Getting new flock soon, any breed recommendations?

[and-roo]

Recently finished securing my chicken coop/hutch/tractor after raccoons killed my last flock. I'm thinking about getting about 4 or 5 pullets soon (probably just 4 for now and an ornamental hen for fun) but am not sure what I should get. My only preferences are that I have diversity between the 4 hens and I'd like to have fairly good layers, hens that do fine with a smaller coop, and I'd like to have each one lay a different colored egg (blue-green/brown/dark brown/white) which is pretty much what I want to base my flock off of (I understand I basically only have 1 option for blue egg layer: EE. But is there anything else I haven't heard of?). I live in oregon so temperatured are fairly moderate year round, most breeds should be fine. I'm just wondering if anyone has any breed recommendations or breed combinations that go well together, I'm open to any opinions! Just get creative and tell me about your personal experiences!

 

[gamebirdsonly]

I would go with either cream crested legbar or Amerucanu for blue eggs. Easter eggers will lay from blue to green. For brown eggs sexlinks or Rhode Island reds or for real dark brown Black copper marans or blue copper marans for brown speckeled I would get welsummer or marans and olive eggs, olive eggers and white eggs just your run of the mill leghorn or if want something little more fancy polish for white eggs.

There are so many awesome breeds to chose from. Good luck

 

[lazy gardener]

I suggest that you look at Henderson's Chicken Breeds chart. In addition to choosing your breeds based on your desired egg colors, you need to look at breed temperament which covers things such as: how well does she deal with confinement. Is she flighty? Is she a good forager, and good at eluding predators? Will you be free ranging them? Will they be confined to a coop/run? Do you want a lot of eggs? Are you willing to accept the likelihood of a bird being a prolific layer for a year or two, but then succumbing to reproductive illness? Or are you more likely to want a heritage bird that will lay less frequently, but give you more years of productivity? Is she a docile breed, or more prone to aggression? Do you want a bird who goes broody, or never goes broody? While some of the more unique breeds (polish, silkies, and other breeds with "head gear") are pretty, they are also more likely to get picked off by a predator, and more prone to neurological issues b/c of the vaulted skull)

Me, I live in a cold climate, so I choose birds with small combs, and am breeding my flock to provide the same. I love Dominiques, and Easter Eggers. These 2 breeds are similar sized, and similar temperament. Not prone to being aggressive. I've never met a RIR that I like. They tend to be aggressive, IMO. This year am trying a few Buck Eyes, which have RIR in their back ground, but have a pea comb. I also love Wyandottes, and have just discovered the Colombian. I am truly enamored with these nice beefy gals, and love the looks of the black necklace laying over their white feathers. I hate, despise, can't tolerate feathered feet. So, any breed with feathered feet is a deal breaker for me.

 

[and-roo]

Nice, thanks for the insight. Yeah, I've thought about leaning towards heritage breeds for that very reason but wasn't really sure what is actually considered heritage. Feed store nearby has Dominiques right now, which would be cool. I'd love to gave a legbar but they're so hard to find

 

[misskes]

My favorite chicken is my Easter Egger. She's super spunky and curious. I also have 2 Wyandottes, 1 silver laced and 1 golden laced, and they're beautiful birds. Everyone who comes to see the chickens picks the Wyandottes as their favorite.

As far as egg production, my White Leghorn is a beast.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

We have been hatching Moulted Javas lately.
They are strong, grow so fast and dependable egg layers

.
Photo has some Leghorn X in it as well.
​

 

[and-roo]

I've raised some mottled javas before, they're Fun!

Do you think I should try and find chicks from feed stores or farms around me or take a risk and order them?

 

[and-roo]

My favorite chicken is my Easter Egger. She's super spunky and curious. I also have 2 Wyandottes, 1 silver laced and 1 golden laced, and they're beautiful birds. Everyone who comes to see the chickens picks the Wyandottes as their favorite.

As far as egg production, my White Leghorn is a beast.

I got a SLW from the feed store near us and it ended up being the uglies chicks I had
But it had some weird feather condition and never had good lacing. But i have seen some gorgeous Wyandottes, I especially love the blue laced red ones

 

[misskes]

I got a SLW from the feed store near us and it ended up being the uglies chicks I had
But it had some weird feather condition and never had good lacing. But i have seen some gorgeous Wyandottes, I especially love the blue laced red ones

Oh no LOL. Thankfully mine has it's correct lacing. I want one of the blue laced red ones badly.
Here's my girls:

 

[Mrs. K]

Very pretty. I like having a Buff orpington in my flock. Mine have always gone broody once a year, and new chicks are fun. Nice brownish pink egg.