help me choose a breed

[flyweed]

Ok..my kids and wife want some chickens for our yard this spring. We have raised Cotrunix quail and partridge...and ever since we went to the county fair, my kinds have wanted some chickens.

Anyway...what we are looking for

1. Chickens that we can let out in our yard, and we won't have to worry about wandering away.
2. smaller breed..maybe something exotic looking
3. Colored eggs if possible.

I have no clue if there is something out there that would fit the bill in all areas....I new there are Auracana's and EE's for colored eggs..but we also don't want super large chickens, and nothing plain looking either. Anyone have any idea's or thoughts?

THanks
Dan

 

[mstricer]

You can get bantam EE's.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The smaller breeds tend to be more of the "hawk bait" category.

But if you are going to watch for hawks, then I have found that my bantam EEs are very easy to keep. They aren't as easy to round up as my silkies, though. And they fly over VERY tall fences just fine. I mean 8 feet high.

Silkies don't fly. But they do go broody a lot and you won't get eggs when they are broody. Their eggs are white or off-white (my silkies aren't laying yet). Oh and they can take almost a year to start laying.

Another bantam that I have is a bantam salmon faverolle. But they are chicks and I can't really advise you on those yet.

I also have d'Uccles. They lay a very small white egg (mine aren't laying yet) and also fly like a helicopter.

The best candidate I believe is a bantam cochin (or even large fowl cochin). They do go broody a lot, but lay lots of eggs supposedly (I have one and I think that is her egg that I get every day). They are docile, sweet, and get along with other chickens well. They are feather footed and won't wreck your gardens as much as LF.