Type of chicken to get

[Roosterboy]

I want to get 4 hens. I want them to all be different breeds and i never plan to breed. I wanted to buy them from My Pet Chicken. Can anyone suggest some nice breeds?

I wanted to get:

1 silkie
1 Easter egger
1 Orpington
1 something else

Egg production isn't really to important but it helps. I just want a good pet.


Edit: I was wondering if a red star would be a pleasant bird or a bantam brahma. These birds sound nice but i just wanted to hear from actual owners.

 

[citychickers]

My favorite chicken so far was the sweetest, climb into your lap outside kind of girl (until he started crowing!) He was a Black Astralorp. ( sorry for the bad spelling)

Gentle, hardy, gorgeous to look at and the sweetest personality. I still can't believe he was a roo!

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
Great choices!!! I have silkies and an Easter Egger and I love 'em

I've heard orpingtons are good too. I would suggest maybe some other bantam breed so your silkie doesn't feel lonely. Maybe a D'uccle, Japanese bantam, or Sebright? I have sebrights and I love those too. Though they are flighty, it really depends on how much you hold them as chicks. Good Luck and

 

[hcammack]

I would get an EE, a faverolle, a buff orphington, and a Marans that is just my personal thing and I don't like bantams or silkies and like the mixed egg colors these would have.

Henry

 

[digitS']

You are going to pretty much just get personal preferences, Roosterboy. That means, out of 10 people, you'll probably get 10 different answers.

I'd be reluctant to mix bantams and standards in such a small group. I've had both at once but they had a group to associate with and their own preferences for companions.

What about Barred Rock, Black Austalorp, Buff Orpington, and Speckled Sussex. They would all be quite different in color and yet about the same size. I've had the first 3 and my brother had the Sussex. They all have winning personalities and tend to be quiet, friendly birds.

Four bantams could be simply a mixed color group of silkies. Or, I've had fun having Sebrights a couple of times. Cochins would also be a real good choice in this assortment. I've had the black and buff.

If there is a feed store in your part of the world, it may not be difficult for them to find what you are looking for, also. (I say that because I see that MPC doesn't have Cochin banties . . . a shame.

)

Steve

 

[chickmamawannabe]

I like Barred Rocks myself. They were my first breed of chicken that I got when I was 11, and they have really great personalities.

 

[tfpets]

Well, you picked neat birds, you have chosen them with a variety of pretty eggs. You can have an even better choice by making your fourth bird a different choice. I love colored eggs!

1 silkie will lay white/tinted egg
1 Easter egger will lay blue/green egg
1 Orpington will lay Brown/Tinted
1 something else could be your red star (I have one, a really friendly bird too!) will lay another brown egg, or the Brahma will lay a Brown/Tinted egg.

I personally, for egg color only, would want a pure white egg layer, and would go for a fat white star or Leghorn. But like I said, I like the pretty eggs!

Nice chickens, all of them though!

Take Care,
Tina/tfpets

(Or you could get a Marans in there instead of the fourth and put a really dark egg layer! That would be soooo nice!)

 

[conny63malies]

my choice would be either a faverolle, speckeled sussex or a d'uccle. I have a millie and she get along gret with bigger birds. As a matter of fact she lives with six muscovies. I love the loks of the faverolles and sussex.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I have a very mixed flock of 30 and my favorite birds are a Delaware and a Speckled Sussex. My least favorite (personality-wise) are all different colors of Wyandottes. My Orpingtons are also pretty stand-offish and my black Australorps are kind of no personality at all.

I'd go for the Speckled Sussex. Gorgeous bird with a beautiful pinkish-cream egg that looks lovely in a carton, esp. with a blue or green egg from an EE.

 

[speckledhen]

Barred Rock, hands down. Best personality, best layer often rivaling RIRs.