2012 Chicken Wish List

Nearly two years ago I wrote a post about the chickens I wanted to have.  In the past I had always had barnyard mix chickens that were given to me after their prime.  Last year I was given some chickens that actually had an official breed.  This year my approach to chickens has changed again, but it is amazing to me how little my list has changed in two years.

One of my favorite times during the day is just before sunset when the chickens move into the field behind the house to scratch and enjoy the last few moments of sun before they head to the coop.

This is my quiet thinking time after all the chores are done.  Even though the chickens are more exposed to the hawks, I can relax, because the rooster always stands by to watch the girls.

As I watched my chickens, I realized that they were poor reflections of their breed.  I have been working hard to find locals who breed the chickens that I want, with standards in mind, although some of the breeds that I want seem to only be found on the west coast.  I have gotten to know some breeds through my own flock, but meeting others has exposed me to breeds that I had only read about.  I don't know if I will ever show a chicken, but if I am going to raise heritage chickens, I might as well try to preserve their appearance and personalities.  For example,  I ended up with 4 Delaware roosters, but not one of them was large enough to make a good meal, and they were originally bred to be meat birds.

I am also more convinced that I want dual purpose chickens.  Many of the chickens that I received last year turned out to be roosters.  Although I have found homes for most of the roosters that I did not want to keep, having too many roosters is terrible for a flock, so I am going to need to cull roosters every year.  I do not want to kill chickens just because they are the wrong sex, but I have no problem killing them to put food on the table.  Although there are two breeds on my list (Ameraucana and Barnevelder) that are not meat birds, they are great layers, and should keep me in eggs year round. I have also found that some of my favorites, like Cochin, just haven't done well here, due to the heat.  The last consideration is temperament.  I want calm chickens that enjoy free ranging. 

After all this, I have a new chicken wish list.

Ameraucana
Australorp
Barnevelder
Buff Orpington
Delaware
Dorking
Java

If I am going to keep breeding chickens, I will need to have a separate coop for each breed.  That is seven coops, so I will have to take some time to get all seven breeds going.  I have been looking for a coop design that will work in Florida weather, and will accommodate a good number of birds.  I think this is my favorite.
Now I just have to figure out how to pay for all of this.  I guess dreaming will keep me striving.  Two years ago I didn't have any chickens at all, now they are are bringing me joy every day.