Best breed of chicken for back yard?

[grandma Teddie]

I have a 1/3 acre and would like to raise some hens. Would like a calm, good egg layer. Have had Light Brahams in the past but they are a very large breed. Any suggestions?

 

[Meleda3]

My Rhode Island Red Hen are the friendliest and lay nice brown eggs. They have more personality than other breeds. They love attention, will eat from our hands, and actually want to walk into the house.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

&

from Michigan
Of the ones I have my Barred Rock hens are very nice. I have heard a lot of good about the Delawares but I don't have any of those yet so I can not say from experience on those. I also have red sex links that are friendly and very good egg layers.

 

[Morgan7782]

I've heard Barred Rocks were a 'flighty' breed, but I had two hens a few years ago who were VERY social and friendly. They came into the house too

Now I have two BR chicks, and two EE chicks. One of the BR and one of the EE chicks jump on my arm and roost! Or climb to my shoulder to inspect my hair for food LoL! They are very friendly, but the other BR and EE chick are real shy.. I did research and EE came up as being a very friendly breed, so far I am happy.

 

[littlebantams]

I agree with Meleda3, RIR's (Rhode Island Red) are friendly and are great layers. My RIR's follow me around hoping to get a treat!

 

[FarmerJamie]

I've only had Barred Rocks (11 of them) so far in my chicken adventure, and they are awesome. While they were chicks, I always wore a black and dark blue checkered insulated hooded sweatshirt when I was tending to them. Even though the rest of the family helped equally, the birds seem to have bonded with me in particular, maybe the sweatshirt helped?. They follow me around the yard, help in the garden, and get excited in their pen when they see me get out of the car! They're calm with the rest of the family, but really seem attached to me.

It took about 3 attempts, but the hens and the Jack Russell Terrier finally figured out how to co-exist and now basically ignore each other - the first two attempts were a little dicey, though

(6 golden buff hens now 4 weeks old, so we'll see in a few months how they work out).

 

[KandJsmama]

My black stars will jump in my lap when I sit out with them and lay beautiful brown eggs everyday.

 

[grandma Teddie]

Thank you! My local hatchery also sell their grown hens for $1 dollar a piece, is that a good way to go? I want eggs and the company of the chickens, when I was little I had a Barred Rock hen that I dresses up and she rode in my doll buggy, I fond of that breed. What is the EE breed?

 

[KandJsmama]

Easter Eggers. I have one that lays an olive egg, one mint green and one light blue. Their eggs are beautiful but they can be standoffish when it comes to interacting with them. We pick them up anyway but only one of them will jump in my lap and that is only if I have treats.

 

[rancher hicks]

Gramma you'll get alot of different answers and all of them right. I say got one of this one of that, see what you like and eat what you don't. I got eight different breeds and they are all nice. Oh and you have to have at least two EE's. or you'll regret it.