Best Chicken Breeds?

[klcbell231]

Hi Everyone!!

So my boyfriend and I are ready too add a few more members to our flock!! We want to add maybe 2-3 more (we currently have 3; (2) 3 month old Silver Laced Wyandottes and (1) 2 year old Buff Brahma).

We have a choice between Black Star, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, and Dominique. They are all between 14-18 weeks old. Which breed(s) is/are the best layers and most friendly? I have a plan on how to separate them for a few weeks in the run, but I am also worried about them getting cold while the other Chickens have the insulated coop!!

We live in Colorado so it tends to get PRETTY DANG COLD some nights!

Any advice and tips would be appreciated

Here is a picture of where I will be putting the new girls; I will put hardware cloth along the entire opening and that will be their little section until they all are used to each other (the area under the coop). I will be putting a heated waterer and feed in there. I was thinking of putting a dog kennel filled with straw in there as well so they have somewhere warm? thoughts? Is that a bad habit to start because then maybe they will sleep in the nesting boxes?

 

[BunnyTheSlayer]

Out of my flock, I really love my buff orpingtons. They have sweet personalities, are very cold hardy and they have the cutest big fluffy bottoms around. Good luck with your decision! Let us know what you get.

 

[gus2pp]

I have sex links, and barred rocks, and they seem to be very chicken aggressive. They have lots of food, and free range, yet they still pick at the other hens A LOT. I'll never own either breeds again. Our Dominique is fine but she reminds me too much if the stupid barred rocks. ^.^ Buffs are just sweeter then pie. Do be aware that they are prone to broodiness.

 

[Bunnylady]

The Black Star is one of the crosses that is engineered for major egg production, so they should do a great job of laying, but may experience one of the problems that the "egg factories" are prone to. I like Barred Rocks for their hardiness; they are one of the breeds that usually lay right through the winter for me. I have had several Buff Orpingtons over the years; broodiness was really only a problem with one of them. No experience with Doms, sorry, but a lot of people like them.

The thing I'm noticing is that these birds you are considering are all at least 3 months old. If you are hoping for hop-in-your-lap friendly, you probably won't get it from any of them; they usually need a fair amount of hands-on at an early age to do that. And even the oldest of these birds most likely won't start laying until the warmer weather of Spring, if that's a consideration.