Breed suggestions!

[lalydiafaith]

My Australorp is the friendliest. I have a small backyard flock and she thrived in the brutal NY winter and she lays just about every day. Whenever she sees me in the sliding glass door, she comes running looking for treats.

That's awesome!! Do you know is Australorps and Easter eggers go well together?

 

[lalydiafaith]

Oh and I forgot to mention, I had one silkie and she didn’t do well with the cold. Any sort of draft into the coop leaves them soaking wet and miserable. They are so cute but also easily bullied by other breeds. I kindly gave her to a friend with only bantams.

Thanks for sharing. I live somewhere where it gets pretty cold in the winter and sometimes in the spring. So i think Silkies are off the list for me know. Someone i know recommended Silkies but i'm leaning more towards different breeds.

 

[chickengirl778]

Orpingtons!!! Several colors of feathers if you like that. I love Speckled Sussex and Ameraucanas too!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

That's awesome!! Do you know is Australorps and Easter eggers go well together?

They should do fine together.

The standard Orpington (not the Austra) are just too heavy bodied (eat more feed) to me and not nearly as friendly as people claim. Ya, they came and hung out some (even my Leghorn did that) but none were lap chickens for us. I think the Lavs and Jubilees are beautiful! Even the un friendliest of birds will come running for treats.

My Silkies have held their own from day one with the flock and have been together for years until I decided to keep a large fowl rooster and then I separated them to prevent accidental mating injury. Dynamite comes in small packages. They do fine in the moderate Pacific Northwest climate, even in the rain. But I agree COLD weather is NOT their friend. I think they are cute and fun birds, but good that you have taken them off the list already.

SOOO many choices!

 

[lalydiafaith]

They should do fine together.

The standard Orpington (not the Austra) are just too heavy bodied (eat more feed) to me and not nearly as friendly as people claim. Ya, they came and hung out some (even my Leghorn did that) but none were lap chickens for us. I think the Lavs and Jubilees are beautiful! Even the un friendliest of birds will come running for treats.

My Silkies have held their own from day one with the flock and have been together for years until I decided to keep a large fowl rooster and then I separated them to prevent accidental mating injury. Dynamite comes in small packages. They do fine in the moderate Pacific Northwest climate, even in the rain. But I agree COLD weather is NOT their friend. I think they are cute and fun birds, but good that you have taken them off the list already.

SOOO many choices!

Thanks for the info! I think Silkies are great but not for me. Trying to decide which ones to get is so tough!

 

[gator75]

I agree with others. I'm not a huge fan of orpingtons because of their broodiness, but they will fit your needs to a T! Super friendly docile birds.

Since eggs aren't a priority, Id strongly consider bantam orpingtons if you want a lap bird. I have one and she's the sweetest chicken ever born. If you go that route, I'd go all bantams.

Easter eggers would be good too for egg color. Sussex are pretty laid back birds and are very pretty.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do you really want to deal with chickens that go broody often? If you have a broody hen, you either must break her broodiness, or give her some eggs to hatch, or some chicks to mother. It sounds like you really would not be set up for that. Correct me, if I'm wrong! If you have a hen hatching eggs, then you must have an exit plan for the many cockerels you end up with.

For pet chickens, I strongly advise you NOT TO GET any sex linked or production hybrid birds. They are prone to succumbing to reproductive issues after a season or two of laying. You should focus on the many types of pure bred chickens available.

I would also avoid the chickens with head poufs. They are more prone to being skittish and predator attacks b/c their vision is obstructed. They are also often picked on by flock mates who are not so adorned with "head gear". Some of these birds have a vaulted skull which makes them more prone to neurological issues.

In your climate, you can get away with just about any type of chicken.

Start your search by looking at Henderson's chicken breeds chart. Pay particular attention to the column that describes temperament/behavior. You want a bird that is gentle or docile, does well in confinement, not aggressive to flock mates.

A lot of the Mediterranean breeds are great egg layers, but do not do well in confinement, and some tend to be aggressive.

Finally coop/run set up will go a long way to making your flock keeping experience successful and enjoyable. Avoid the pre fab mini coops. They are all falsely advertised, made of inferior materials, lack natural lighting, proper ventilation, poorly designed to meet the needs of either chicken keeper or the chickens who will live in them. The minimum sized coop that I could recommend would be a "walk in" 4 x 8 shed style coop with attached walk in style run.

Absolute minimum size for back yard flock is: 4 s.f. in coop, 10 s.f. in run per bird.

 

[lazy gardener]

I would suggest that you look at EE, Dominique, Plymouth Barred Rock, Black Australorpe.

 

[kana9]

Hi, for our cold winters and hot summers I have found several friendly breeds that get along with each other and tolerate the climate well. I used to think I had to have two of each breed, but the last two years have ordered only one of each so I can try more breeds, and that has worked fine. I have a total of 18 hens and 8 four-day old chicks of 13 different breeds. My favorites (and ones I think may work well for your needs and wants) are: Speckled Sussex, Partridge and Barred Plymouth Rocks, Easter Eggers, Silver Grey Dorkings (really friendly!) and Swedish Flower Hens.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It was a Swedish Flower Rooster that was my only ever attacking breed. (Though it was my first and I had a lap cockerel that created the monster inside him so maybe not a fair assessment). I found their laying less than stellar, especially as they age. They were a mixed bag of friendly and aloof/flighty, very beautiful. I lost one to egg binding after she went broody and was returning to lay.

The main reason I get two of a certain breed is since I'm sure to end up with a male somehow if I get only one. Which is exactly what I got when I grabbed only one Speckled Sussex last year. But once I got 2 Wyandotte pullets, and both were male! That hasn't been my usual experience though. Their stated 10% accuracy has held true over the long term and with larger numbers.

I haven't tried the Dorkings yet, but have heard good things.