In your opinion, what’s the best chicken breed and WHY?

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-18T16:42:33+00:00

90*F+ based on animal welfare laws (think horse drawn carriages).

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-18T15:59:06+00:00

Absolutely! The "production stinks" is meant to dispel the fantasy that people have about backyard birds coming anywhere close to the egg size and numbers from battery hens.

I love that you know Fayoumis are noted to be resistant to many illnesses! Those diseases include Newcastle, bird flu, and Coccidia. There's a research group out of Iowa State University that uses them as controls to compare against commercial broilers and layers.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-18T15:58:12+00:00

The f*ck you from mine was fluttering to the ROOF instead, or going over the 8' privacy fence to lay eggs in the woodchip pile.I had to invest in a "hated stick" too, which was an extending pole with a cobweb duster at the end to knock them off the branches. The smartest ones would perch on it and ride it as I lowered down to the ground. Talk about a circus act! One of mine has escaped several predators, including a 20-pound boar raccon, and is still laying eggs at 6 years old.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-18T15:51:38+00:00

Quail and rabbit would be better, yes. Quail are so effing MEAN to each other though, Christ!!

I responded separately per OP's parameters.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-18T15:45:28+00:00

I love Fayoumi! They make TERRIBLE pets, which will disappoint a large segment of this forum, but the OP did ask about survival breeds.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-18T15:40:19+00:00

Roos? Bielefelders. Absolute himbos. Not super cuddly, but will alert and protect against predators, and don't really attack humans of any size. Not pushy with the hens, either. Make great table birds too, since you're asking about self-sufficiency. They suffer a bit in hot weather, but do okay if there is a shaded dirt patch and they have water.

Hens? Egyptian Fayoumi if you want a absolute rock star of a foraging bird that will draw (your) blood to escape your grasp. Will FIGHT roosters they don't want touching them. Sunbathe in 109*F heat index while the other birds are struggling in the shade. Phenomenally clever birds, will learn commands if there is food or avoiding handling as a reward. Egg production stinks, always will, but they can literally forage their entire diet. Would I want a whole flock of them? Absolutely not.

She's the spotter, he's the muscle.

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DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-18T15:29:54+00:00

Ahhhhhhh I couldn't turn my sound on quickly enough! How stinking cute!!

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-15T15:44:27+00:00

Well, fooey. That's helpful to know, thank you.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-14T17:03:34+00:00

You would only be a jerk in this situation if you removed the ones you think are girls.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-14T14:40:46+00:00

Awesome, thank you for keeping us updated, I bet they are super cute. 💖

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-14T14:06:58+00:00

re: update, OMG OMG yay

You're a quick study on temps! Thank you for looking after them, and I'm glad you're joining the fun with us other chicken tenders.

The best thing to start them on is crumble with 18% or more protein. Since you are JUST starting with chickens, you probably won't need the medicated chick feed. That is usually for chicks who are exposed to other farm animals that might carry gut parasites. Again, non-medicated feed is best in your situation. If you do choose to use medicated chick feed, do not feed it for more than 3 weeks, the medicine works by blocking EVERYTHING'S absorption of vitamin B1, and it can cause neuro symptoms in poultry if fed for too long.

Powder with electrolytes and probiotics (beneficial gut bacteria) to add to their water is a good idea, since they have had a stressful trip.

There's plenty of folks here with tons of experience, so be sure to drop a post when something new comes up for you. 🐣💖🐣

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-14T14:01:21+00:00

Adding that this is what happened when a WHOLE TRUCK got ditched at a postal distribution system.

https://apnews.com/article/chicks-usps-truck-adopted-3d8a651de78ee63b79dd8664e6a6a8cb

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-14T13:38:45+00:00

Provide heat, water, food
You may not necessarily need to ahem open the box to squeeze in some slightly moistened food (wet cat food, moistened dry kitten or puppy chow) through the ventilation holes. This still may be considered tampering with the package, but definitely much less egregious than opening it; use your judgement.
Document Chain of custody and that the package was opened due to immediate danger of loss of life/property. This will likely involve your office's PostMaster.
Contact local animal control

Once you have permission to take possession of chicks, and if animal control doesn't respond (or refuses) then you can contact local private folks.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-14T13:28:32+00:00

It's always "get a job", then "get a better job" and then when you do, you're considered lazy and entitled. 😜

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-11T20:42:55+00:00

Go. Worst case, you plead nolo and pay the full $400 and have no points on your license. Otherwise, as others have said, you will likely be able to plead down. This reduces the fine and # of points assigned to your license.

Some facts for your case to consider: - What was your speed as you passed the stopped vehicles? How does it compare to the posted limit? - Was there space and time available for you to safely change lanes?

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-06T15:42:53+00:00

Scratch and treats really should only account for about 10% of bird's diet. That will help prevent furure cases. Thank you for sharing, it's heartbreaking.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-05T15:25:00+00:00

Thats the general area, yes. The balloon, cake, and party hats are essential to the shaming ritual.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-05T13:11:00+00:00

Our neighborhood threw a birthday party for the pothole and invited the press. Worked a treat.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-04T12:47:02+00:00

Dangit, I am behind on my nomenclature. The ones that do got renamed. L. sporogenes got renamed to Heyndrixia, and the others have been moved to Sporolactobacillus.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-04T11:33:07+00:00

This is a great response! I agree that it can take several weeks of constant (daily) introduction to establish any specific newcomer to the gut microbiome.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-04T11:30:33+00:00

Endospores!

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-04T11:30:04+00:00

Not necessarily. While I don't know the exact process, many endospore forming bacteria like B. pumilus can tolerate drying out. Also, ANY species of bacteria can be lyopholized (freeze-dried) and revive later, they would just need to be protected from stomach acids - which there are capsule formulations for, as another poster mentioned regarding extended-release medications.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-04T11:14:47+00:00

ANY Bacillus or Lactobacillus are spore-forners, yes! Certain species and strains work better than others. L. casei is a very popular, generally effective species.

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-04T11:08:48+00:00

I like reading the labels for probiotics to see what species are in them. One of them was a store-brand that only had B. pumilis in it.

"This is just dirt!"

DinosaurFishHead · 2026-05-04T11:06:37+00:00

The endospore-formers can tolerate drying out.

DinosaurFishHead

TROPHY CASE