If you could only keep 3-5 chickens

[pacorona]

I'd have five cream Brabanters. I love mine to pieces. SO friendly, from the day I picked them up at the feed store. They are hands down my favorite standard chicken ever. They are my only chickens that are smart enough to get out of the fence every single day, yet always remember how to get back in. They are friendly. They swarm me whenever I go visit. They love a shoulder or arm to sit on. They are calm, and tolerate being held without struggling. Oh, and they are dead sexy.View attachment 1979499 View attachment 1979500 View attachment 1979501

They are gorgeous and flirty, too!!

 

[pacorona]

If you're looking for attractive birds and a pretty egg basket this is what I would go with:

1. Sicilian Buttercup - small to medium white egg; attractive plumage
2. Salmon Faverolle - small to medium tinted (cream) egg; lightly feathered feet and muffs and bearded to boot
3. Ameraucana - medium to large blue egg; several varieties available
4. Easter Egger or Olive Egger - medium to large green egg; I prefer ones developed from Cuckoo Marans that give a deeper color and are also cuckoo patterened.
5. Black/Blue Copper Marans or Welsummer - medium to large chocolate (Marans) or terra-cotta (Welsummer) eggs; pretty plumage and lightly feathered feet (Marans)

Wow - the varieties that are available to you just boggles my mind!! We have very few suppliers, mostly just chicks in a feed store. But that being said, I am so happy with the ones we chose and wouldn't trade any of them!!

 

[flock mommasan]

If you want a steady supply of eggs, I'll put a word in for a Black Sexlink. She pretty much produces large brown eggs all year long (with a brief vacation to molt). I think my girl, Mommasan (aka Big Mama) is beautiful! She's black with beautiful iridescent feathers. I like to paint and I'm itching to do her! She happens to be top dog in the coop, but maintains her spot with little confrontation -- I think the others take care of that for her. She's very sweet and friendly with me.

 

[Peepsi]

Since I have a small backyard and a coop/run combo that is only 8' x 16', I can only have 3-5 chickens, LOL. Any more would be crowding them too much. I like my hens to have a lot of space.

I had originally ordered 6 chickens from MPC that arrived in July. Here are the breeds I chose:

- Silver Laced Wyandotte
- Gold Laced Wyandotte
- Black Austrolorp
- Easter Egger
- Black Copper Marans
- Buff Orpington.

The Marans got to me essentially Dead on Arrival in the box, and the buff orpington died two days later. But the other four...the silver and gold laced wyandottes, the australorp and the easter egger survived, and became healthy, happy pullets with funny and interesting personalities. They are all about 21 weeks old at this point.

I would always have Easter Eggers. My EE, Falcon, is simply the best. She acts more human than chicken. She's gentle, she leads my flock with grace, and she loves going for piggy-back rides on her human (me). She is just so dignified, even though she has those silly cheek-muffs, LOL.

Salt and Pepper are my two Wyandottes. They are usually together, and are the most curious and in-my-face-constantly chickens. They love being the center of attention, and they are always under-foot. They go wherever I go.

Thyme is my little Wallflower. She's a real introvert, and not really a people-sort of chicken. She prefers hanging out with other chickens, and does not follow me as much as the other three do. At least she is never in the way when I'm cleaning!

And here is all four of them, hogging the Baby Pig Feeder:

WHO ARE YOU CALLING BABY PIGS?

So yeah, I'd definitely always have Easter Eggers (which are technically Mutts) and Wyandottes. One day I'd also like to have Marans, and perhaps another cross-breed like a Sapphire Gem or a Calico Princess.

 

[Mimi13]

Overall, yes, but boy could I show you some exceptions. When locked out of the coop (background) this was one of mine's response.
View attachment 1981221 .

That is hilarious and shows just how darn stubborn an old hen can be!

 

[illinoishiker]

Have to put in my two cents. Do some research and come up with personalities and variety of egg colors that suit you. You might want some winter egg layers. I'd consider adding Australoups to that list above and take off the Welsomers. The Marans are already the dark egg layers. Or Welsomers for the dark eggs if you don't want a broodier chicken like the Marans. I wouldn't get a Dorking. They are supposed to be more 'fragile' and also get picked on. But then Buffs are less agressive too. I've enjoyed my Australoups and they are good colder weather layers. They do go broody a lot in warm weather though. One even tried to go broody in October of this year. A breed I find interesting is the Delaware. They are white though and we have a lot of eagles. Easy for eagles to see. I like brown and blue egg layers but there are some very pretty interesting white egg layers to consider. You might google Henderson's Handy Dandy Chicken Chart for some fun info on personalities. It has info on a lot of breeds but there are a lot not on it. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Pet Chickens & Ducks]

Black Australorp
Barnevelder
Cream Legbar
Olive egger
And what I'd consider sexy - Sicilian Buttercup pictured

 

[harmonyp]

PC&D - I love your Sicilian Buttercup - that and the Creme Legbars are must-try's for me ... someday.

3-5 chickens... ha - first thing would be I'd fall victim to chicken math!

my first choice would be to include at least one Speckled Sussex. To me they definitely qualify as "sexy", they are the sweetest of personalities but hold their own in the flock, and are consistent egg layers of light pinkish/brown eggs. That's Sophia Loren pictured!

Solely for personality and egg quantity, I'd then include at least 1 Buff Orpington and Barred Rock. My Barred Rocks have had the most curious and intense personalities, and the Buff's are super sweet.

I have two dark brown egg layers - a Cuckoo Maran and a Barnevelder. The Maran is the friendlier of the two, the Barnevelder is stunningly beautiful. But I'd go even darker, and try a Copper Maran.

On the more colorful egg layers, of the two EE's I got, only one survived, and she gives me light brown eggs. I'd definitely want a few colorful eggs, so would be trying a Creme Legbar, Blue Ameraucana and would try another EE. I think that's 7...

 

[microchick]

No problem. If I could only have 5 chickens, I would have to say my five Egyptian Fayoumis, mainly due to their disease resistance and independence.

I have one cockerel named Tut and four hens and got them to strengthen my flocks resistance to Marek's disease which I have been fighting for more years than I care to admit.

Plus, as it's just DH and myself, they don't flood me with eggs.

Second choice though would be my Silver Duck Wing OEGBs. Love those little devils to pieces!

Tut

One of his ladies

VeeDub

TJ

The last picture is of my first Fayoumi/Barnyard Amish OEGB cross. I thought I had a pullet but looking at this picture I realized i was looking at saddle and hackle feathers that were anything but pulletish. His sire died shortly after he was born and was a barnyard Amish OEGB.

 

[410farmer]

I didn’t think about cold weather Layers, I’m looking into those different chickens more. Considering I forgot about the tractor chickens who’s going to be on fenced in pasture. Any of these chickens a little flighty the fencing going to be atleast 4ft. The coop that’s closer to the house would have aleast one buff and all the more friendly chickens. I wish spring would hurry up