prospective chicken owner needs breed advice

[channell45]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to backyardchickens, excited about this community and seriously considering making the plunge and buying some pullets/chicks ...but, I need your help first deciding which breeds would be best suited!

Here are the characters/traits I'm looking for:

1. egg production --I'd like a consistent source of eggs --I'm trying to eat only sustainable, local foods, and having reliable egg producers in my own back yard is a big part of this

2. well adapted to confinement --I want them to be comfortable and will build them a fairly large coop and run, but they won't be able to "free range" as i don't live in the country and have limited space

3. weather hardy --i live in the bay area, which has pretty moderate temperatures, rarely getting over 90 or under 40, but i don't want to take any chances -- and unable able to wire the coop to heat it in winter

4. disease resistent --again, i don't want to take any chances, yes i'll find a reliable vet, but i'm a first time chicken owner and looking for beginner birds, nothing fancy

5. relatively quiet -- i live in close proximity with my neighbors, and while the city does permit chickens, it also cautions that they will be removed if neighbors complain about a noise disruption

6. "dual purpose" --my primary interest in chickens is not as pets, but as a sustainable food source, and i'm looking for birds that i could eat after they've passed the prime of laying

7. not aggressive -- that said, i do have a 2 year old daughter, and while my interest is in food, her interest is primarily in her new pets! i definitely don't want a bird that would attack her, i do want a bird that is personable

8. not "broody" -- while i might get one chicken primarily to brood, i've heard that broodiness interferes with egg production

9. socialize/play well with others-- i plan on starting out with about 3-5 hens, and eventually expand to the city limit of 12 hens, and will probably have a mix of breeds

10. "forager" --i've heard that some hens are more, um, efficient in translating the food they eat into eggs produced... i realize that chickens are an investment and i'm not going to really make/save over buying eggs in the store, but i'm not rich, and can't afford to have them costing me significantly more

some of the breeds i've been considering:
1. sussex
2. australorp
3. "star"/sex-linked
4. plymouth rock/ "barred"
5. leghorn
6. delaware
7. faverolle
8. new hampshire red
9. ameraucana
10. maran

this is all from research i've been doing online, mind you -- i have absolutely zero real-world chicken experience... and i would really really appreciate your wise feedback and suggestions!!! thank you so much for reading and responding to my post... i know its a long one!! thanks again!!

 

[JewellFarm]

Maybe this like could help you with your decision.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/breeds/breed-chart

Good luck with your new chickens and

from Virginia!

 

[Mahonri]

I'd say that your sex link birds are your best bet. (My cinamon queens have not been noisy)

 

[channell45]

thanks JewlFarm!!!!

i came up with my list of top ten from looking at charts, including the one on BYC; it's super helpful and i'm sure i'll consult it again... i'm hoping to get some more real world advice though from people who've actually had these breeds before!!

 

[ljf24]

yes, i love my sex links. each one of them lays an egg a day

 

[chickenannie]

My suggestion is Buff Orpingtons. They meet your conditions, plus they are more timid birds and therefore easier on each other. However, you'll have a hard time finding a egg layer/dual breed that does not go broody occasionally. (just pick up eggs every day and they won't ever go broody).

 

[channell45]

thanks mahroni!!!!

yeah, i've been having a hard time finding info online about how loud different breeds are.. i mean obviously they're chickens and they're going to make some noise, but surely some breeds are louder/quieter than others? ...anyways, thanks again for the info on the sex-links!!

 

[fldiver97]

from WI. Leghorns and the sex links are very good layers I hear. I have dual purpose heritage breed Salmon Faverolle, Wyandottes and one Easter Egger. Mst of the breeds you listed sound good and I think a mixed flock would be nice. Do you have any breeders in the area or would you mailorder. I would not get straight run chickens, pay a little more for sexed chickens. I can not have a roostr where I live - the guy I got my chickens from is not in town but it was worth the drive for me to pick them out and to know I could exchange a roo if needed (and know he would not be stew....)
I would check Hendersons Chicken Breed Chart as well (re temperament and hardiness etc)

 

[channell45]

this community is amazing!! thanks for all the quick replies everyone!!

@ljf24, yeah, the sex-links are toward the top of my list right now --that's definitely some prolific egg-laying!

@chickenannie, thanks for the suggestion! i'll look into the orpingtons for sure!! is it really true that if you're consistent about getting eggs every day, they won't go broody? i thought i might want at least one of my hens to brood so i could hatch chicks, but then i checked the city ordinances and i can't have a rooster, so there goes that idea...

@fldiver97, ideally, i'd pick them up from a local breeder, but haven't quite gotten to that stage in my research yet... yeah, can't have roosters here either so definitely planning on going for the sexed chicks... and i have the henderson list bookmarked....thanks for the advice!! (how does your faverolle lay? i've heard they get picked on too much when integrated with other breeds, does she get along okay with the others?)

 

[popcornpuppy]

If you want meat birds that are good egg layers and quiet, leghorns are NOT the bird. They will lay very well but can be flighty and noisy and only get to be 4 &1/2 lbs at maturity. Rocks, Delawares and New Hampshires are suposed to be good dual purpose birds. I personally don't know about the other breeds on your list as I have no personal experience with them. I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents to help you narrow down your list.