The Perfect Breed

Currently, I have one barred rock and three sex links, but I am looking to experiment with different breeds. I would like a breed that is quiet, but friendly, lays efficiently, and is resistant to hot climate. Suggestions?

I guess it really depends what you are looking for and where you live. Some breeds are more cold or heat hardy. I think it depends on where you get your chickens also - hatchery or breeder. I also wanted to experiment with different breeds plus I wanted a colorful egg basket so I ordered a variety from McMurray to try. I ordered Easter Eggers, Dominiques, Welsummers, Buff Orpingtons, Langshans, Jersey Giants, & Silver Gray Dorkings. They are all 35 weeks old now and are (finally) all laying. All of those breeds did fine through the Texas summer. Winters here are not cold ( it is rare for us to get below 20 degrees) but they can be wet, muddy and windy. We will see how the girls do in the upcoming months. So far, out of the breeds I have the only one I wouldn't do again would be the Dominiques. They were the first to begin laying and they lay well but the eggs are just too small. All my other hens started out laying small eggs but now lay a large egg. The Doms started out laying a tiny egg and now lay a small egg. It might be different with stock purchased from a breeder.
As far as a quiet but friendly temperament goes, the Easter Eggers and the Doms are the least friendly, The Jersey Giant hens are friendly but very vocal. The Welsummers, Buff Orpington and Silver Grey Dorkings are all friendly and fairly quiet, the Langshans are a little more standoffish but are the quietest of all the chickens. Even their egg song is just a quiet little murmur and the Rooster rarely crows. The Jersey Giant & Silver Grey Dorking Roosters never shut up.

The Easter Eggers, of course, lay large green/blue eggs, the Jersey Giants & Buff Orpingtons lay large light./medium brown eggs, the Welsummers & Langshans lay large dark brown eggs and the SG Dorkings lay large white eggs. Hope this helps! I still have more breeds I want to try..........................

Thanks! I will look into those breeds.

Unfortunately most heat tolerate breeds are also flighty, like leghorns and Andalusian. If your barred rock is okay with your climate than similar breeds should do fine as well, I am a fan of Orpingtons and Australorps. I would pick breeds by what you like, besides being labeled as friendly or flighty, most really have their own personality and two of the same breed can be behaviorally opposites. So I would go by what you think is pretty, though breeds like polish, silkies, and game breeds can require extra care.

It is funny, but I have gotten lots of different kinds of birds. Some I was sure I would love, and I didn't, for whatever reason. Some I got because of the circumstances, and wound up being favorite birds.

My point is, it is fun to try different breeds. I like keeping a flock, but the birds in the flock come and go.

Mrs K

I agree, birds that you think will be favorites, may not live up to the expectation, while you may end up with an accidental flock addition that you fall in love with. In spite of the fact that Dominiques do not lay a nice big egg, I absolutely LOVE their personality. They always come on the run when I'm outside, and are often poking around between my feet when I'm working in the yard. Have a nice soft voice. Make a nice sex linked chick when paired with the right roo. (which mine are!) But, they tend to be at the bottom of the pecking order. Likely to be good brooders and mothers. They make a nice personality mix with EE. Have you looked at Henderson's chicken breeds chart? Good place to start.