Best backyard breeds

[cherrynberry]

I recommend Wyandotte’s. We have two currently. They never jumped over our 5ft...? fence. And they don’t have clipped wings. They are overall pretty quiet, can go broody, although they do get loud during laying time.

 

[cherrynberry]

By the way...I am talking about my Wyandotte’s, they free range all day, and seem pretty nice. My leghorn too is pretty nice. Although I only have one leghorn. She never has jumped the fence. Wyandotte’s are a pretty bird nice to take shots of as well.

edit: my leghorn looks a lot more pretty when she is NOT molting. She is also a great layer. Same with the Wyandotte’s.
P.S we got the Wyandotte’s from people who said they are 5 years old...but they layer everyday. Do you think they are thaaaat old?

 

[feather13]

I think they are tooooo flighty

Oh no! Sorry yours are flighty! Ours have been pretty good at staying home. Our Egyptian Fayoumis have been our most flighty (one was killed by a neighbor's dog in their yard and the other had to be rehomed because she was eating another neighbor's marijuana plants. Phoenixes, Minorcas, and Crevecoeurs are also super flighty.

 

[cherrynberry]

Oh no! Sorry yours are flighty! Ours have been pretty good at staying home. Our Egyptian Fayoumis have been our most flighty (one was killed by a neighbor's dog in their yard and the other had to be rehomed because she was eating another neighbor's marijuana plants. Phoenixes, Minorcas, and Crevecoeurs are also super flighty.

Maybe...out of our 9 EEs, only 4-5 could jump over 7ft tall fences. With one, I saw it with my own eyes. With others, I just saw them on our coop

 

[cherrynberry]

Oh no! Sorry yours are flighty! Ours have been pretty good at staying home. Our Egyptian Fayoumis have been our most flighty (one was killed by a neighbor's dog in their yard and the other had to be rehomed because she was eating another neighbor's marijuana plants. Phoenixes, Minorcas, and Crevecoeurs are also super flighty.

Can I see your EEs? I love their colorings

 

[cherrynberry]

Oh no! Sorry yours are flighty! Ours have been pretty good at staying home. Our Egyptian Fayoumis have been our most flighty (one was killed by a neighbor's dog in their yard and the other had to be rehomed because she was eating another neighbor's marijuana plants. Phoenixes, Minorcas, and Crevecoeurs are also super flighty.

I have yet to get a Fayoumis. It sounds like you have pretty rare breeds.

 

[Folly's place]

Buckeyes, Speckled Sussex (very friendly), EEs, and French Marans. Add some interesting egg colors too!
Last year a lot of birds sold out early, and that's happening again this year too. How about checking Cackle? They have some breeds that MMcM doesn't carry. Both hatcheries have been good for us.
Mary

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Brahmas are nice for backyards. They're too chunky to escape and I find their voices to be lower than other chickens so they're not as irritating when they're being chatty. Though their sneezes sound like a donkey braying, and you'd need to watch out for mud.

I would think Dorkings would be pretty safe, as they have shorter legs. I think they're dual purpose, which is always nice.

Steer clear of Lakenvelders though...they're pretty but love to roam.

White Faced Black Spanish could be cool--when they're younger they're known to be flighty but apparently they mellow out a lot as they age. They're also critically endangered in the USA according to the Livestock Conservancy.

Wyandottes are good birds but can be cliquish, so if you prefer for your flock all to hang out together you may want to avoid getting multiple Wyandottes if you get them.

 

[feather13]

Can I see your EEs? I love their colorings

These aren't the best photos in the world. We have two EEs and, as you can see, they have very different feather patterns. One has puffy cheeks and is brown and the other one has a smooth face and is orange. They are quite camera shy lol. They are also really quiet.

 

[feather13]

I have yet to get a Fayoumis. It sounds like you have pretty rare breeds.

We had a BO and Australorp that survived a raccoon attack and then added a bunch of chicks last summer. We just got what Murray McMurray had in stock, but the ones we got are pretty rare. Fayoumis are beautiful, but just too loud and flighty for us. Our Phoenixes and Crevecoeurs are really quiet, although also a bit flighty.