If You Could Only Have 6 Chickens...

[Sharwig]

Hmmmm, decisions decisions. I have a mixed flock of 20 right now. The ones I would definitely keep: Black Australorp! Gorgeous color and always holding their tail feathers tall and proud. They've also been great layers and they're cold hardy. Ameracauna. Mine are hardy, friendly, cold tolerant and love their blue eggs. White Leghorn. She lays nearly every.single.day and has so much personality, and love adding the white eggs to my basket.

I would trade in my RIR for a Speckled Sussex. All the RIR's we've had are mean and aggressive. My GLW are beautiful, but go broody often so I would trade for something new...maybe a Swedish Flower, Barnevelder or pink egg layer. And lastly, I'd try a Welsummer. I hear they lay beautiful, dark brown speckled eggs.

Please don't tell my other ladies they aren't on my list! They're all pretty great birds (BR, NHR, Sagitta, RSL, BSL and my BLRW).

Been fun reading everyone's list!

 

[micstrachan]

I would have an EE for maybe a pretty blue egg and a great personality, a dominique for that sweet curiousity, a rose comb brown leghorn because every coop needs a little drama, a chantecler for as hardy as they get, a Silver Spangled Hamburg rooster because they are hands down the very best, and a little SS hamburg lady because they are so dainty and pretty!

Love your reasons!

 

[micstrachan]

I'd have 6 araucanas. And hope no one phoned animal control about the other 20 wild chickens that visit my yard!

Haha!!! Love this!!! What chickens???

 

[K813ZRA]

Wow, that is a hard one. You see, chicken math has hit me hard over the past few years. I am about 40 birds deep and that is just chickens. I have ducks too...And more banties are coming this spring!

Standards: I think I would go all 6 EEs. I have EEs, Orpingtons, RIRs, Barred Rocks, Brahmas, Leghorns, Welsummers, Australorps and Blue Amerucanas but it is the EEs that stand out to me. Friendly, curious, good at foraging and lay well.

That is not to say the others don't have their merits, they surely do! Both the Orps and the Brahamas adore attention but neither are the best of layers and both eat tons. The RIRs are great layers and are hardy but mine are not friendly. My Australorps are about the same. The Welsummers are pretty and lay gorgeous eggs but not in enough volume for me. The Leghorns are great layers and don't eat much but they are terrified of my very existence and freak out whenever they see more...or their shadow. The Barred Rocks we have are the most pet like chickens, they follow me everywhere and lay okay but I still like the EEs better. Finally, the Blue Ameracunas, my rooster is super good looking, friendly enough to me but very protective of the girls. The Hens lay good looking eggs somewhat frequently and they are nice too look at. They are neither friendly nor unfriendly. So they really don't stand out enough. Or at least that has been my experience with these breeds thus far.

I hope that explains my choice well enough.

Bantams: Also not a mixed flock. I'd go all OEGBs. These were my first Bantams and I still adore them. Sassy but friendly and cute as buttons!

I got a load of OEGBs from tractor supply the summer before last and fell in love with them from the moment I brought them home. Boy are they spitfires! The hens are sometimes flighty but once they warm up to you they are very interactive. Pretty birds too. The roos have the heart of a lion and will try to back down another male 5x their size and even the neighbors dog...Normally they accomplish both things too. So these I keep around purely because I enjoy them.

 

[micstrachan]

Ok, now I’ll try to join in. In reality, my Black Australorp is a stellar chicken, so she has to be on the list. She is beautiful, strong, and super cuddly with me, plus an exceptional layer. She’s pretty bossy, though. Interestingly, all the same traits go to my Brown Leghorn, who is also on the list. My Plymouth Barred Rock has to make the list, because she’s she’s just so chill... very confident and calm, though not a great layer. That’s fine with me, since my girls are pets. So those three brees are from my original flock. So how could I possibly pick three of the remaining six? My Light Brahma is incredibly adorable. Sweet to humans, but a little rough with the lower ranked he s. Speckled Sussex... oh so pretty, soft and sweet. Almost sweet to a fault... she’s low in the pecking order and does not think she is worthy of lap time, which is a bummer. And there’s something really special about my Buckeye, though she does seem slightly prone to illness. Ok, that’s six! But I hate to stop there... I really love my Buff Orp, and both Wyandotte’s (silver laces & blue laces red). I have read that Wyandotte’s can be bullies. Definitely NOT the case in my flock. In fact, the BLR is one of my top lap girls!

This year I’d love to add a Dark Brahma OR barnevelder, a salmon faverole, and an ameracauna (or Araucana or Easter Egger).

Ok, so I didn’t follow the rules of this thread. Sorry!

 

[alexa009]

I would simply choose,

1: Easter Egger
2: BTW Japanese Bantam
3: Black Copper Maran
4: Ameraucana
5: Buff Orpington

 

[Melodychick]

Out of the ones I have I’d keep
1 Easter Egger (now I have 5 and love them all!)
2 barred Rock (I have 4 that I got to fill a chick order. Didn’t plan on keeping them, but they are so friendly they left me no choice!)
3 Welsummer (I currently have one hen and one accidental sweet roo)
4 Wyandotte (I have a gold laced, but any color will do)
The two I’d add are
5 French Black Copper Marans (for the egg color)
6 cream Legbar (same as above)
My Australorpes and speckled Sussex didn’t quite make the list because they are all persistent Broodies and drive me crazy all summer,but they are sweet and very pretty birds.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

What breeds would you choose if you could only have 6 hens, and why?

I would have:

A Silkie
A large Cochin
An Olive Egger
An Ameracauna or Araucana
A Wellsummer
A Rhode Island Red

(I have 4 of those breeds and will likely add the Wellsummer and RIR when the opportunity arises.)

i have barred rock
and white rock
silver laced wyandotte
easter eggers, olive eggers
buff orphingtons
i love them all, all are still youngins except for my barred and white rocks and easter egges...i would love to have a silkie and some RIR

 

[PhipN FarmGirl]

I'd have:
Marans--friendly and beautiful eggs
PBR--great egg layers and mine at least are people-friendly
Golden campine--they're gorgeous and inquisitive
Speckled Sussex--great egg layers and chill
Appenzeller Spitzhauben--very cool looking and so friendly I call them my dog-chickens. Not great egg layers, but I don't care.

The dog-chicken personality sounds great!

 

[Cadbury22]

Buff orpington-because they're sweet
Brahma- sweet, great egg layers
Easter Egger- great eggs, fun personalities
Jersey giant-always wanted one
Maran- just because
Faverolles- bearded chicken!