MissGuardian said:
They really are cute :thud:
I don´t think I´ve heard of those breeds(?) before..
Can you tell me what is special about them?
What makes them different from other kinds? And why did you choose them?
You don´t have to answer if you don´t want to, I´m just curious and want to learn more about them.. Specially since I´m a wee bit scared of chickens and specially roosters :emb:
No problem!
Both are "dual purpose" breeds, meaning they were produced for both eggs and meat, but being dual purpose, they are not really really good at either. What that means... they will not grow as fast and as big as the "broiler breeds" (those bred just to produce a good meat carcass). Those broiler breeds HAVE to be slaughtered by 3 months of age or they grow too big and can die from random heart attack or have joint/leg problems. Those breeds also have to be kept under lights 24/7 even after they leave the brooder so they can eat continuously and support their fast growth. My chickens will never grow that fast, that big, or require that kind of "care". These birds will also never be as good as the egg laying breeds (such as those used in large factory farms). While they may produce 4-5 eggs a week each, they will not produce as many as 6 eggs a week like those egg laying breeds. While I have not read any specific health problems associated with such high egg production, I DO imagine there are some. Such breeds may be at higher risk of reproductive problems (such as egg binding) because of such high production. They may also have less tolerance for nutritional variations (producing eggs safely requires a very specific balance of nutrients, if this balance isn't met that can increase the risk of problems such as egg binding or can lower the overall health of the animal as its body pulls nutrients to produce eggs, such a specific requirement would mean I would have to be careful selecting a very specific formulated feed for them and be careful with how many treats they get).
These breeds are also older "heirloom" breeds, meaning they've been around and survived for a very long time. I didn't really want to go with a more modern breed, but wanted to stick with heirloom breeds, just because I believe if they've been able to stand the test of time, they must have something good going for them. Older, heirloom breeds also tend to have a little more genetic variety than some of the newer breeds, which makes them a little more able to tolerate variations in environment. Both of these breeds are also tolerant/suitable for free ranging or some confinement. Some breeds actually do not tolerate confinement well and NEED to be free ranged. Others cannot be free ranged because they are either too wild or will not be able to sustain their faster metabolisms (broiler breeds cannot be free ranged for this reason). Although I'm not sure if I will be able to allow my birds to free range (all of my neighbors have dog, there are coyotes and hawks in the area, I have dogs, that's an awful lot of dangers for a chicken to face....), I DO want them to be able to live happily in a large run, which is the next best thing to free ranging. I did not want to have to confine them to little cages to keep them safe and happy. Additionally, these breeds are known to be friendlier. They are not particularly aggressive, nor particularly wild. Although I don't expect to be able to handle them like a dog or cat, I DO want to be able to handle them with relative ease when needed. A sick or injured bird HAS to be handleable, and I don't want to be fighting with it when I need to. So friendliness was a requirement for me. Also in my mind a friendlier breed will be less likely to be stressed by my presence, such as when I'm cleaning out the hen house or run, changing their food and water, collecting eggs, etc. Less stress will keep the birds healthier and happier, and keep them laying more eggs. Both breeds can also be somewhat "broody" (meaning they will sit on eggs). Though I don't necessarily plan to let them hatch eggs (for one thing, I can't keep a rooster and buying and transporting fertilized eggs can be very tricky), I wanted a broody breed, "just in case". I think its a little more natural too. (Many of the egg laying breeds have lost that brooding instinct because when hens become broody they stop laying, which hurts production. So by breeding out that behavior, the bird will continue to produce more eggs.) I also had to look for breeds that were not particularly heat sensitive. While I will still need to make sure my birds get plenty of shade and water (it gets quite hot here in the summer), I didn't want a sensitive breed that would die from heat exhaustion despite my efforts to keep them cool in summer. Although cold is not a major issue here, neither breed is particularly cold sensitive too, and the Sussex is known to continue laying even in cold weather. (Daylight exposure, temperature, stress, etc all affect egg laying abilities.)
And the last and least reason for me picking these breeds - they are pretty.
