Top 5 Backyard Chicken Breeds

[cdstewart]

My dc was my favorite throughout my flocks. I've purchased birds from hatcheries and from breeders and i've found that spending a lot of time with each chick regardless of the breed, they can be super docile. I love the list though. It's super hard to pick a favorite breed per se, but i have had individual birds that i looove. Sometimes, imo, people get so many of them that its hard to give each bird the kind of attention necessary to make them extremely tame. I have a quad of silkies hatching soon, so who knows.. that may be my new favorite. My birds are ridiculously spoiled and get hours and hours of attention from me everyday.. I've been on the hunt for the perfect black copper marans for a few months.. looks like i'll have to wait til spring.. i've never owned one, but its by far one of my favorites i'm fascinated by their eggs...the hunt continues

 

[Bullitt]

its funny how Ameraucanas are called "easter eggers"

Actually, Easter Egger is a name for a chicken that resembles an Ameraucana or an Araucana but does not meet the breed standards. It can be a cross or it can be the offspring of two Ameraucanas or two Araucanas but just doesn't meet the standards for the breed.

 

[Bullitt]

My dc was my favorite throughout my flocks. I've purchased birds from hatcheries and from breeders and i've found that spending a lot of time with each chick regardless of the breed, they can be super docile. I love the list though. It's super hard to pick a favorite breed per se, but i have had individual birds that i looove. Sometimes, imo, people get so many of them that its hard to give each bird the kind of attention necessary to make them extremely tame. I have a quad of silkies hatching soon, so who knows.. that may be my new favorite. My birds are ridiculously spoiled and get hours and hours of attention from me everyday.. I've been on the hunt for the perfect black copper marans for a few months.. looks like i'll have to wait til spring.. i've never owned one, but its by far one of my favorites i'm fascinated by their eggs...the hunt continues

What is a "dc"?

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Bullitt I am new to this thread. I love my RIR. I got her from a breeder and he explained to me that there are not a lot of pure RIR's out there and that the way to tell is the color.
Deep burgundy is the color they are suppose to be, not a rusty red.
I also have a New Hampshire and you can tell that her breed must have come from RIR's. I also purchased her from a breeder. She is a perfect example of a New Hampshire with orange feathers and with black lacing around her neck and few black tail feathers.

 

[Bullitt]

Bullitt I am new to this thread. I love my RIR. I got her from a breeder and he explained to me that there are not a lot of pure RIR's out there and that the way to tell is the color.
Deep burgundy is the color they are suppose to be, not a rusty red.
I also have a New Hampshire and you can tell that her breed must have come from RIR's. I also purchased her from a breeder. She is a perfect example of a New Hampshire with orange feathers and with black lacing around her neck and few black tail feathers.

You are right that the color of a Rhode Island Red is supposed to be a dark red. It is usually described as a mahogany red. The article stated rusty red, right? I do not recall writing rusty red.

A Rhode Island Red should look something like this.






The New Hampshire breed was selectively bred from Rhode Island Reds. The New Hampshire was bred to be early maturing and more for meat than eggs. Although, they are still pretty good egg-layers.

 

[smallbluejellybean]

You are right that the color of a Rhode Island Red is supposed to be a dark red. It is usually described as a mahogany red. The article stated rusty red, right? I do not recall writing rusty red.

A Rhode Island Red should look something like this.






The New Hampshire breed was selectively bred from Rhode Island Reds. The New Hampshire was bred to be early maturing and more for meat than eggs. Although, they are still pretty good egg-layers.

The rusty term must have came from the article you were referring to. Thats a roo above, but my pullet is exactly the same colour.
Our New Hampshire is an excellent layer of large eggs daily and one day last week she laid 2 in a day. I only thought leghorns did that. I think New Hampshire's are much prettier birds than leghorns. Or maybe its in the eye of the beholder.
With our Black Sex Link (always makes me laugh when I type or say that). She was suppose to be a large bird too, but she is a medium small bird. Could she be part bantom or does it sometimes happens that some birds of the same breed can be smaller? She is an excellent layer.

 

[Bullitt]

The rusty term must have came from the article you were referring to. Thats a roo above, but my pullet is exactly the same colour.
Our New Hampshire is an excellent layer of large eggs daily and one day last week she laid 2 in a day. I only thought leghorns did that. I think New Hampshire's are much prettier birds than leghorns. Or maybe its in the eye of the beholder.
With our Black Sex Link (always makes me laugh when I type or say that). She was suppose to be a large bird too, but she is a medium small bird. Could she be part bantom or does it sometimes happens that some birds of the same breed can be smaller? She is an excellent layer.

Well, a sex-link chicken is a hybrid, a cross of two breeds. So there can be more variation in the offspring.

A Black Sex-Link is usually a cross of a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster and a Barred Plymouth Rock hen. Usually Black Sex-Links are good-sized birds. But, as with anything, there are exceptions. As long as she lays well, I would be happy with her.

Rarely a hen will lay two eggs in a 24-hour period. But it does happen.

When you said you like the looks of a New Hampshire better than the Leghorn, I would guess you mean the White Leghorn. White Leghorns are alright, but I am sure some people find an all-white chicken boring. I like the Single Comb Light Brown Leghorn best, and there are other color varieties, such as buff, black, exchequer, and others. There are also rose comb varieties.

I know Leghorns are common in Australia. Are Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires common in Australia?

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Well, a sex-link chicken is a hybrid, a cross of two breeds. So there can be more variation in the offspring.

A Black Sex-Link is usually a cross of a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster and a Barred Plymouth Rock hen. Usually Black Sex-Links are good-sized birds. But, as with anything, there are exceptions. As long as she lays well, I would be happy with her.

Rarely a hen will lay two eggs in a 24-hour period. But it does happen.

When you said you like the looks of a New Hampshire better than the Leghorn, I would guess you mean the White Leghorn. White Leghorns are alright, but I am sure some people find an all-white chicken boring. I like the Single Comb Light Brown Leghorn best, and there are other color varieties, such as buff, black, exchequer, and others. There are also rose comb varieties.

I know Leghorns are common in Australia. Are Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires common in Australia?

I just think it has to do with taste and from experience. Yes they were white leghorns. They were good layers, but not as attractive to me as the RIR and NH are. Although there are a lot of white leghorns here, the most common breed in Australia is the Isa Brown. Another very common breed here of course is the Austalorp. I think they are number 3 in popularity.
I love my little BSL, she is so sweet. She still holds her own with the other bigger birds. She is just shorter and rounder than the other two.
In Australia we don't get as big of selection of breeds as others do elsewhere in the world. There seems to be a lot of Silkies and the above mentioned breeds, but you can track down other breeds if you really look. RIR's and NH are not that common, but you can find them, as well as Light Sussex.
At the moment I am trying to track down King Quail fertile eggs (Button Quail). There doesn't seem to be any. I was trying to see if I could get some more mutations, but can't even find the normal colour ones. So will just have to wait till my girls start laying again, after their chicks mature.

 

[Bullitt]

I just think it has to do with taste and from experience. Yes they were white leghorns. They were good layers, but not as attractive to me as the RIR and NH are. Although there are a lot of white leghorns here, the most common breed in Australia is the Isa Brown. Another very common breed here of course is the Austalorp. I think they are number 3 in popularity.
I love my little BSL, she is so sweet. She still holds her own with the other bigger birds. She is just shorter and rounder than the other two.
In Australia we don't get as big of selection of breeds as others do elsewhere in the world. There seems to be a lot of Silkies and the above mentioned breeds, but you can track down other breeds if you really look. RIR's and NH are not that common, but you can find them, as well as Light Sussex.
At the moment I am trying to track down King Quail fertile eggs (Button Quail). There doesn't seem to be any. I was trying to see if I could get some more mutations, but can't even find the normal colour ones. So will just have to wait till my girls start laying again, after their chicks mature.

I do not know anything about King Quail.

I would think Australia would have many of the English breeds, like the Sussex you mention, and maybe Orpingtons. Of course Australorps would be popular. It makes sense that American breeds like Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires are less popular.

ISA Browns are a corporation-created hybrid. But they are supposed to be very good layers.

So New Hampshire is your favorite breed?

 

[smallbluejellybean]

I do not know anything about King Quail.

I would think Australia would have many of the English breeds, like the Sussex you mention, and maybe Orpingtons. Of course Australorps would be popular. It makes sense that American breeds like Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires are less popular.

ISA Browns are a corporation-created hybrid. But they are supposed to be very good layers.

So New Hampshire is your favorite breed?

I don't really have a favorite breed. I think the New Hampshires are nice looking and my girl lays large eggs, but I like the look of RIR too and she has just started to laying large eggs. My black sex link is cute and she makes me laugh with her squeeky babble she makes, she doesn't lay as many eggs as the other two, but personality wise, she is the sweetest, friendliest bird out of the three. I think she would make the best mother, as she seems to take care of the other two by sharing food and she even cleans and prepares the nesting box for them, even if she isn't going to lay that day.