My First Flock of Layers - Good Choice or No?

[St1ckyBum]

Hello all,

Based on all my research, I am sure this will open a can of worms but here goes!

I decided to start raising chickens for the main purpose of eggs and sustainability. But the second half of that is I am not just looking for eggs but also pets and entertainment my kids can enjoy.

I would like to get 4 mixed chickens and have gone back and forth on what breeds to choose that are great for kids, friendly to each other but also will produce eggs. A Silky is a must as they are just adorable and the one breed my kids want more than anything. I discovered Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshire Reds can mean. Barred Rocks seemed a good choice but read they can also be bossy and aggressive to lesser breeds. So I (virtually) chose the following:

White Silky
Buff Orphington
Blue Orphington
Easter Egger Bantam

I thought these might all go well together and serve the purpose of my having chickens. Any opinions or thoughts? Also, other than size is there a difference between EE and Bantam EE? I chose a bantam to balance out the flock with the Silky.

I appreciate any advice.

*Edited to say: I planned on ordering for Spring delivery

 

[mtngirl35]

Welcome to BYC!!
Sounds like good choices to me. I have Barred Rocks, Black Australorps, Black Sexlinks, and some mixed breed chickens. The Barred Rocks are stand-offish and bossy but good layers. So are my Sexlinks. My mixed breed roo is a great big sweetie. He crowds up so close at feeding time that he gets in the way and loves to be hand fed. I am planning on adding Buff Orps myself next spring.

 

[Outpost JWB]

They sound like good breed choices to me also. We have a whole bunch of different breeds in our flock. EE, SS, RIR, BR, NH, & many more. My experience with the RIR, BR and NH have not been that they are bossy or mean. We do have a broody BR and she was very particular with her chicks, as any mama would be

. I wish you all the luck with your new babies this spring. Now is the time to get your coop together! Let us know if you have any questions. WELCOME!

That was in July.....Now here is more recent pic. We gave the baby RIR away.

 

[MeepBeep]

Looks like a balance to your wants with the smaller birds serving as the pets and the bigger ones serving as the egg producers...

 

[St1ckyBum]

Thank you all for the encouragement. Are there any other gentle layer breeds you would recommend I consider?

 

[Michael OShay]

Thank you all for the encouragement. Are there any other gentle layer breeds you would recommend I consider?

I think your choices are good ones. The Orpingtons are considerably larger than your bantams, but are a calm and gentle breed that will lay well for you. Another breed you might want to consider are Black Australorps. I've raised them for years, and they have the same calm and gentle temperament of the Orpingtons (not surprising since they were originally bred from Orpington stock with the intent of improving egg production). My children, and now my granddaughter (pictured in my avatar) made lap pets of our BAs. Black Australorps are the best layers of the brown egg laying breeds. A BA holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days, and while none of mine have ever reached that kind of production (and likely never will), I've still had a few of them lay over 300 eggs in a year.

 

[St1ckyBum]

Perfect! Thank you! I am already planning on expanding every year with additional breeds lol!!!

 

[goodb]

Be careful or you will begin next spring with 4 years worth of additions all at once.

I vote that you should consider the buckeye. They are not great layers but are very friendly.

 

[Michael OShay]

Perfect! Thank you! I am already planning on expanding every year with additional breeds lol!!!

You're welcome.

 

[St1ckyBum]

Lol yes I should probably factor in my OCD when designing a coop