Very new, still trying to figure out which chicken to buy... cold hardy, not broody, lots of large eggs, & friendly

[NatJ]

Hello All, I'm still trying to figure out what breed of chicken to get. Cold hardy (Michigan) lots of larger eggs, not broody, friendly. Barred Rock? Red Commet?

Either of those could be good. You could get some of each.

Chickens are not picky about what other breeds they live with, and it can be fun to have a variety.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I agree with all that's been said already, but would recommend at least a couple of Easter Eggers because they meet your criteria and ... blue eggs!

 

[Lovely Lettie]

Hello and welcome to byc! It's great to have you here with us

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Hi and Welcome to BYC!

 

[AntiqueB]

Welcome! My Easter Eggers have been the friendliest girls, and most reliable layers.

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

Hope you enjoy your time here!
Good luck with your plans!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I vote either Easter Eggers or Barred Rocks. Mine were great layers and very friendly. And cold hardy too.

 

[TOMTE]

Welcome to BYC! I'm in Michigan too and I've been very happy with my small flock.

I have one red sex-link who has laid daily since November 28th. She's still a pullet (~8mos) so her eggs should get a bit bigger, I think? But they're a good size already.

Here's today's egg from her.

She has a stright comb and the tips did get minor frostbite about a month ago. My bad, I let them out of the run during a very frigid day. She's healed well, only lost 2 tips.

When I first noticed the frostbite. See how the first 2 tips are more pale, and a little black in a couple spots:

How it looks today. Hardly any damage done:

I have 2 black sex-links. Also straight combs, but no frostbite so far. They have also been laying daily since starting in January. Pretty pinkish eggs.

Esme, one of my BSL, laid a fairly large egg yesterday:

Nest to Sybil's for size. Esme's are normally just a bit smaller than Sybil's.

And they're very pretty

Lastly, I have 2 silver laced Wyandottes. They're a cold hardy breed that are supposed to have a rose comb which is more frostbite resistant, but one of mine has a rather large and floppy straight comb. No frostbite so far though!

Rose comb (correct):

Straight comb (not breed standard but not uncommon for a hatchery bird. I don't really care about breed standard though, I'm not showing or anything):

They lay 4 or 5 days out of the week, pretty cream colored eggs. Still smallish. Especially Magrat's, because she's very small for a Wyandotte. I wonder if she's a bantam, though I don't know how that works. I got her from a feed store and they get their birds from a hatchery that, as far as I know, doesn't breed bantam Wyandottes.

Anyways

Here's a basket of 3ish days worth of eggs!

My happy Michigan flock...

 

[AntiqueB]

Magrat? Esme? Are you a Sir Terry Pratchett fan, by any chance?

 

[TOMTE]

Magrat? Esme? Are you a Sir Terry Pratchett fan, by any chance?

Yup! He's my favorite author! I recently read all of the Discworld series and I want to start over already

All of my girls are named after Discworld characters! Sybil, Magrat, Esme, Aliss, Gytha!