Chicken breeds!

[ALRwild]

Hi peeps! I'm new hear, and in the process of getting chickens. I just had a few questions about which breeds are best in your opinion. I was thinking about getting a Delaware, Golden Campine, and a Russian Orloff. (I'm worried the Russian Orloff will be hard to find.) If you have any breed recommendations PLEASE tell me them!!!!!! I can't have bantams, because they lay small eggs.(My Mom doesn't like the small eggs.) Also tell me if you like the breeds I've chosen so far!

Thank You!!!!!!!!

 

[cterbizan]

Well I only know about the Campines I have silver ones. They are great birds as long as you are not big on holding and petting them.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I got Easter Eggers. They're colorful, so easy to tell apart, and will lay colored eggs. They are suppost to be docile and easy to handle; which so far is true. Only one of my three is skitish. They're still just chicks but they each definantly have their own personalities and I am very happy with them so far. Good luck choosing, it's always hard.

 

[Andy J]

If you want good egg layers,I don't think you can go wrong with Rhode Island Reds,Buff Orpingtons or Barred Rocks.Silver Laced Wyandottes are good and are also very pretty.

If you want the best layers for the money,then White Leghorns should be your choice.I don't care for white chickens myself,as they are easy targets for predators.Also,I don't like white feathers all over the place.

This is JMHO.

Andy J

 

[pkw]

My personal favorites are New Hampshires, Turkens and Rhode Island Reds

 

[azygous]

Choose the breed according to what you want in a chicken.

Brahmas are super people friendly and so are Cochins, but just fair egg layers. Wyandottes are super egg layers but not real people persons.

I like to have some friendly hens and some super egg layers, so I focused on getting a little bit of every thing - fun, good looking, hard working, etc.

It's a fun adventure. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

 

[thefamilyflock]

The My Pet Chicken site has a breed selection tool. You can enter your criteria and it will give you some suggestions. Good Luck!

 

[dieselgrl48]

I really could not suggest one specific breed to anyone.I love all the one's I have raised.I By far have not tipped the Iceberg on the breed's owning and raising.I prefer bantam's myself but DH found the best layer's for egg's Were his Jersey Giant's and they were very docile easy to work with bird's as well.We went through leghorn's,rir,buttercup's etc.DH got some sexlink this year and a few RIR but thinking now they red comet's but still nice bird's and 6 some other's I dunno lol.He missing those Jersey bad.I'm sure there are ton's of input for best breed.I just know what We have had good luck with here.

 

[bjw113]

When I grew up, my family had leghorns and rhode island reds. They were great egg producers, but I don't remember any of them being friendly. Several people here have had better luck with the RIR than I did. My husband and I purchased 12 Buff Orpingtons and 12 White Plymouth Rocks, because they are supposed to be good producers and docile, if not friendly birds. Our girls and 1 boy are mostly friendly. We have a few who are still skittish, but we are working on them and they get better every day. Its quite normal to have a couple Buffs and Rocks on our laps as soon as we sit down. The Buffs started out being friendlier, but the Rocks are just as friendly now. Ours are 8 weeks old now and we spend lots of time daily with them. I really love their personalities and am fascinated just watching them! Good luck with your choosing. I got catalogs from McMurray, Cackle, Randall Burkey, Meyer Hatchery. I found the Meyer Hatchery book to be the most informative with the breed descriptions. Hope you enjoy your babies as much as we do!

 

[kipper]

We HAD Delawares. No more. We had 5 from Privett, so I don't know about "pure bred" Delawares.

We had six pullets, one turned out to be a roo. We sold two pullets to our friend, and kept the roo and two pullets.

One pullet was an egg eater. She broke open many eggs, even her own right after laying it! We caught her many times, she is now in the freezer.

The other pullet then took over as flock egg eater. Also sent to freezer camp.

One of the two we sold to our friend is also an egg eater.

Our roo. Ah, yes, our roo. He was the devil incarnate. Hated me, our daughter, and eventually began to attack my husband. Roo became Sunday dinner. He even tasted mean.

Before you assume we are lousy chicken owners, please understand we have not had problems with any other breed of chickens we have had - including the others that were part of that Privett order. We feed our chickens (35 in total) high quality feed and give them lots of space and shelter. No problems.

My favorite breed at present are Giant Cochins. So sweet, they are not loud while laying.

Some of our EEs are very sweet. Wide range of personalities.

We have young Speckled Sussex, and so far they have been the nicest we have had of any standard sized breed. I cannot comment on them as adults, but so far at 12 weeks they are great!