Starting a Flock (Egg laying breeds to consider)

[9SpiceyChickens]

My top breeds (That lay well and are friendly)-

Wyandottes
EEs
Cochins
Australorps
New Hampshire Red
Barred Rock
Araucaunas (Very hard to find but worth it)


Here are some to avoid-

RIRs (Often Aggresive)
Polish (Picked on easily)
Naked Necks and Turkens (Also picked on)
Silkies

 

[Bound to Sea]

My top breeds (That lay well and are friendly)-

Wyandottes
EEs
Cochins
Australorps
New Hampshire Red
Barred Rock
Araucaunas (Very hard to find but worth it)


Here are some to avoid-

RIRs (Often Aggresive)
Polish (Picked on easily)
Naked Necks and Turkens (Also picked on)
Silkies

Ahhh, I love my Silkie. She holds her own in my flock.

 

[Acre4Me]

Good luck!

We are 1 year into chicken keeping. Youngest is a tween aged kid in 4-H and this chicken raising has been a good experience.

We have now experienced 13 breeds, but currently only have 7 breeds in our flock of 12, which includes 1 male. However, some of the breeds we only had for 5 months, before we sold them. Once you have the chickens for awhile, you’ll find out what you like, so try a few breeds, and when next year rolls around, try another couple of breeds, and cycle out the ones you are not going to keep.

I’ve placed an order for more breeds for later this spring. All are straight run, so will sell off around half in the fall. But, this way we will experience even more breeds. We’ll start to narrow our focus by 2020, I think.

Oh, and I’m picking up 8 chicks today (2 breeds we already have and like) bc tween needs young layers for 4-H and the fair. Breeds picking up today are EE and Barred Rock.

We really enjoy our EE (quirky personalities + green eggs), Black Australorp (very friendly, but one goes broody), and Black Jersey Giant (very docile). Our Silver Laced Wyandotte is a bit sassy, but nice. The barred Rocks are good general chickens -one will literally jump like a dog, straight up in the air, to pluck treats out of tween’s fingers.

It takes more chickens than you think to keep you in eggs. Dual purpose won’t lay as well as birds bred for production. If you have 8 chickens you may only get 4-5 eggs per day. Our neighbor has production birds (breed? They are all white, trim build, yellow legs, white eggs) and he proudly states that all lay every day -all by 12:30 pm. Of course, every once in awhile he gets one or two less.

Kids: not sure how old yours are, not how rough they are, but kids are kids. Chicks are cute and kids want to hold chicks, and sometimes squeeze too hard, sometimes drop them onto the concrete barn floor by accident while standing (not naming any names), or make less than great decisions. So, keep watch when chicks and humans are young.

Good luck with your new adventure!

 

[Kholts]

Hey everyone!

Sooo I think I have narrowed down my list. I am going to go to the market and pick up 1 chick of the following breeds.

Bielefelder- I am excited that I’ll be able to detect the girl chicks from boy so I know I’ll end up with at least 1 hen haha
Australorpe
Blue Orpington
Ameraucana
EAster Egger
Columbian Wyandotte

For the last one I’m going to keep my eye out for hopefully a Dominique or Plymouth Rock they aren’t listed but I’m hoping someone will have some.

I only plan to keep 4 so we will see which ones stay girls and which breeds I end up with.

I’ll also be getting 2 ducklings! A welsh Harlequin and a Saxony.

I’m stoked!

 

[Kholts]

Well here is another update.

After all the projects that we have started or will have to start shortly(landscaping, deck staining, garden box building, gardening) my husband has become stressed. He really did not want 1 more project put on our plate(building a coop) soo we have decided to not get chickens at all this year.

I was extremely disappointed but we managed to compromise and we will still be getting ducks as we have a dog house that was built for 2 xl dogs just sitting there. It has more than enough room for 4 ducks. I have enough skills that I can build the run myself so it will be exclusively my project and he doesn’t have to worry about anything.

We are going to revisit the idea of getting chickens next year.

I just wanted to say thank you for all your opinions on breeds to consider! I’ll re look at this thread if/when we do get chickens.

 

[Acre4Me]

Well here is another update.

After all the projects that we have started or will have to start shortly(landscaping, deck staining, garden box building, gardening) my husband has become stressed. He really did not want 1 more project put on our plate(building a coop) soo we have decided to not get chickens at all this year.

I was extremely disappointed but we managed to compromise and we will still be getting ducks as we have a dog house that was built for 2 xl dogs just sitting there. It has more than enough room for 4 ducks. I have enough skills that I can build the run myself so it will be exclusively my project and he doesn’t have to worry about anything.

We are going to revisit the idea of getting chickens next year.

I just wanted to say thank you for all your opinions on breeds to consider! I’ll re look at this thread if/when we do get chickens.

Good Luck! Keep gathering info on BYC for next year's chicks! FWIW, if you plan to get any hard to buy/find breeds, you might want to be ready to place your order by the end of the year/early next Jan bc I've noticed that certain breeds quickly sell out and you cant get them till later in the year, if at all. And if you choose to go the started pullet route - you usually need to place those orders in advance too.