If you could only have *six* chickens in your backyard flock....

[HJECG]

Scenario: you local ordinance only allows six hens total. No roosters. You would like friendly, easy going hens who are likely to do well with children, and you would like to try for a colorful egg basket. Hens should lay at least moderately well most of the year. Extreme temps in either direction aren't a big problem where you are. So which breeds would you go with to fill out the six slots in your backyard flock? Discuss

 

[lazy gardener]

EE for sure (3), Dominique, BSL, BO.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm not too fussy about "breeds". I like my mutts, but I do have some specific breeds that I have that I like. First, I'd have at least a couple of EEs for colorful eggs. My Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte has a sweet personality and actually comes up to me and lets me pet her. (This is strange because I've never tried to make a pet out of any of my chickens. But I have one now!) My Welsummer lays beautiful dark brown eggs. My Brahmas are good, gentle birds, fairly good layers. That's all I can think of right now for specific breeds. My mutts all lay pretty well and lend some color to the flock.

 

[sixchics914]

Buff Orpingtons for sure.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Buff Orps are pretty, but don't lay a lot of eggs and eat a ton.

Personally, I'd go for 2 Red Sex Links (friendliest, most easy-going birds I've ever owned, lay like CRAZY), 2 Barred Rocks (pretty, calm, and lay pinkish eggs) and 2 Easter Eggers (Green or Blue eggs).

The EEs may be rather flighty. Mine have been, any way. But worth it for the green eggs.

 

[sepaditty1]

Remember, if you can only have hens, a sex link is the way to go. With 4 Golden Sex links laying, I get 4 different shades of brown. Not too colorful, but I can always tell who laid which egg. My EEs turned out to both be roos, so I still won't get any colorful eggs!

 

[roostereggs]

EE (green)
Barred Rock (pink brown)
production red (light brown)
CCL/crested cream leghorn (blue)
Black Copper Marans (chocolate brown)
olive egger
and maybe a white leghorn for white eggs (but not if you have a lot of predators)

 

[jtn42248]

Afraid I would just have to move. I am not sure I could stop at six of each much less only six total.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If a colorful basket is what your after then some options as roostereggs suggested are:

Cream Legbar (mislabeled cream leghorn above) blue
Araucana or Ameraucana both blue

Easter Eggers are mutts and as such will lay anything from pink to green/blue to olive eggs or even just a light brown. You can get olive eggers which are EE's, a mix of one of the blue egg layers above to a dark egg layer.

Barnvelder is a dark brown layer with nice double lacing feather color.

any Maran but the Copper Maran seem to have best dark color egg.

Sussex give a cream color to light brown.

Plymouth Rocks pink to light brown.

 

[roostereggs]

If a colorful basket is what your after then some options as roostereggs suggested are:

Cream Legbar (mislabeled cream leghorn above) blue
Araucana or Ameraucana both blue

Easter Eggers are mutts and as such will lay anything from pink to green/blue to olive eggs or even just a light brown. You can get olive eggers which are EE's, a mix of one of the blue egg layers above to a dark egg layer.

Barnvelder is a dark brown layer with nice double lacing feather color.

any Maran but the Copper Maran seem to have best dark color egg.

Sussex give a cream color to light brown.

Plymouth Rocks pink to light brown.

Thank you for the correction! I get confused because my CCL are crossed with leghorns (SBEL or super blue egg layers).

Wasn't aware that EEs lay all those different colors...so I must get some more! My two are getting old, anyway. Oooooh, and I would love me some Barnvelders!