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

[sepaditty1]

Six chickens, or six flocks? Might have to move!

 

[roostereggs]

Six chickens, or six flocks? Might have to move!

Me too! Original poster...take that as a warning LOL! They are like chips...you can't just have 1...or 10...or 20. You will want them ALL!!!

But I guess being in a place where you can only have six is better than being in a place that you can't have ANY!

 

[HJECG]

These are such fun responses Loving this discussion.

 

[spies04]

Our Buffs are the sweetest and most interactive hens that we have; not bad egg layers. I would also say Laced Wyandottes and Americanas would give you some pretty eggs and are very friendly.

Especially the Americanas - they lay a ton of eggs for us. Sex Links are also great layers.

I couldn't stop at six either - 22 in our hen house including one rooster who is the biggest baby and a guidea hen who thinks she is a chicken.

 

[SlipsWife]

2 red/gold sex links, our girls are laying machines!
2 EE's

they are green/blue layers, some can lay pink/brown
2 turkens/naked necks, ours lay a pinkish color egg, also laid all winter

We currently have the red sex-links and 2 turkens are they are very friendly. We also have a bantam EE that lays pretty little green eggs but is wild and unfriendly. I don't think that's normal for the breed though and just circumstantial. Our bantams were the last chicks we got last year and we were 'over' the cuteness and didn't handle them as much. We also had a predator issue and lost a large percentage of that group, she's probably only still around because she is flighty!

I personally like having 2 of each. I would also suggest, if not starting with older pullets/hens, to order or buy more chicks than you plan on keeping and selling the extras. We had a number of losses last year for different reasons at different stages, mostly predators but a few were for reasons we will never know. Its usually pretty easy to sell your extras (who knows, neighbors might get excited and want some!) and then you have things covered if you have an accidental roo or 2 or one that doesn't like you... It should be pretty easy to keep extras 'under the radar' until you are ready to pick your keepers.

 

[GD91]

I would have:

2 EE's

1 Copper Maran

1 salmon Favirolle

1 Sexlink

1 West Sussex

I'm a rarity

I think everyone agrees though that 2 EE's are in order.