OK folks - I have to practically start over with my chickens after the

[hedgehog]

Great Raptor Massacre of 2011 (being in a migratory fly way does have its drawbacks!)

I'm really looking for some hens that will set eggs - I've never had a self sustaining flock. Right now my list looks like this -

5 each of

Buff Orpington
Austrolorp
Speckled Sussex
Buff Laced Polish
Silver Spangled Hamburgs
Mille Fleur Banties
Partridge Rocks.

I plan on ordering 1 Austrolorp Rooster. The Banties are straight run, the rest will be pullets. I generally receive a free rooster chick as well.

I have about 10 older hens, two Banty Buff Cochin roosters and a Dark Cornish rooster.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. No rhode Island Reds?

Good layers and they do go broody nicely..at least have for me.
Also Plymouth rocks go broody easily.

[WheelWalker]

4. +1. Excellent choices.

[uppityperson]

2. That sounds like a quite interesting combination. Beware, hamburgs can and do fly

If your place isn't covered on the top, they can fly. We had a couple and found they also talked a different language than the other birds. Rather than "look look look look look" they did morse code "dah dot dah dah" sort of talk.

For setters, get a few silkies. They are small and fluffy and love to sit on eggs. After ours sit on eggs for a week, we can take the eggs and stuff fresh chicks of other varieties under them at night. They wake all excited, the eggs hatched! It is funny though watching large breed month old chicks trying to crawl under a silkie though.

[hedgehog]

3. You're right about the Hamburgs flying -

I do like them though, because they follow me around chatting away.

[jwirr]

5. We have that problem also so we built our fence around their pen higher and bent the edges inward.

Both so the raptors cannot fly in and so the chickens cannot fly out.

[Tumbulu]

6. my Partridge Rocks also laid eggs all winter

without extra lights. They do sometimes set on eggs, but my Wellsummers are the best setters so far.

Enjoy!!!!!