[Jacob-list] Help with Chicken Choice

[Heather Hettick]

I like the multipurpose birds but bantams are nice if you like having baby
chicks around.  I've had barred rocks, Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire reds
and Comets in addition to various bantams my Dad used to raise.  I bought 25
Black Australorps 4 years ago and really like their mild temperaments and
nice brown eggs.  My parents have some good laying hens left that we gave
them but we only have one rooster left as we ate the extra roosters, gave
some of the excess hens to friends and the last few hens were killed by
predators or dogs.  We have two older Sumatra cross hens who lay white eggs
and are smaller and more flighty but have hatched babies for us this summer.
They were the ones who were able to out-maneuver the dog and roost with the
sheep to stay more protected from raccoons.  The problem with them is they
are really good at hiding their nests and ate most of my peach crop off the
tree before they were totally ripe - I only have one small tree.  The
Japanese beetle population was down enormously with the chickens on patrol
so I think we came out even.

My chickens are only noisy in the mornings when the roosters crow.  The
young Sumatra/Australorps is funny sounding as he's still perfecting his
crow but his father has a nice warm sounding crow.  I never hear them during
the day much though unless something really upsets them.


Heather Hettick
Moonstruck Jacob Sheep
Creston, OH
hettick.1 at osu.edu
home email: hettick1 at yahoo.com