Hello all!

Greetings from Kansas, Jim, and ! Great to have you aboard and super that you are involving your grand daughter with chickens....many life lessons to be learned. As for gentle breeds I think it's more a matter of the care and gentleness with which they are raised that determines the end product. That said, certain breeds (leghorns, anconas, and other Mediterranean class birds) are more jittery and nervous than others. I know people speak highly of Silkies as being gentle. Personally, I have had very friendly breeds - Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Red Stars, Delawares, and Black Australorps. You can do some breed exploration in the Breeds Forum here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds
As to hatching eggs, you might try first posting in your state thread in the link below. Perhaps a local can give you a lead on some eggs. https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you
And here is a link to Hatcheries and Breeders: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/16/chicken-breeders-hatcheries Please keep in mind that hatching eggs that travel through the mail tend to have a much lower hatch success rate than those which can be sourced locally.
And finally, the Learning Center is a treasure trove of useful information on all things chicken: https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
Best wishes and good luck to you, Jim!

 

G’Day from down under Jim Welcome!

Not much more I can add to the already great advice you have received from redsoxs. [After typing that I waffle on for paragraphs! Lol]

If you are not interested in huge amounts of eggs, Pekins [Bantam Cochins] are a gentle breed. I have a couple and they are sooo sweet. However, they do spend a lot of their time broody and are not one of your more proliferative egg layers. Your granddaughter might enjoy watching a mumma hen raise her babies I have never tired of that experience, it is adorable!

I read just the other day on BYC that the feather footed breeds are apparently more docile than the non feather footed but I am sure there are some owners of non feather footed’s that would disagree with that statement which was not mine by the way

I lucked out with the 2 Silkies I had. Not only did I lose them both, the whole time I had them [raised from chicks] they were very skittish but as I said, I think I lucked out because many folks have beautiful, friendly Silkies.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy BYC. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends

 

Hi, Jim and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice and links already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT

 

Hi Jim welcome to BYC. It's good to meet a fellow Michigander. Buff Brahmas are an extremely sweet and gentle breed. Perfect for a child to start off with.

 

Silkies are very popular with children. They are not great layers but, are generally known to be great mothers (broodies).

 

Raising chicks will be a wonderful hobby for you and your granddaughter to share.

Have fun!