I need some breed selectyion advice

[Squid Bait]

Hi all. It's been a while since I dropped by the forum. I seem to only hang around when I have a problem or something to brag about.

The local animal control folk dropped the hammer on my free ranging birds, so today I split my yard in half with four foot mesh. I will be clipping wings and introducing them to their new digs tommorow (weather permitting).

So.... here's my problem. I need some suggestions for the worst flying best egg laying breeds. I have a feeling my roo and a particularly agile banty will still be able to clear four feet, so I plan to replace them with some big fat egg laying machines. Any advice?

The roo is now in violation of city ordinance so he has to go anyway, and the banty lays one egg every other week or so, and has thus been labeled as dead weight.

Thanks

 

[MandyH]

COCHINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RHewitt]

Hard to beat a Rhode Island Red or Black or Red Star for nice brown eggs. Mine do not fly at all and may run a little but that's about it. Since noise is an issue Orpingtons or Wyandottes are calm and quiet birds. Only make a little fuss when singing the egg song.

 

[tiki244]

Orpingtons and Salmon Favorelles would be good choices. I would think the RIRs could get into a bit of mischief

 

[skeeter9]

Yes, Orps. They lay well and are too heavy to fly.

 

[pipermark]

You need a heavy standard breed, and even then the hens will still be able to fly over a 4 ft fence unless you train them not to fly up .

(I would go with Cochins standard size by the way.)

When they are chicks always keep them in something with a top, this way when they try and fly up they will hit a ceiling. You need to do this until they are about 2 months old. You will find, not in all cases , but many , they will lose their interest to fly up, except when roosting.

Which is the second thing, make sure you coop train them so they will always come back into the coop to roost.

Good luck.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

One of the best things to keep a chicken in a fence is to avoid a top rail.
Think about it... Chickens don't fly over a fence. They fly up to perch on top of the fence and then hop down on the other side.
No top rail = chickens stay in. Works for me.

 

[hinkjc]

My buff orps are too heavy to fly out of a 4 foot fence. Mind you, when they are young they can because they're lighter, but once mature they cannot.