I want a good layer like sexlinks but...

[keesmom]

that is a great question I made a deal with a friend and they want the roosters

I'm confused. Here it sounds like your friend wants the cockerels for meat and you keep the pullets. But in this thread on the subject you say you don't want them butchered?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sexing-chicks.1218898/

And from earlier in this thread

hopefully we don't have to many but I have a set up for the Roos so they won't fight or be together

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

I really want sexlinks because they lay a lot and mainly because I want to tell the hens apart from the roosters they sounded great until I got to the part where they only live 2-3 years and my chickens are like my children and I want them to live a while also because we have a child in the house and they would be sad any advice?

My sex links are healthy and happy at 4 years. They are still laying HUGE brown eggs like champs too.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Wow thanks so much everyone for all your long detailed and AMAZING suggestions

How many chickens do you want in your flock?
I highly recommend looking into the following breeds: Mediterranean breeds like Leghorns, Campines, Andalusians, & Minorcas. Some larger breeds to choose from Brahmas, Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Cream Legbars, Austalorps, Rhide Island Reds, Barred Rocks, and Dominiques. Even though some don’t lay as many eggs a year they will lay for many years to come. My family friend has a 9 year old Orpington hen who layers an egg or two every week.

 

[Crc14]

I have Buff Orps, Ameracuanas(both Easter and regular) RIs, white leghorns(one who just loves being held and pet and one who just wants left alone), a black australorp and a few RI/AM mixes, a RI/Buff mix, and a cuckoo French Maran all of them are decent to excellent layers, the buffs have an amazing temperament and Australorps are great as well, this is my first year with an Aust. But she's great, a lot better then I thought she would be. RIs are a little shyer but they lay great. For a child I would agree to probably go with a few Buffs or Australorps!

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

I have Buff Orps, Ameracuanas(both Easter and regular) RIs, white leghorns(one who just loves being held and pet and one who just wants left alone), a black australorp and a few RI/AM mixes, a RI/Buff mix, and a cuckoo French Maran all of them are decent to excellent layers, the buffs have an amazing temperament and Australorps are great as well, this is my first year with an Aust. But she's great, a lot better then I thought she would be. RIs are a little shyer but they lay great. For a child I would agree to probably go with a few Buffs or Australorps!

Thanks so much

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Thanks everyone

 

[Crc14]

Thanks so much

Good luck!

 

[WildSuburbian]

I have 5 hens who are closely approaching 7 years old. The Australorps were absolutely the best layers hands down. I also have Buff Orpingtons, White Brahmas, and Auracanas - all of which are people friendly and very social.

 

[DrFeathers]

Just ordered a white Plymouth Rock as per of a mixed batch of backyard reinforcements. Apparently similar to the super friendly and productive Barred rock except for color and also supposed to be very long lived? Not sure if anyone has owned one and can add? (Sorry if this is covered earlier in thread - there’s a few pages since I last checked this)

 

[keesmom]

Just ordered a white Plymouth Rock as per of a mixed batch of backyard reinforcements. Apparently similar to the super friendly and productive Barred rock except for color

White Rocks are the same breed, just a different variety. Plymouth Rocks come in barred, white, buff, partridge, columbian, silver penciled and blue. The first 4 are carried by many of the major hatcheries, the next 2 by a couple of hatcheries, and blue by breeders.

I dislike barred birds so we have 2 white Rocks. They have been good layers so far.