Help me pick the right breed for this situation.

[Lurch77]

I'm sure this has been asked a million times at this site, so I do apologize for that. I just don't want to make a mistake that will ruin the experience for us or the chickens. I've done a lot of reading, both at this website and others. But I'm still not sure what the best chicken breed is for us. Our situation:

• 4-6 chickens max. We are within city limits, so they will be confined to an appropriately sized coop, and an outdoor run of about 10'x20'.
• We are in a cold northern Wisconsin climate.
• We want them for egg production, not meat or show.
• They don't have to be extremely tame, but that would be nice for the kids.

Again, I know this is probably beating a dead horse for you guys. But as I said, I don't want to get into a situation where things are not ideal for us or the birds. I want healthy, happy birds, not something that will suffer in our environment. And I need good egg production, and fairly low maintenance/cost to justify this with my wife.

For what it's worth, I am leaning toward Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rock, and Buff Orpingtons. But I don't know if those are ideal, or which of the three would be the better choice.

 

[Lurch77]

I can get black sex link and white Leghorns chicks locally for cheap. They say they are good egg producers. Thoughts?

 

[Blooie]

I can get black sex link and white Leghorns chicks locally for cheap. They say they are good egg producers. Thoughts?

I don't know enough about those to tender an opinion. But I live in Northern Wyoming and after a lot of research and asking questions I decided on Buff Orpingtons, Red Sex Link, and Golden Laced Wynandottes. I also got Easter Eggers just so the grandkids could have their own "chickens that lay colored eggs"!

By the way,

 

[rescueacres]

Well I don't know a thing about Plymouth Rocks, but both the RIR and the buff Orpingtons should do fine in your situation. I have both, my buffs are friendlier, but the RIRs lay better in the dead of winter for me. I don't use a heater or a light in winter, so hardiness is important to me. Both breeds do very good. Good luck!

 

[donrae]

The only breed you mentioned I wouldn't recommend is the white Leghorn. They're not as tame and don't do as well in confinement, they're not good "pet" birds as a rule. They also have huge combs that can be more prone to frostbite. All the other breeds you mentioned will do well. My only other thought is the Rhode Island Reds from hatcheries are getting a reputation for being aggressive, mostly to other birds. It's not a for sure thing, but something to keep in mind.

In your climate I'd also consider Wyandottes and Easter eggers. Wyandottes were developed for colder weather and the rose combs are frostbite resistant. Easter eggers are just cool birds--who doesn't like green/blue eggs and puffy cheeks?