Looking for breed suggestions for future chicken-keeping project :)

[Mahonri]

Faverolles or Delawares

 

[BarredBuff]

I would say Dominiques

 

[Bosky]

Fantastic suggestions, thank you all. Zephyrcreek you've definitely put Delawares near the top of my list! In my last flock I always seemed to lose the light/white ones first to predators, but then, when I move back I'll have a more protected back yard. My last flock was "free-range" bordering on "feral" lol. They had a coop but most of the time slept in the scrub behind the house. I will have to look into Wyandottes some more too... what you described was just like my old hen. We had a bench in the yard, and when I sat down she'd hop right onto my lap and sit in the sun with me. Didn't matter if I had treats on me or not, she just liked to hang out. And I think the laced feather pattern is just about the prettiest of all of em. The BLRs are especially pretty.

I love all the weird-looking breeds... turkens, faverolles among them... but, I think if I'm going to pick "just one" I want it to be a chicken that looks like a chicken. Welsummers fit that description perfectly, and of course there are those lovely eggs, but I'm a little worried about those great big combs and wattles on the roos getting eaten away by frostbite. Anyone have thoughts?

Cara, I like what I've read of Chanteclers but haven't had much luck finding a whole lot of information on them, in terms of laying ability and also personality. The roos are so pretty tho! They look like game roos, very macho

Sigh... the more I think about it, the more I think I won't be able to stick with just one breed! Maybe... just two... lol...

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

If I were gonna pick just one it would be the BLR wyandotte. Currently I only have one in my flock, but I love him and plan to get more. They are pretty, gentle, curious, cold-hardy and I really like the breed. Even though 2/3 of mine turned out to be roos, they were still among my favorites of my mixed flock.

 

[ErieSpurs]

Quote:
Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Freeholder]

I've come to the conclusion that it's really hard to get much useful help from a thread like this, because everyone has their own favorites, LOL!

However, the only breed I haven't seen mentioned yet that would probably meet all the criteria is the Buckeye.

Kathleen