Hi everyone I'm kas, I've got 4 bulldogs an 2 small kids. I've been skimming this website for a few weeks now ever since I decided to turn the shed into a chicken house. I've got nearly all the materials to make a run and nesting boxes etc. Now just looking at which type of chickens to get so I'm scouring the board for friendly good layers, one thing for sure chickens are a lot more complicated than I first thought with all this sex-linked stuff! Okay Ill crack on ! X
You might like to take a look at our Breeds page here on what people are saying about the different breeds.... https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds Here is another really good page, and external link to a fun breeds site.... http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html Welcome to BYC and enjoy all your poultry adventures!
Hello and Welcome To BYC! TwoCrows gave you some good links for figuring out breeds. If you are willing to replace your flock every couple of years when they slow down laying, and you are looking just at the number of eggs they'll produce, the various commercial Red Sex Links (they go by different names depending on what hatchery, Red Stars, Golden Comets, ISA Browns etc) for brown eggs, and the commercial White Leghorns for white eggs are probably number one. Some other popular brown egg laying breeds that don't lay quite as well but usually will lay over a longer period of time and come in a lot of pretty colors or patterns are Sussex, Wyandottes, Orpintons, and Plymouth Rocks, also Delawares and Australorps are popular and, and of course don't forget the Easter Eggers / Ameraucana for blue/green eggs and Welsummers or Marans for those dark brown eggs.
Some great advice by the others! I also like Production Rhode Island Reds. We have 83 (15 roos). They are a hardy, high energy breed. They are always busy, industrial- just phenomenal layers. (68 layers, about 53 eggs daily this winter, give or take.) However, they are supposed to be large brown egg layers, and we get pastel colors mostly... almond, beige, tan, pink, orange, a few purplish, speckled, you name it, but very few brown. lol Mostly medium to Xtra large size. Also are terrific freerangers (supervised free ranging for predator protection.). Ours are friendly, including the roos, but we have socialized and handled them all since day one, and on a continuing daily basis. Although some people have said they have had a cranky PR, any breed can have good or bad chickens. You never know what you're going to get. I think whatever breed you choose, much depends on happiness with their situation, environment and socialization, JMHO.
Hope you find the perfect breed for your family! I have black sex links, red sex links, and barred rocks. Based own my chickens alone I'd never recommend red sex links.
Cheers everyone for the replies. I've got fence post holes dug and shed emptied out now so won't be too much longer. My mum recently got some ex battery hens , and she said I could have two of hers. Can I just ask . When people say red sex links could this mean a variety of different crosses of breeds ?
Yes. These are hybrids, very much like Productions Reds, and lay very well usually. Any new arrivals should be considered to be in quarantine for at least 3 weeks. And don't add any other chickens to them at this time, to make sure there are no illnesses that can get brought in. Also ask her if she knows if they have been wormed recently. Look at their droppings and see if the color is normal and not green or runny. Best of luck!!!
