Favorite chicken breeds?

[Sahraschweiss]

Here's what I have now--all hatchery grade:

Buff orps-- 3 yrs old small eggs. Friendly. Would get again.

Barred rocks-- 3 yrs old large eggs 3-4 a week. People friendly but flock jerks. Wouldn't get again.

Black sex links-- 3 yrs old large eggs 3-4 a week. People and flock friendly. Would get again.

Red sexlinks--3 yrs old. Still lays nearly everyday. She is my last of 3. Super sweet bird. Would get again even knowing that they fade quickly.

Blue laced wyandottes--3 yrs old. Solid layers medium eggs. People friendly middle of flock. Would get again.

Speckled Sussex-- 2 yrs old--these have been been prone to health issues for me. Small eggs. People friendly but flock loners. Gotten them twice, would not try a third time.

Delawares-- 2 yrs old. Solid birds. Avg layers. Avg flock placement. They been meh. Wouldn't get again.

White leghorns -- 2 yrs old. Awesome layers. Good flock placement. They need to be handled lots to be people friendly or else they are very flighty. Would get again. One broke a toe that had to be removed and then had an impacted crop that had to have surgery. The stinker pulled out her stitches and needed another vet trip for more stitches as her crop was emptying outside of the wound. She survived and is super friendly. Would get more.


Welsummers--2 yrs old. pretty dark brown eggs. Friendly. Would get again.

Cream legbar--2 yrs old. We had 12 hatching eggs 50% hatch rate mostly males. Only 1 hen survived (my flock has Marek's). Crap layer, but she is so much fun. Would get vaccinated chicks again.

Barnevelders-- 2 yrs old. sweet girls. Pretty small dark eggs. Friendly. Would consider again.

I live in the St Louis region hot humid summers and can have a few zero degree winter days. A year into my flock (had 12 at the time) they contracted Marek's. I had just added 4 isbars and 2 cream legbars from a local breeder. Lost all 6 by 20 weeks and started losing some of my existing 12 adult birds along with 8 backyard mixes from a broody clutch and 5 of the 6 in the cream legbar hatch. Ordered 20 vaccinated chicks. Since then I have only lost 3. My flock is at 50.

Get vaccinated chicks. Practice bio security.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

California Grays are also a very good option. They are sometimes referred to as Production Blacks in feed stores and places similar. The California Gray is a hardy breed that is dual-purpose and produces a great amount of eggs; mine even laid during the winter (and my one remaining four-year-old California Gray still does . . . if only I could find exactly where she's hiding them!). They are said to usually be friendly and one of the most adaptable to various climates. All of my California Grays have been great foragers, which might also allow you to not spend as much money on feed. An even greater plus, they rarely go broody.

 

[Tonyroo]

Swedish flower hen don't brood unless there taught by another hen and lay 250 eggs a year. There also human friendly, disease resistant, dual purpose and cold tolerant. There a land race.

 

[Iluveggers]

Trying not to mention any breeds that might go broody. Australorp is a really good choice aside from that though

I didn’t realize Australorps went broody! We’ve had 4 that never sat…and one ISA who tried sitting 3 times in one summer! So much of an individual trait, you just never know!

 

[Rose the Legbar]

For a good winter hardy, dual purpose, and good egg layer would be Favorelles or Wyandottes. I have both and my Wyandotte is a really good layer and laid one egg a day for a few months before she started to molt. My favorelles are honestly not the smartest but they are very heavy birds. One of my favorelles just started laying and lays very regularly for the winter months. My wyandotte is very good at watching for predators and is a very good forager.

I have also heard a ton of good things about Bresse chickens for dual purpose. Although I would get them from a breeder that has been breeding for size and egg production.

 

[DLA]

If you want a good sized dual purpose hen that rarely goes broody and lays a lot of large eggs (and I mean a lot!) Rhode Island Reds fit that. Mine are super friendly to everyone and even with kids. They are very heat and cold hardy. Not flighty, not much upsets them. After 2 or 3 years they can slow down on laying and can be prone to reproductive issues as they age but if you want dual purpose bird then keep them till they slow way down on the laying, send them to freezer camp and replace them. If you want to keep ones longer and treat them more like pets with benefits then I would probably not recommend them.

 

[Tookie]

I think a good choice could be Dominiques, I have two and they're pretty sweet hens and so far are great layers.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I have also heard a ton of good things about Bresse chickens for dual purpose. Although I would get them from a breeder that has been breeding for size and egg production.

You mean American Bresse, not Bresse. Bresse are only available in France; American Bresse are everywhere else.

 

[Goatlover09]

I really like Marans, Ameraucanas, and Speckled Sussex

I agree! Specked sussex are my favorite!

 

[chickndays]

If you want a good sized dual purpose hen that rarely goes broody and lays a lot of large eggs (and I mean a lot!) Rhode Island Reds fit that. Mine are super friendly to everyone and even with kids. They are very heat and cold hardy. Not flighty, not much upsets them. After 2 or 3 years they can slow down on laying and can be prone to reproductive issues as they age but if you want dual purpose bird then keep them till they slow way down on the laying, send them to freezer camp and replace them. If you want to keep ones longer and treat them more like pets with benefits then I would probably not recommend them.

I was looking at these. Is it only the roosters that have the bad reputation?