Breed Recommendations!!

[Dora'smom]

In my experience, Rhode Island Reds can be very aggressive, especially the roosters. Maybe Jersey Giants would be a good bet for you. Personally, I love the Easter Eggers. The variety of colors, friendliness, pretty egg colors, and all of mine are good layers. Our Delawares are nice, too, but if your birds are going to be free-range, I would choose a bird that is not white. I think the white ones might have more difficulty hiding from predators. Australorps are sweet and friendly, and prolific egg-layers, as well.

 

[akpeeps]

First off...

I'm in Alaska so cold hardy is a top priority here.

I started 6 yrs ago with a mixed flock that included a GL Wyandott, Golden Comet, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, a Black Australorp, and a Buff Orpington. They all did extremely well and they layed all winter. I've lost a several of the original girls to old age but I've haven't lost any due to winter temps and we get down to
-40 where I'm at. I love my RIR hen Lucy. She's not a touchy/feely bird but quite the character and will follow me everywhere and give me her opinion on anything and everything whether I want hear it or not.

That being said, my most favorite of all those breeds ended up being my Orpington hen, so this summer I've changed direction with my flock and I'm concentrating mostly on Orpingtons. They're big birds, good layers, and the most friendly of the different breeds I started with. None of my original flock ever went broody. My Silkies are another story though. I also bought some pullets from My Pet Chicken in August and got Speckled Sussex and Easter Eggers. They're only 7 wks old so I can't vouch for their egg laying yet but if you want very friendly birds, they are it and they LOVE to forage. MPC has an "Especially winter-hardy" catagory and that's why I picked the Sussex and EE's. Well that, and because the SS are gorgeous birds and supposed be excellent foragers and I thought colored eggs from the EE's would be fun to have with all the brown eggs.
Just my 2 cents...Good luck!

 

[akpeeps]

Dora'smom :

In my experience, Rhode Island Reds can be very aggressive, especially the roosters. Maybe Jersey Giants would be a good bet for you. Personally, I love the Easter Eggers. The variety of colors, friendliness, pretty egg colors, and all of mine are good layers. Our Delawares are nice, too, but if your birds are going to be free-range, I would choose a bird that is not white. I think the white ones might have more difficulty hiding from predators. Australorps are sweet and friendly, and prolific egg-layers, as well.

While my RIR's weren't aggressive, they ended up being egg eaters. I ended up rehoming all but my original hen, Lucy, because they were eating the eggs as soon as they were being laid. I'm loving my EE's. One pullet will meet me at the gate and jump at me to be picked up. DH saw this for the first time yesterday and thought she was attacking me. She stayed on my shoulder while I did all my chicken chores and then got put back with the rest. Very reluctantly I might add.
Agree about the free ranging. White will stick out like a sore thumb. Part of the reason I chose Speckled Sussex. Their plummage will really camophlage them.​

 

[Cowgirl71]

Quote:
Do you have GLWs? If you have SLWs or another color they may not go broody on you. Or, you could of lucked out and got some that won't go broody... Don't give up hope!

Though you probably will get some broodies, and more fuzzy butts!

 

[mgw]

. Barred rock, or black stars.

 

[OregonChickenGal]

My Barred Rocks and Wyandottes are excellent layers, winter hardy and not broody.( Not as of yet anyway.)

 

[punky rooster]

do you want them for meat? because JG take a while to mature.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

I have Wyandottes and love most of them. They have been broody a lot this year, but only after a predator killed another flock member. They just feel the need to repopulate, I guess. They have, however, been largely unsuccessful. (5 attempts, 3 chicks total. All got killed/eaten while they free ranged) My fav are the BLRW cuz they are big, beautiful, friendly and so unique. And I would say least favorite are columbians due to their being flighty and small. My gold laced though are the most self sufficient. They win the award for sturdiness and are very pretty. Standoffish though.

ETA:

Until recently I had Jersey Giants. Both went broody the same day, and in the last 3 months I lost both. I loved them for their personalities, but am still waffleing about whether to replace them with more.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Punky Rooster-no, no meat birds here! Between my parents and I, aint a one of us gonna butcher!

What I think I'm gonna do is go back and take the chicken test thingy, write down the birds it suggests and list my likes/dislikes.

Another question about the Jersey Giants is because of their size do they eat more?

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences with your birds, we truly appreciate it.

 

[usschicago1]

I think Buckeyes Or Sex links fit the bill nicely for you