Breed Recommendations for a newbie

[Pathfinders]

BUCKEYES!

Best homesteading, all-round, dual-purpose breed there is. They lay between 150 to 200 large brown eggs a year. Extra males, with their wide breasts, dress out nicely, and the meat is very tasty. They forage very well (even hunt mice!), get along with each other and humans well. They are not flighty and the hens are almost too friendly, when we walk into the pen we have to shoo them away with our feet!

They are the only breed of American chicken created by a woman, Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Ohio, and the only American breed with a pea comb, which means no frostbite in winter (unless you live in Saskatoon or someplace like that.) They tolerate heat and cold well, some will go broody (if you prefer them to raise their own babies) but are not excessively so, and we think they are just an all around perfect homestead chicken.

 

[leetfreq925]

I have a speckled sussex that is the friendliest of my big girls. Ameracauna is great, too - actually my best layer. Golden comet is the funniest - she gets into everything and has to come over to say hi, but i can't pick her up, as she is very skiddish. i have a cuckoo maran chick that hasn't started laying yet, but so far is the friendliest chick i've ever seen - jumps on my lap and falls to sleep. she is delightful.
i've heard broodiness is a common issue with orpingtons, even though they are super friendly, and barred rocks can be super aggressive.

 

[CinnamonQueen]

I am pretty sure that any chicken can be very friendly if you raise them as a chick and they spend lots of time with you. As for good egg layers, i have an australorp who hasn't layed yet, but i did get her for the eggs. Hopefully she is a good egg layer.

 

[Mathew544]

My vote would be for Brahmas. They are very friendly and beautiful chickens with feathers on there legs. They lay nice brown eggs and are considered a heritage breed. The only issue you may have if you only want 2 - 3 hens is knowing which sex you get as chicks. Your main concern might be to pick a breed that can be sexed from birth but also lays brown eggs, like red sex link chickens. That way you won't have to deal with a rooster. But even the Brahma roosters I had were not aggressive. They are "gentle giants" so to speak.

 

[Our Roost]

Please dont get confused with the term "BUFF" Orpington, it is only one of several colors of the breed. Buff is a very popular color and most hatchery chicks are sold in this popular color of "BUFF". The blue orpington colors are a tad more expensive and much rarer but are a very pretty looking bird. So many shades of color including lavender! Trust that this is the #1 rated bird and most likely has the most docile disposition. But that fact is always debated and disputed amongst bird owners who love their other breeds as well. Generally speaking, they are not aggressive towards people and or children unless they become "Broody" or are scrapping over control of the pecking order to see who's boss in the coop or pen. They lay a nice sized brown egg but are not the best egg layers. In other words, you may not get an egg every single day from one of these beauties! Barred or Plymouth rocks are my second choice. They are great egg layers of brown eggs and also very docile around people. Roosters of both these breeds can be very aggressive. You have lots of suggestions and comments and can only choose 3! Choose well my chicken friend!!!!

 

[sbhkma]

My speckled sussex lay a light brown egg. definitely not white. My cuckoo marans lay the most lovely chocolate eggs! Makes the sussex eggs look light by comparison. As I write this, Sophie (cuckoo) just headed up to the coop to lay in the next box.

As for friendliness, both my sussex and my cuckoos are friendly and will follow me and eat from my hand. But my cuckoos are by far the friendlier birds. Sophie is a PEST. She loves to be picked up and if I'm outside, I can't go anywhere without her following me. I got them at 5 weeks and they're 23 weeks now.

 

[mpgo4th]

I like my RSL's over my RIR. The sexlinks are sweet and gentle. My kids hand feed them. The Rhode Island is not mean but doesn't want anything to do with people.

 

[poultrylubber]

I would say Red Stars (Red sex-link). They are nice birds who are friendly. My favorite hen is a Red Star, she started laying about two weeks ago and she hasn't stopped (no breaks or anything) And her eggs are a nice size as well.

I would also recommend Cuckoo Marans as well. Mine have a nice disposition and their eggs are nice and dark brown. And they are nice and large. They aren't very consistent layers, mine lay about one every other day.

 

[Junibutt]

I like my RSL's over my RIR. The sexlinks are sweet and gentle. My kids hand feed them. The Rhode Island is not mean but doesn't want anything to do with people.

Same thing here. Although I had to give up the RIR rooster because of noise complaints, however I am glad I did because he was a very mean rooster always ready to attack. I had to carry a broom with me all the time to fend him off. Now that he is gone, the RSL freely come and sit in our laps, the RIR hen still likes her distance.

 

[Junibutt]

BTW whats the difference between RSL (Red Sex Linked), Golden Comet, Star and ISA Brown? Mine were sold to me as ISA Brown, however I don't see any visual differences between the four of these breeds.