[GrannieAnnie]

OH is now getting my garden shed ready as a broody house for some day old chicks.  He has made a good job of it, and we've got all the 'bits'.  He likes the white Amberlink pullets we bought 2 weeks ago, and wants to buy only the white ones, but I thought that if we were going to sell them locally, a lot of the people who were buying would be buying for their pleasure, not just for the eggs, so would want them to look nice too.

So, if it was you, would you prefer just white?  Or a mixture of white ones, brown ones and black ones?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[muntjac]

mix em up then ya find different things to lok at .white is such a boring non colour

[GrannieAnnie]

That's what I thought people might prefer Munty.  Although the whites do look nice against the green grass and brown sheds!!!  But a mix of colours wold look better in a garden wouldn't it?  more colour interest!

Thanks

[chickychick]

When I went looking I wanted lots of eggs but also wanted them to be nice to look at so a mix isgood

also I wanted to tell them apart so I got
one pale as poss bovan goldline creamy brown one dark as possible bovan goldline
 one pure white amberlinc and one amberlinc with noticable browny patches so I can tell them apart easily and if I want to add more to the flock next year I will be able to tell who are the newbies etc.

I would quite like some black birds too now that I have brown and white ones but would still have egg yeild top of my list

I am also finding that the white amberlincs have a really funny querky nature, or perhaps its just a coincidence

[KathyH]

We did a similar thing Chickychick.
We got three hens - all different so we had an interesting trio to watch and we would know which egg came from which chook.
We have 1 Bovan Goldline - mid brown eggs.
1 Black Rock - pale brown eggs.
1 Speckledy - does what it says on the tin - speckled brown eggs!
They started laying three weeks ago and the Goldline is way ahead on egg production with two a day in her third week of lay. Black Rock is second with a steady one a day at present and the Speckledy is just getting her "hen badge" at one every other day.
They are just 24 weeks so its early days yet.
All heve friendly natures with the Goldline as the boldest and the Speckledy as the shyest.

[Butterfly]

I would go with a mixture too. Easier to tell apart and more interesting to look at.
I've got 3 plain brown hens and we are always trying to spot the difference. The kids named them Coke, Fanya and Sprite when we 1st got them and could tell them apart. They are now known as The Fizzy Chicks!

[Sadgit]

the Goldline is way ahead on egg production with two a day in her third week of lay.

TWO A DAY?? really? my goldlines have been laying for a few weeks now and get 1 per day and am more than happy with that..

[GrannieAnnie]

Thanks everyone.  OH is still adamant that he wants only white ones, as he said we may get another smallholder wanting 200 POL's of us!!!!!

Yeah, chance would be a fine thing!  Most smallholders can't afford 200 hens at a time!!!  I still maintain that most of our customers would be people buying between say 2 and 6 to keep down the graden as egg layers and as a conversation point.

When step son bought his family for lunch Sunday, his wife saw the white ones and said I want 2 chickens Wayne.  No you're b****y not, its bad enough having a house rabbit!!!! lol

[Gloria]

I think having a mix is easier if you want to give them names. We're having difficulty naming our new ex-batts because they all look so similar.
Also (without wanting to sound like I'm in a Persil advert) the problem with whites is they get so filthy :!:  :!: Our white hen ( a Coral) is the one who likes dust baths and digging the most so she really looks totally scruffy the whole time Quite cute though, in a messy kinda way :roll: