Brahma, Plymouth Rock, or Orpington

[6th_Happiness]

sorry, dunno why the duplicates on lastpost... hopefully wont repeat w. this one...

we enjoyed our brahmas and orps... both fairly quiet (all chickens make some noise), brahmas are slower to mature, and lay best 2nd yr in our experience.... both are very calm and do well in backyards. Brahmas are BIG and regal, if that is yoru thing. if not, any nonflighty egg-production breed should suit you fine

 

[The Ballet Chicken]

Yeah I can't decide if I want PR or brahmas. I did want brahmas but I wasn't sure if they'd be too big for the space I have.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yeah I can't decide if I want PR or brahmas. I did want brahmas but I wasn't sure if they'd be too big for the space I have.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I've had all those breeds and raised literally hundreds of birds of different breeds.

I would go with the barred rocks. I thought oh, they are common and I want something different. After all the MANY breeds I've tried, I still have a Rock that made it past all the cuts in the flock.

Thing about Brahma's is yes they are bigger. Which means aside from taking up more space they also eat more feed, which can add up quite a bit over time. And homegrown eggs already aren't cheaper than store bought.

Orpington are nice enough, but... rocks beat them in personality in my book.

Although the local farmer is a nice idea... I would wait and get chicks at the feed store. Most start carrying around Feb 1st. They are more likely to actually be female and WAY less likely to be carrying any disease or parasites. All of my Rocks have been hatchery birds. And they have been perfectly good. No, I wouldn't try and get them shipped. Order minimums are often large like 15 and shipping stress is deadly. Feed stores get there's shipped too, but they absorb the shipping deaths before the public gets them. Be sure and choose chicks that don't have pasty butt as that is an indicator they are having a more difficult time.

Who knows, they may have all those breeds available at you LFS and you can get a variety. Even among the same breed their egg shade will vary and I have even gotten pinkish eggs from my Rocks. One nice thing about having a variety is getting different colored eggs helps to know who is laying or if anyone is having issues.

I too would get 3 to start out with for the reasons posted by another member.

One last thing, I personally think it's a poor choice to have animals that are not allowed. But we all have our own issues and agendas.

What are you doing for a coop? All the prefab coops available are misleading about how many chickens will fit, so be aware.

I have a feeling that no matter which you choose, it will be a fabulous adventure! Good luck and best wishes.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

a single hen can get very depressed. if you get two and loose one (disease (genetic or acquired)), you will find yourself in a madrush to find a new hen, quarantine her, and begin the process of introduction.... imho it is best to start with at least three hens. when ine dies, you have time to vet potential adoptees, quarentee and indroduce, meanwhile, greiving as your other 2+ hens may be, they wont fall into a depressive stupor while you find the best new match for your mini flock. goodluck!

You can go back and delete those duplicate post by clicking on the 3 little bars near the bottom left.

 

[The Angry Hen]

my brahma's are very laid back, don't roam hardly at all. Don't mind a cuddle or do and honestly pretty quiet as well. I have the light variety.

I agree.

1. The shade does not matter
2. A feather legged breed is fine. I was already thinking about a brahma but I didn't know if they would be too big for the amount of space I have.
3. I want a calm, docile breed that likes little cuddle :3
4. I would like a breed that would not run around too much or try to hop the fence

I'd honestly suggest Brahma. They are rated as a giant breed... I don't think they are that hard to handle. They're good birds that are heavy... But not as big as Jersey Giants.

 

[The Ballet Chicken]

Any advice on building a coop? I need a coop that is less than 6 feet tall and one that I can kind of hide from the neighbors or disguise as something else.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any advice on building a coop? I need a coop that is less than 6 feet tall and one that I can kind of hide from the neighbors or disguise as something else.

You could go with a wooden shed from home depot and just outfit the inside, maybe? Everybody need a little extra storage.

Also, all of the pre-built coops are pretty short. Definitely shorter than 6 feet. I would avoid metal because it sweats too much for me.

 

[junebuggena]

If space is limited, Barred Rocks might not be the best choice. They are a breed that tends to really need their elbow room, and if kept in too small a space with too many other birds for their liking, they can become very aggressive. They are also very talkative birds, so not the best choice if noise is an issue. I love them, but they are not a good choice for those with limited space.
Brahmas are a jumbo sized breed, and need a coop that will accommodate their bulk. Orpingtons are fairly quiet and and gentle, I think those would be the best choice out of the three. Another good option would be Easter Eggers.

 

[speckledhen]

You really cannot say anything for the entire breed. It depends on hatchery or breeder stock and it varies from line to line as well.

My two lines of heritage Barred Plymouth Rocks are both broody types. My hatchery BR hens never did show inclination for it. My BR hens are quiet most of the time. One BR rooster mouths off a lot, he's my disaster alarm, even when there isn't one. I don't mean crowing, I mean insane cackling. But, the other one doesn't start up until Hector has been caterwauling for awhile. The BR hens in my older line pluck the rooster's hackles and saddles all the time and he lets them do it, but within the groups, there is no cannibalism and usually no fighting.

I've had hatchery Brahma hens and now, I have a breeder line of Partridge and Blue Partridge Brahmas, including the rooster who is my current avatar. They are HUGE, but very gentle. The hatchery Brahmas, one light and one buff, never brooded. The Light Brahma lived to be 5 1/2 and my Buff died last year at almost 10 years old. Of the original five Partridge Brahma hens, two went broody three times EACH this year. A 6th hen, a daughter of one of them, has been laying a few weeks and she seems broody right now.

Of all the birds I have, the Brahmas eat the most, but they are also the easiest to handle, generally, being so food-motivated. My hatchery girls didn't eat more than any others, but this big breeder line sure does.

I used to have both Buff and blue/black/splash Orpingtons from breeders, plus two Buff Orps from the hatchery early in my chicken keeping years. My last Blue Orp hen died this year at almost 10 years old, but she had not laid an egg since her rooster, my late Suede, died in Sept. 2012. Most of my breeder quality Orps did brood in both colors varieties. The blue Orp line I had was prone to pendulous crop, as some are.

Of the two hatchery Buff Orp hens I originally had, only one ever brooded. The other died of reproductive malfunction like most all the hatchery birds did. Both were very good layers until about 4 years old then they slowed down some. The Light Brahma was laying three weeks before she died.

All my groups are in one huge barn in separate pens and they alternate outside time, which sometimes includes free range time.

All were average layers as younger birds, all the heritage/breeder lines of Orps, Rocks and Brahmas. The oldest Partridge Brahmas I have are still just a year and a half old, though, and are in their first big molt so only the youngest girl is currently laying.

The hatchery stock laid more consistently for the first few years, but one by one, they died of reproductive malfunctions so except for the Buff Brahma, who lived to be almost 10, I can't say much about what their later years would have been like. I do have one BR hen who is almost 11 years old, crippled with arthritis, who still lays in a once-a-year spurt. Between Nov 2016 and April 2017, she produced 17 eggs, pretty impressive for an old gal who can't even walk. She is the daughter of hatchery parents.

I love both my BRs and my Brahmas. I also have two 10 year old true Ameraucana hens. They were laying just two years ago, and now, the splash hen is also crippled in her hock joint. Their eggs tend to be quite small compared to the Rocks, Orps and Brahmas, even past the pullet egg stage.

Hope this helps.

 

[The Ballet Chicken]

It's not so much that I have limited space it's just that I wouldn't be able to let them out very often. I could when I get back from school (yes I'm only 12) and my mom could when she is off work. I suppose I could make a good sized coop from a shed though. We are going to have a pool when we move to the house we'd have the chicken at.