Picking the Chicken

Received my Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog in the mail yesterday... I'm so liking my little project! So much planning and doing - it's like shopping everyday!

So going through the catalog - I've made up my mind on the chickens I'm getting.

I know I wanted egg layers - I really don't plan on eating the chickens.

I know I want chickens that are rather friendly - don't really like birds, so the idea of a "flighty" bird does not appeal to me.

I know I want color variations in the eggs - brown, white, blue, green which means I need at least two Easter Eggers (Americanas). So while going through the McMurray catalog, I realized they are rather small - about 4 pounds which means the Rhode Island Reds are at minimum 2 1/2 pounds heavier - not sure I want that kind of pecking order. And yes! there is a picking order in the hen house. So the RIRs are out.

Found another type breed specifically for egg laying Red Star and Black Star, about 4 pounds each great match for the Easter eggers.

Then I found Pearl White Leghorns - about 4 pounds. They lay white eggs great for Trinity because the chicks look like the Easter chicks (all fluffy and yellow). So now I'm set on the chickens.

2 Easter Eggers
2 Red Stars
2 Leghorns

My Pet chicken has all three, so next step: planning the chicken coop while waiting for the snow to melt.