NEWBIE questions about chicken varieties

If your wife wants colored eggs, I would suggest Easter Eggers, usually labeled as Ameraucanas at hatcheries or feed stores. They lay pale blue and green eggs and while they can look like anything really and have different personalities, I have seven and they are a lot of fun and all pretty. And they lay well too. I like my cochins, but their eggs are a little smaller than the easter eggers. I only have three though, so it might just be my birds. I don't have the other ones on your list though, so I'll let others answer about them

 

I don't have any, but I have read that Buff Orpingtons are great layers and gentle chickens. RIRs are also good layers. My Cochins are so so layers, but they are nice. I have Salmon Favorelle and they were laying all winter! They are very gentle, even the rooster!
I love my Favorelle! I am getting some Orpingtons soon!

Like the other post said, Easter eggers are really nice!

 

I'm new to chickens but I just got two Red Stars. They're younger than my RIR and BR but they outlay them. They're calmer too....not that the others are a problem, but the two Red Stars are very peaceful. They lay bigger eggs too.

 

I got my first chickens ever this year, so I'm not the most experienced person, but I can tell you about my experience.

I got a barred rock, a buff orpington, and a rhode island red. The orpington laid first, at about five months. I don't remember who laid next but both the other two laid eggs the next month. My favorite hen is the barred rock. She and the orpington both lay similar quality eggs but the barred rock is friendlier. I wouldn't get the rhode island red again. Her temperament isn't as good and her smaller frame makes smaller eggs. After having looked at the thread where people post their egg pictures, I have to say I'm most jealous of the people who own marans. Those dark brown eggs are so beautiful! I don't know anything about their temperament though.

 

My Light Brahmas are very friendly, calm, and they lay large brown eggs everyday.

 

I have 1 rir and 2 BO hens and I get 3 big beautiful eggs everyday-they were around 5-6 months old when they started ..now 10 months old and I have their eggs in a bator for the first time to hatch out more for eggs and meat--the Bo's we pick up all the time the RIR-NOT SO MUCH! The BO rooster in with them-well hes getting replaced with his son!

 

google Henderson's chicken breed chart. I'd personally love to have sumatras but they are poor layers... Blue laced wyandottes to my knowledge only sell straight run so you'll be getting half roosters (not so good at laying eggs as hens ). I started with Ameraucanas last year (actually easter eggers, not fitting the breed standard for shape and coloring). I love them and am ordering more chicks this year. I have gold laced wyandottes. You can order those pullets (girls) only. They are such lap birds!

I'd suggest ordering the rainbow layer assortment that a lot of the larger hatcheries offer. It's sort of a grab bag of breeds, all girls. The hatchery chooses what you'll get but half the fun is guessing what breed each chick is!

 

I have 2 EEs which are my favorite hens. My Cuckoo Marans rooster and my Black Copper Marans rooster have great dispositions so I'm hoping the pullets will too. Of course they are beautiful to look at and those dark brown eggs are gorgeous.