Choosing Breeds!

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

Isn't that a Salmon Faverolle as your avatar? That's one of my favorites right there. They are so goofy! I also recommend barred rocks, like the poster above me, they are very personable and curious. I have blue ameraucanas also, they tend to be wary and a little skittish, but they lay beautiful blue eggs regularly.

I had an opportunity to choose a trio of Salmon Faverolle and passed on them over Lavender Orpingtons. I'm regretting not getting both because I'm not able to find any now.

 

[SueT]

Nobody has mentioned Speckled Sussex, the friendliest hens ever!!! They are decent layers, beautiful, and very interactive.

I don't know why I didn't mention the Speckled Sussex. I have one, appropriately named Speckles, and she's actually my best layer. She's going on 2 yrs old, and in the past 10 days I got 8 eggs from her. She likes to jump in my lap. She's a real sweetheart to me, but she doesn't like the young pullets, she's probably jealous, lol.

 

[Folly's place]

I too love the Salmon Favorelles, but they are so sweet they tend to be picked on in a mixed flock. Maybe someday I'll have a flock of them, but not now.
Mary

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

I have a Rhode Island Red and Silver Laced Wyandotte that were raised from chicks and they are both really sweet girls and good layers. I currently have chicks: Cream Legbar, Bielefelder, and 55 Flowery Hen. The chicks are really sweet. I try to handle them on a regular basis.

 

[Amer]

D'Anvers! https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/danver-chicken-breed-rating.73412/
If I have any weakness, it's d'Anvers.

 

[Bound to Sea]

I love my RIR, my best layer and was the most friendly until I got my Ameracauna. She is very sweet and wants to be held everytime I go to the coop!. Not laying yet at 20 weeks. Also love my Cochin and Speckled Sussex. Calm and so pretty! Least fav in my flock is GLW. The Silkie lays more eggs than the GLW. Silkie goes broody alot!

 

[Amer]

I also love my Buckeyes. They are friendly and gentle, plus they have great dual purpose qualities. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/buckeyes-breed-rating.73584/

 

[SilkiesInSuburb]

Silkies are amazing.
They have unique, fur-like feathers, don't take up much room (as they are bantams), and are just the SWEETEST! I've never met another breed that is so full of love as my silkies. Even the roosters are hardly what you'd call aggressive and will even help raise chicks.

This is Thunder as a cockerel. Just a little ball of fluff, I loved him so much
But there are a few downsides. Silkies are not exceptional layers and can be a little bit delicate. They're also really hard to sex (but the roosters are hardly an issue). But I think the pros highly outweigh the cons.
(The chick in my profile pic is a baby Brahma. She isn't old enough to fully assessed personality-wise yet.)

 

[christwodog]

I had an opportunity to choose a trio of Salmon Faverolle and passed on them over Lavender Orpingtons. I'm regretting not getting both because I'm not able to find any now.

Yes, the faverolles can be tricky to find, I've got some chicks on order from Meyer Hatchery - but I went to add more to my order and they were out of Faverolles for that week. There are a couple breeders I found, but they only ship pullets and it was pretty expensive to ship them. Hope you can get some!

 

[novastar]

I like to stick with heritage breeds, although I did just get in a couple Easter Eggers. I have normally only had 3 hens but I have recently moved out of city limits on 3 acres and currently have 10 chicks (3 buff orpingtons, 3 Barred Rocks, 2 easter Eggers, & 2 Welsummers) as well as 4 ducklings (2 runners and 2 blue Swedish) in the brooders. I have always had Barred Rocks and they are very sweet birds, and will continue to have them in my flock. I have also had silver laced Wyandottes and I don’t think I wil ever own them again. They are ruthlessly mean in their middle age. We will probably cull them come spring.
This spring, I stuck with mostly heritage breeds and chose to have a colorful basket of eggs. I’d like to add some lavender orps, black copper Marans, and Araucanas in the future.