HELP.

[Ducker1234]

I am thinking of getting a chicken. I love the Buff Orpington breed and I think they're my choice but what do you recommend. I need a winter hardy,friendly,barely flying,cheap and not to needy chicken. Another good choice was the Sussex but I love the Buff orps. What should I do? How many should I get. I was thinking around 2. Is that enough of would I need a bigger group.

 

[sourland]

Buff Orpingtons would be a great choice. I would recommend a minimum of 3 - that way if one dies two still remain as company for one another.

 

[wholehearted]

Buff Orpingtons are definitely a good choice. Some of our other favorites that meet your criteria are the Speckled Sussex and Black Australorp. For the past few years, we've also had Golden Buff (aka Red Stars or Golden Comets). They are not as big and don't eat as much as the others I mentioned and they are great layers. They seem do do fine in the cold winters and have been some of our friendliest chickens.

I would definitely suggest getting a minimum of two chickens as they don't seem to do well as solitary animals. If you're getting chicks, it is a good idea to get a few extra because you never know if you will lose some in the early stages. I could never contain myself to just two, but it really depends on what facilities you have available for them and how much you want to spend on feed and supplies. If you check the forums, you'll see that "chicken math" usually kicks in and people end up with way more than they originally planned.

Good luck! Let us know what you end up with!