All About the Bielefelder Chicken Breed

I was flipping through the Hoover’s Hatchery catalog the other day when I spotted a breed I’ve had my eye on for years, the Bielefelder chicken A friend added them to their first flock and absolutely loved them If I were expanding my own flock of 40 (don’t worry, I’m not… this year!), the Bielefelder would be at the top of my list

Let’s take a closer look at what

All About Wyandottes

One of the earliest chicken breeds created in United States, the Wyandotte has been around for well over 100 years Early colonists were looking for a dual purpose bird that could manage the harsh winters of New York By mixing breeds such as the Brahma, Silver Seabright, and Cochins, the early Wyandotte was created The name origin is much debated, but many suspect they were named after the nearby Wendat Native American tribe

The very first Wyandotte chickens were silver laced, and were first recorded in colonial 1870’s New York Colonists wanted to create a dual purpose bird that

Black Australorps

The story of the Black Australorp breed began first in England in the early 1900’s A man named William Cook from Kent, United Kingdom, created the Orpington chicken Orpingtons are large, heavy feathered, docile poultry Orpingtons then were shipped to Australian homesteads in the 1920’s to fill a need for laying birds The Orpingtins were crossed with other egg production breeds, such as the Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, and Minorca Thus, the Black Australorp was born, and its namesake is a combination of the words Australia and Orpington

 

Black Australorps still exhibit some of the characteristics of their Orpington cousins

All About the Sapphire Splash

Today I’m here to tell you about a chicken breed most of you have never heard of before, the Sapphire Splash
Most of us have heard of the Sapphire Gem, a beautiful dark grey chicken that adds a sophisticated touch of color to a mixed flock The Sapphire Gem has a cousin, the Sapphire Splash Both are breeds originate in the Czech Republic
I just love Sapphire Splash chickens, and not just for their color Sapphire Splashes have some of the best temperaments of any chicken on the market now My family has always had at least one SS

All About the Dominique Breed

Today we’re going to talk about a breed that looks so much like the Barred Rock, it’s almost hard to tell the difference In fact, you have to look pretty close at their combs to tell them apart!

Barred Rocks have a single comb while Dominiques have a rose comb Their feather patterns differ a bit as well, but you have to look pretty close to see that I have Barred Rocks and I love them!  But I look forward to

All About the Rhode Island Red Chicken

We’ve all read the story of the “Little Red Hen” I have always loved this story The moral of the story is hard work will get you far in life and laziness will keep you hungry, right? Well, I feel like this sums up the Rhode Island Red breed of chicken perfectly Haha! They are energetic, friendly with people and can be fairly dominant in a flock

Starlight Green Egger

If you’re looking for a hardy, beautiful layer of green eggs, look no further than the Starlight Green Egger, only available at Hoover’s Hatchery!

One Starlight Green Egger has been a loyal flock member at my home for the past 4 years Her name is Christmas, and she’s named after her bright red feathers and the gorgeous green eggs she lays I’ve had the pleasure of owning some hens from this breed for several years now, and I’m convinced they’ll always have a place here Productive, beautiful, foraging experts, here’s a few reasons you should add some to your flock!

All About Black Jersey Giants

Today we are going to highlight one of my favorite breeds But let’s be honest, they are almost all my favorite breeds! Haha! Except Wyandottes I don’t particularly care for them I had a couple of them once and they were so mean to the rest of the flock So, while they’re pretty, I chose to admire them in other people’s flocks instead of my own!

Breed Highlight: Prairie Bluebell Egger™

One special breed, unique to Hoover’s, is the Prairie Bluebell Egger™

 

As well as having a whimsical name, the hens of this breed produce LARGE, bright blue eggs It has been my pleasure to have owned several of these PBEs over the last few years They are always a staple on our farm, and help fill the egg basket with dependable color

According to Hoover’s Hatchery, the lineage of the Prairie Bluebell Egger™ comes from crossing White Leghorn and Araucanas The first reported blue egg layer came from South America in the early

Pride of the Granite State -The New Hampshire Red

Ask a major league baseball manager what team member is most valuable and he is likely to answer, “my utility player” Rarely a famous media star, a utility player is a flexible athlete who can, at short notice, skillfully play many positions If a star player is sick or injured a utility man fills the gap

 

New Hampshire Reds are the “utility player” chicken breed They may not be the absolutely most prolific layer, the fastest growing broiler, the most beautifully colored chicken, or the very best broody hen But, they are darn good at all of them That may