[Foxy]

Just wondering what everyone thinks? Seems everyone at the moment is getting hybrids and was wondering why that is?
I only have the pure breeds as I hatch them myself, I have the odd one or two though (thanks Peggy!   )
I do love though the fact there are breeds that have been around for a very long time with lovely characteristics (you can still get hold of Jungle Fowl the original chicken!) which although may not lay as prolifically as hybrids  will lay for longer and have very distinct temperments dependant on the breed which make them so interesting.

So what do you think?

[GrannieAnnie]

I'd love a few pure breeds Foxy, but we rear hybrids as most of the people who come here for their POL's have never kept chooks before, and the hybrids are reasonably priced for starters, and they lay more eggs in the first couple of years.

Then if they enjoy their chooks, they can migrate onto pure breeds if they like!  But quite a few people love the Amberlinks and I've already got 38 pre-booked for October, and they are only a week old!  And some of these are repeat orders from peeps who had some of our last batch!

[Porffor]

I must admit i'd like pure breeds as our next chooks (hubby has put a block on ex-batts).
So will be shopping further a field.
Only reason i got hybrids was that they are the nearest on sale and were cheaper. as starter chickens so to speak.

The alternative for pure breeds was 100 miles round trip and 6x as much money.

[bockhamptoners]

we have gone for hybrids because they seemed the 'safer' option.
we believe they are more robust, they lay more egss and they have  been innoculatred and these particular birds are comming from somewhere highly reccomended. In our case the average price of a pure bred around here is about $6/7 and our hybrids are costing....... wait for it..$18 (my pound sign doesnt work) they are very expensive, we know but for peace of mind we will spend the money.
simular to what porffor said though, if there is a next time we may go for purebreds.

[babe]

i love pure breeds. i love the different colours, styles characters and sizes. though i do have odds and sods and ex batts too.

im not bothered by eggs so buy what chooks makes me go 'aww'.

[kattcottrell]

I have hybrids for all the reasons above as when researching chickens they seem the best option for eggs and temperament but, since then I learnt (I think) that although pure breeds don't lay so many eggs they lay for longer, is this right?

[peggyprice]

If I was starting over again I'd definitely go for the pure breeds now; I'm finding my hybrids a lot less reliable one way and another than my only remaining pure breed, Celia the Welsummer, who lays a beautiful large brown egg almost every single day and is likely to go on doing so for a while.

And like Foxy, I like the idea (now that I've got used to having chickens around the place) of keeping some of the pure breeds going.  Though I'll wait until I've got a few ducks first  

[mdueal]

We have pure breeds (and some rescued heinz varieties) and we love them. But then I'm sure everyone loves their chickens - hybrids or not. We actually ended up with the chickens we have as my OH kept seeing the daft looking ones and wanting them - for comedy value!! WE bought them as unsexed chicks so it was cheaper and we got the fun of raisning them ourselves (and got lucky with gender) plus they are super tame now.
Having said that our heinz bantams have made excellent mums (better than our silkie!!) and one even lays green eggs!

[FCG]

I got some advice early on on getting chickens that Hybrids where a better 'first' bird than pure breeds. Added to that the situation where i could only find hybrid breeders close to me, so i ran with it. I'm happy.

[Ruby Red]

Our first hens were pure bred banties as we didnt know much about hens then. They came with the coop as it were and we had 2 wyandottes a slikie and a tiny Belgium danvers. They laid every day foe a year now the 2 wyandottes havent laid for 5 weeks , the silkie died a brain death and only the tiny Danvers is still laying, and they are tiny bless her. We bought 2 warrens because we were told that they wont go broody and will lay practically all the time .The next ones I get will be hybrids again. I know this sounds silly but can you get hybrid bantams? If I had hens then I wouldnt have quite enough room. Soz for the stupid question.  :oops:  :?

[GrannieAnnie]

I've never heard of hybrid bantams Ruby.

[Ruby Red]

Thanks Grannie. Sorry to hijack the thread a minute but could you advise me as to which hybrids are the smallest. I would like a few more but space is limited. I have a run and coop which combined is 9ft 2in long and 4 ft wide. I think the blurb said it was ok for 10 hens.I know they tend to be on the wishful thinking side. I have 2 wyandotte banties, 1 tiny danvers and a warren. I want small hens so it gives me more   I have always like the light sussex but someone told me they tend to be on the bigger side. Please advise.