chicken breeds

[Sabina]

Hey!
im getting some new chickens soon!
But I'm not sure what breed to get, I want some that are good layers, can survive through all the weather, friendly, and the feathers are a beautiful colour - something eye catching
So do you have any suggestions?

 

[KittyKat3756]

Hey, assuming you're in London, UK… our weather is mild enough that you can keep all chicken breeds without any problems.

Rhode Island Red and Light Sussex are ones which are often quoted as best layers, although nowadays, you'll probably find that Leghorns will get the better of both of those. Egg production is very dependent on where you get the chickens from as many strains are losing their egg laying ability in favour.

If you don't mind travelling a fair bit, you can try the utility strains from Chalk Hill Poultry: http://chalkhillpoultry.co.uk/utility.html . I haven't had them myself, but I hear that they're pretty good.