Choosing chickens?

[naturegirl1919]

Hi, I'm new with all this chicken business, and I'm going to get chickens around next march. I'm going to buy one of those assembly kit coops, and 3 chickens, but I don't know which ones to buy! I originally was going to get an Easter egger, Rhode Island Red, and an Australorp, but my chicken loving friend presented cons for the brown egg layers. I still don't know which to buy! I'm still getting an EE, but I don't know about the two others. Do you guys have any egg laying chicken suggestions?

 

[Primo]

What cons about brown egg layers did your friend present?? The only con I can think of is if you don't like the color brown. If eggs are what you are after, then get a couple red stars/golden comets. These are often referred to as red sex links. You will be amazed at the size and frequency of their eggs. They will lay jumbo sized brown eggs nearly every day.

 

[naturegirl1919]

The cons weren't about the eggs, they were about the chickens themselves ^^.
What she said:
Rhode Island Reds can often be aggressive
Australorps are really hard to find the gender of when they are chicks, so they have a 50% chance of being a roo.

 

[naturegirl1919]

Viewed Sex links and you suggested - they sound awesome! I'll see if they're available @ the store.

 

[Primo]

I wouldn't worry about that. Any of the breeds can be aggressive. Most of what comes from the hatcheries these days are watered down versions. Consider the red sex links (sex links means they can be sexed at hatching so you are guaranteed female) They are actually better layers than their purebred parents due to hybrid vigor.

 

[donrae]

Go with sex links, but do your research and look at pictures of chicks so you know how to sex them!
Or, just go with all Easter eggers. They lay different colors and different shades of the same color, so you have a colorful basket. Plus, they come in multiple colors so you have a pretty flock as well as a pretty egg basket.

 

[naturegirl1919]

I would love to get all EE's, but my mom wants to get good egg layers, so i'll go with a sex link, a white leghorn(although a bit flighty) and an EE or Ameracauna.

 

[naturegirl1919]

Thanks! I'll get a RSL

 

[NYREDS]

I would love to get all EE's, but my mom wants to get good egg layers, so i'll go with a sex link, a white leghorn(although a bit flighty) and an EE or Ameracauna.

When my kids were little I kept a small flock of the birds called "Easter Eggers" here because the kids loiked the coloured eggs. The ones I had were some of the best layers I ever had. That was my experience with then anyway.

 

[naturegirl1919]

Again, I would love to take my chances and hope to get awesome layers, but my mom doesn't really want blue and green eggs. That was my choice. So we're getting 1 brown layer, 1 white layer, and 1 colored layer ^^