Advice on Breed that is best for me...

[Karen-Huntsville]

Hello from Huntsville, AL. I am brand new here and this will be my first chicken experience as a grown up. We did have a few hens when I was growing up. There are SO many choices and I have been unable to find a computer where I can just type in what I want and it tell me the best choice for me. So, here's my wish list:
I am only going to have 3, possibly 4 chickens. They will be in a coop, as I don't want them to get eaten by a hawk. I do live in the city in a regular neighborhood. I would like to have SWEET hens that like people! Not broody. Good Layers. Various colored eggs, not white. Obviously, since I live in Alabama, they need to be ok with heat. AND I AM MOST DEFINATLY A BEGINNER!! What would you choose if you were me??

 

[Eggscaping]

Hello from Huntsville, AL. I am brand new here and this will be my first chicken experience as a grown up. We did have a few hens when I was growing up. There are SO many choices and I have been unable to find a computer where I can just type in what I want and it tell me the best choice for me. So, here's my wish list:
I am only going to have 3, possibly 4 chickens. They will be in a coop, as I don't want them to get eaten by a hawk. I do live in the city in a regular neighborhood. I would like to have SWEET hens that like people! Not broody. Good Layers. Various colored eggs, not white. Obviously, since I live in Alabama, they need to be ok with heat. AND I AM MOST DEFINATLY A BEGINNER!! What would you choose if you were me??

Well, I went to "Reviews" and looked at the various kinds of chickens and read their descriptions before making a list of the ones we are going to get. Under Australorp, it says they do well in all climates, give you high productivity of large, brown eggs, are Friendly, Easily handled, Calm, Bear confinement well, Quiet, Docile...
So that one's on my list. Seems like those are the qualities you want? Really, if you read the various breed descriptions it's really helpful.

 

[Chicka_deee]

Hello from Huntsville, AL. I am brand new here and this will be my first chicken experience as a grown up. We did have a few hens when I was growing up. There are SO many choices and I have been unable to find a computer where I can just type in what I want and it tell me the best choice for me. So, here's my wish list:
I am only going to have 3, possibly 4 chickens. They will be in a coop, as I don't want them to get eaten by a hawk. I do live in the city in a regular neighborhood. I would like to have SWEET hens that like people! Not broody. Good Layers. Various colored eggs, not white. Obviously, since I live in Alabama, they need to be ok with heat. AND I AM MOST DEFINATLY A BEGINNER!! What would you choose if you were me??[

An amazing layer is a Barred Rock, they have BEAUTIFUL dark brown eggs, although they may struggle in the heat. Easter eggers can give you a variety of egg colors, and can stand heat. Polish chickens are just cute I think. And leghorns can stand heat as well.

 

[Ribh]

I have Australorps & Barred Rocks @ present. That's about to change tomorrow but from my experience both are docile, good in confinement, sweet natured, excellent layers BUT, the BRs tend to go broody , though easily handled; The BAs are much warier of people & quite skittish. They are chatty but not overly noisy & on the larger size. The BAs are LOUD with their egg song. They are people friendly in the sense they are not frightened & will come for treats, just adverse to being handled.

 

[Acre4Me]

Barred Rocks, Easter Eggers, and Plymouth Rocks are what I would recommend for you. Seem to be reliable layers of brown and green (EE) eggs. Some EE lay more blue/green or pink (like pink/brown) eggs. Usually, you will get some different shades of brown among your brown layers. Our Plymouth Rock lays a "shiny" egg...as in the usual patina for eggs is "eggshell" while hers are more "satin" finish.

Our Black Australorps are friendly, but the only broody out of the several breeds we have is a Black Australorp.

 

[Folly's place]

Speckled Sussex are pretty, friendly, and lay tan eggs.
Henderson's breed chart has lots of helpful information for you; check it out.
Easter Eggers, Welsummers for dark eggs, Plymouth Rocks too. Lots of choices!
Mary

 

[123RedBeard]

Typing "chicken selector" into your favorite search engine ... should give you simular results as this ... https://www.google.com/search?ei=hy....0i71j35i39j0i20i263j0i131i20i263.K68LqW-4Xm4

 

[noregerts]

Since you are in a hot climate look for heat tolerant breeds (google that). As far as sweet and people lovers, my experience has been that barred rocks and buff orpingtons are great. They both are brown egg layers.
Have fun and beware of Chicken Math