new girls, lovely selection!

 

Now where are them pictures?

 

Ooh yes, pics please!

[Mollie333]

Will watch this spot.

[gonetoearth]

I'm so pleased I found this thread.

 

We lost one of our girls at the weekend and we're all pretty cut up about it. We had three hybrids from Omlet which made up our little flock. She was only slightly more than year old. We've decided that we want to add more girls to our little group and have been puzzling about which was the best thing to do, hybrids vs pure breeds.

 

It sounds as if you all come down on the side of a mix, which would suit us just fine.

[migsy]

Just over a year? That is so young. I'm sorry for your loss. I've got 3 hybrids and 3 pure breeds and I think it is a lovely mix. I think that now I have a hen hobby , I'd go for pure breeds in the future just for the sheer diversity of them. Hope you find something lovely!

[dixie chick]

Have been trying for hours to post a photo from photobucket ....

[newboy]

 

use the share this image table in the website

 

click on IMG section and paste that in here not the url

[Old Speckled Hen]

They are gorgeous.

I am happy with my mix. I lost one hybrid at only two and a half years old yesterday. She went down hill very fast with egg peritonitis so DH had to end her suffering for her. I hate it that they have to pay such a high price for being good egg layers. At least a pure breed has a break from laying in the winter.

BTW I have two Vorwerks and they look nothing like any of yours

I must get some pictures on here