Breed Recommendations for a newbie

Hi. I just wanted to mention that we have 8 red sex link hens and they are so friendly they come and jump on our laps for petting. If you pick one up, she will fall asleep in your arms. Very sweet girls. However we also have a rescued white leghorn female and she doesn't hesitate to bite the hand that feeds her, she's a nasty little thing lol. It could just be her history, which I don't know as we took her from a sad situation where she was the only hen housed with 5 huge roosters. Maybe she had to fight to survive.
 
I am on my first flock, so I only have experience with three breeds. My Golden Comets are very sweet, I can pick them up or pet them anytime. They love being around people. They started laying before any of my other girls. They lay medium to small brown eggs. Very consistent.

My Barred Rock is the least friendly of my girls. She isn't mean, just doesn't like to be touched. She does peck me when I pet her (it doesn't hurt). Again, she's not being mean, just doesn't really like me to touch her. She does like to hang around me, but gets feisty when I touch her. She has not started laying yet, so I'm not sure about her eggs.

The Eater Eggers are nice, but until they start laying, they will keep their distance. I have one who finally started laying small blue eggs, and she lets me pet her now. The other one (who I think is at the bottom of the pecking order) hasn't started laying yet.

Good luck :)
 
Our buff orpington's were so sweet, would jump up in your lap if you sat down in the coop. Very friendly and not skittish or mean at all. The Easter Eggers were also friendly but they were a little bit more skittish, I think this may have been because we got them as juveniles and didn't get to hold them and tame them from babies. Also, I got some RIRs from a neighbor and they were so mean to my other hen's I had to re home them.
 
Hi. I just wanted to mention that we have 8 red sex link hens and they are so friendly they come and jump on our laps for petting. If you pick one up, she will fall asleep in your arms. Very sweet girls. However we also have a rescued white leghorn female and she doesn't hesitate to bite the hand that feeds her, she's a nasty little thing lol. It could just be her history, which I don't know as we took her from a sad situation where she was the only hen housed with 5 huge roosters. Maybe she had to fight to survive.
Sad :( Poor little girl. Glad you rescued her!
 
Dear newbie
Welcome to the club!
YEARS ago I had chickens for a science project in high school but I am also new to chickens as an adult.
We chose 3 breeds to go with - Black Astralorp, Dominiques, and Golden Buffs (Golden Comets).
We purchased thru a hatchery and picked them up directly from them as we were traveling home from a vacation - so they were only about 24 hours old when we got them.
Raising them in the family room was amazing (be prepared for shavings everywhere!) but so worth it. The girls are now 7 weeks old, and they love to cuddle, they fly to you from the top of their cage, and they are the sweetest things.
Buff Orpingtons and Wyandottes are next - if we add to the group - but with 6 hens and a family of 3, I think we will be set for a while.
Have fun (and build the coop before you get the chickens!!)

B
 
One thing I would recommend is getting chicks from a breeder not hatcheries. Hatchery chicks usually aren't as nice in my experience

I got 2 pullets from a breeder once, but i guess the breeder was inexperienced because the pullets are definitely not breeding/showing material. I have never bought from a hatchery though so I can't really compare them.
 
I love cochin's they are super friendly. I have one so far laying whom is a bantam. There eggs are the perfect size and they are the perfect size for us
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others most likely would say the eggs are to small.
 
Hi! I have Easter Eggers, Black Giant, Red Wynandotte, and a Buff Orpington for chickens. My Buff Orpington is BY FAR the absolute friendliest bird. It is almost 5 months now, still loves to be held. Always comes to me when I'm in the pen with them. Doesn't mind be pet or anything. Such a sweetheart!
 

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