06-08-2008, 04:14 AM
But can white leghorns survive as free range chickens? I tried to bring some in and they didn't survive more than 48 hours as chicks. My neighbor has had some before in a flock of mixed breeds of chickens but she said they were the first ones to get eaten by stray dogs or just disappear. Mongoose might eat them maybe since the white leghorns are a smaller breed.
At the moment, I have pure bred adult Rhode Island red hens, pure bred adult Americana hens, an adult Cuckoo Marans hen and a variety of mixed hens. The mixed hens are going to be sold on Craig's List pretty soon so just the pure breds will be left.
My neighbor has mature pure bred Buff Orphington hens but neither one of us has a pure bred rooster. Well, a standard sized rooster anyway, I've got these really cute Black Tailed Japanese Bantom hens and roosters but they don't really count as far as breeding backyard chickens go. They are basically pet chickens who will lay really cute (but edible) eggs.
We've brought in some chicks - Rhode Island Reds straight run, two Buff Orphington cockerels and some barred rock pullets. There were some White leghorns in the batch but they died off. There's also some "Frankenchickens" (Cornish X meat birds) but those will be eaten within three months. So, when the new cockerels grow up in about three to four months we will have the option of pure bred RIR's and pure bred Buff Orphingtons. Do you think these are two good breeds to propagate or should we look for a different variety to bring in while we can still import chicks?
At the moment, I have pure bred adult Rhode Island red hens, pure bred adult Americana hens, an adult Cuckoo Marans hen and a variety of mixed hens. The mixed hens are going to be sold on Craig's List pretty soon so just the pure breds will be left.
My neighbor has mature pure bred Buff Orphington hens but neither one of us has a pure bred rooster. Well, a standard sized rooster anyway, I've got these really cute Black Tailed Japanese Bantom hens and roosters but they don't really count as far as breeding backyard chickens go. They are basically pet chickens who will lay really cute (but edible) eggs.
We've brought in some chicks - Rhode Island Reds straight run, two Buff Orphington cockerels and some barred rock pullets. There were some White leghorns in the batch but they died off. There's also some "Frankenchickens" (Cornish X meat birds) but those will be eaten within three months. So, when the new cockerels grow up in about three to four months we will have the option of pure bred RIR's and pure bred Buff Orphingtons. Do you think these are two good breeds to propagate or should we look for a different variety to bring in while we can still import chicks?
Kurt Wilson