The Chocolate Orpington is a Hoover’s Hatchery™ specialty. It is a cross between a Chocolate Orpington male and a Black Orpington female. The pullets are a rich chocolate brown color. This cross combines the beautiful chocolate color of the Orpington with the superb laying capabilities of the Australorp. These birds make a great dual-purpose bird for any flock as they combine unique plumage color and high egg production with a well-fleshed carcass. This cross also has a docile temperament much like both of its parent breeds. Only pullets are available. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 200 Medium Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Docile, Friendly, Calm, Gentle Mature Weight: 8-9 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Often Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWThe Buckeye was created in Ohio by crossing Cochins, Plymouth Rocks, and Malay chicken breeds. They are a Dual-Purpose breed that features rich, brilliant red plumage, yellow legs, and a pea comb. They are good egg layers and grow rapidly making them a true dual-purpose farm chicken. Buckeyes are very hardy that resist frostbite very well thanks to their small comb and wattles. Furthermore, due to their Malay ancestry they are very rugged and excellent foragers. They have an easy-going demeanor and are not inclined to be flighty. The Buckeye is the ultimate combination of beautiful plumage, utility, and hardiness for the backyard flock. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 200 Medium Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Active, Gentle, Friendly, Vocal Mature Weight: 6-7 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Occasionally Comb Type: Pea Comb
ORDER NOWThis perfect backyard chicken breed is named after India's Brahmaputra River. The breed probably came to the U.S. on 19th Century sailing ships, these Brahmas are enormous. Feathers cover their feet and shanks, keeping them warm in winter. Their docile, gentle, and quiet temperament makes them one of the best breeds around children. They sometimes go broody and are attentive mothers. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 200 Medium Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Calm, Friendly, Docile Mature Weight: 7-8 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Somewhat Heat Hardy Broodiness: Occasionally Comb Type: Pea Comb
ORDER NOWThe Maran breed originates from a town called Marans, France. It is a very winter hardy breed with a docile temperament. They are more athletic and take to foraging and free ranging more often than other breeds. The French Copper Marans lay dark brown eggs. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 225 Medium Dark Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Docile, Friendly, Easy to Handle Mature Weight: 6-7 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Often Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWThis perfect backyard chicken breed is named for India’s Brahmaputra River. The breed probably came to the U.S. on Nineteenth Century sailing ships, or it may have been developed here from other Asian breeds. Hens weigh about 5-6 pounds with loose fluffy feathers that make them look bigger. Feathers cover their feet and shanks, keeping them warm in winter. Their docile, gentle, and quiet temperament makes them one of the best breeds around children. Hens lay about 200 medium-sized brown eggs annually, sometimes go broody, and are attentive mothers. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 200 Medium Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Calm, Friendly, Docile Mature Weight: 5-6 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Occasionally Comb Type: Pea Comb
ORDER NOWThe Partridge Plymouth Rock is an American creation developed by mixing Partridge Cochin, Dark Cornish, and Golden Wyandotte. Other reports suggest that Brown Leghorns and Golden Penciled Hamburgs were also used to create this beautiful variety of Plymouth Rock. The Partridge Plymouth Rock combines all the excellent utility traits and hardiness of other Plymouth Rocks with the intricate pattern known as Partridge. The males feature dark red hackle and saddle feathers with a black tail and breast. While the female’s feathers are a rich mahogany brown delicately marked with two to three concentric black bands known as penciling. The feather pattern is even more stunning upon close examination. Like other Plymouth Rocks, they have a gentle temperament and are not only good egg layers, but also grow to a large size, making them excellent dual-purpose chickens. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 200 Large Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Docile, Easy to Care For Mature Weight: 6-7 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Rarely Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWBarnevelders are medium heavy, dual-purpose birds that are very cold hardy. Their beautiful double-laced brown and blue feathers are just another perk of this docile bird that takes to foraging easily. The Barnevelders are single combed with yellow legs. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 160 Large Dark Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Docile, Curious, Active, Gentle Mature Weight: 5-7 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Occasionally Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWPlymouth Rocks are as beautiful and productive as they are easy to care for. In 1620 a travel-weary band of pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock. Years later an ideal backyard chicken breed was named in honor of this famous site. They link the flock owner with American history while yielding abundant eggs and tasty meat. In bygone days when nearly every farm had a chicken flock, the utility and beauty of these birds made them the breed of choice. Few birds are as stunningly real as a Plymouth Rock strolling across a summer lawn. With a New England heritage, they do not let winter blizzards interrupt laying. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 250 Large Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Calm, Docile, Easy to Care For Mature Weight: 5-6 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Rarely Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWThe Bielefelder is a recent import to the U.S. that originated in Bielefeld, Germany. A poultry breeder by the name of Gerd Roth developed the breed by crossing New Hampshires, Malines, Amrocks, and Wyandottes to create an auto-sexing, dual-purpose breed. Auto-sexing means that day-old chicks can be sexed when they hatched based on their coloring. Day-old pullet chicks have brown “chipmunk stripes” on their backs, while cockerel chicks are a much lighter shade and do not have any stripes. Adult Bielefelders are beautiful birds and have a color pattern similar to the crele color pattern found in other breeds. The hens have a brown ground color overlaid with faint bars of white and gray. Males have orange barred hackles, backs, and saddles with the tails and breast being black with white barring. Bielefelders are an excellent dual-purpose breed that lays an abundance of brown eggs while still having a well-fleshed carcass. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 230 X-Large Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Calm, Curious, Active, Friendly Mature Weight: 6-10 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Rarely Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWThe Australorp is an Australian breed, was selected for its high egg production, and was developed primarily from Black Orpingtons that were exported from England in the 1890s to early 1900. Australian breeders selected large Black Orpingtons because of their efficient egg production and Orpington shape. Today, the Australorp is still a favorite egg producer in small and backyard flocks. Despite their record-breaking egg production, they are still considered a dual-purpose breed that grows at a good rate and has a well-fleshed carcass. The plumage is pure black with an intense beetle-green sheen that is breathtaking when seen in the sunlight. Their legs and toes are also black while the bottoms of the feet are white. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 250 Large Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Docile, Energetic Mature Weight: 5-6 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Occasionally Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWIn the late 1800s New Jersey breeders created a chicken designed to rival the meatiness of the turkeys back then. The massive Black Jersey Giant was the result of merging the genetics of several large breeds. Later the White Jersey Giant was created. They grow slowly but eventually are a third larger than most other heavy breeds. These birds are ideal for anyone wanting an impressive hen that lays about 240 extra-large eggs annually. When younger, the birds will mature relatively quickly, but they tend to reach a marketable meat weight slower than other breeds. It can take up to nine months for this bird to fill out its meat proportions. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 240 X-Large Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Docile, Easy Going Mature Weight: 8-9 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Occasionally Comb Type: Single Comb
ORDER NOWThe Black Sex-Link is an excellent brown egg layer. It was created from a Barred Rock hen and a Rhode Island Red cockerel. This creates a very versatile bird that is a great egg layer, has the temperament of a Barred Plymouth Rock, and can hold its own through the cold dark winter. {{br}} Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 250 Large Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Gentle, Active Mature Weight: 5-6 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Rarely Comb Type: Single Comb
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