what breed should I get for 4-H???

[Chickenlover0810]

we are getting new chicks in the next month or so and me and my sister are getting new chicks JUST for 4-H, any breeds that are docile yet curious and easy to handle?
I'm thinking about either a bantam breed or just a standard sized breed
thanks in advance!!

 

[PioneerChicks]

This is a great topic!

I like my OEGB (Old English Game bantams). Easy to tame, fun personality, and handsize! Great sizes for cloverbuds and youngers, maybe even a little small for older teens.

Silkies are great! Very mellow even when you don't work with them much and great with children. But they are a little big, even in bantam size.

For my first 4H year I used a cochin bantam pullet, and I got Junior Grand Champion! (Being honest, I think the judge really liked my bird. Almost every time he demonstrated something he used my chicken, with my permission of course.)

Good luck with 4H! It is a great activity!

Edit: bantams are much easier to handle.

 

[Chickenlover0810]

This is a great topic!

I like my OEGB (Old English Game bantams). Easy to tame, fun personality, and handsize! Great sizes for cloverbuds and youngers, maybe even a little small for older teens.

Silkies are great! Very mellow even when you don't work with them much and great with children. But they are a little big, even in bantam size.

For my first 4H year I used a cochin bantam pullet, and I got Junior Grand Champion! (Being honest, I think the judge really liked my bird. Almost every time he demonstrated something he used my chicken, with my permission of course.)

Good luck with 4H! It is a great activity!

Edit: bantams are much easier to handle.

thanks i will look and see what bantams are available!

 

[Lizzy733]

Silkies require extra maintenance in the grooming department, which could be a plus if you enjoy the whole grooming process. There's a detailed guide here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/grooming-silkies-for-show.752452/
My silkie has never gone to show, but gets very excited for bath-time and happily purrs away while I go through her Crest and neck feathers to get rid of those new feather sheathes she can't reach. She will never intentionally get down from my lap - I always have to kick her off So if you are looking for a lap pet that will fall asleep on you too, Silkies are great.

 

[Nats Chickens]

we are getting new chicks in the next month or so and me and my sister are getting new chicks JUST for 4-H, any breeds that are docile yet curious and easy to handle?
I'm thinking about either a bantam breed or just a standard sized breed
thanks in advance!!

Rhode Island Reds are good if you want a bird that can free range, nothing to fancy and is fairly tameable.
Araucanas are cool because of their blue eggs, and they can be very snuggle (certainly Chilli is!)
Orpingtons are docile, but on the large side, they are pretty quiet, and just get along with their day without making to much fuss.
Pekins are adorable, and very snuggly, but they lay very few eggs. They make good mums if you want to hatch lots of chicks!
Wyandottes comes in many amazing colours such as silver laced, gold laced, blue laced, etc. They go broody fairly regularly.
Australorps are good dual purpose breed, they lay lots of eggs! They are pretty tame also.

 

[Chickenlover0810]

i have 3 breeds in mind right now.
-leghorn
-wyondotte
-australorp

 

[Lizzy733]

i have 3 breeds in mind right now.
-leghorn
-wyondotte
-australorp

Wyandottes are a heavy breed; we're starting a silver one in our flock right now and she's about 6 weeks old. The lacing can be real hit and miss over there - particularly if they come from hatchery, so try to buy local and view the parents if you can.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Leghorn = Great layers but can be flighty, now come in more than the color white, start laying about 6 - 7mo
Wyandotte = Come in a variety of colors/patterns. Love the puffy feathers and easy to handle. They can/will get broody, laying about 6 - 7mos.
Australorp = Come only in black but good layers and they're pretty easy to handle, start laying about 6 most

I love Orpingtons for a start up chicken, they are larger birds, don't start laying until about 6 - 8 months. They do eat more and may/can get broody but they are very easy to handle. Don't know much about bantams but they do mature earlier so they start laying sooner.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Silkies require extra maintenance in the grooming department, which could be a plus if you enjoy the whole grooming process. There's a detailed guide here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/grooming-silkies-for-show.752452/
My silkie has never gone to show, but gets very excited for bath-time and happily purrs away while I go through her Crest and neck feathers to get rid of those new feather sheathes she can't reach. She will never intentionally get down from my lap - I always have to kick her off So if you are looking for a lap pet that will fall asleep on you too, Silkies are great.

I don't give my chickens much extra care. Maybe that makes me a bad chicken owner, but I don't. Except when they get all wet from the rain and it is planned to go below freezing that night, then I blow dry them off with a hair dryer (silkies are one of the only chicken breeds that don't have waterproof feathers, watch out for that).

 

[ChickNanny13]

@SoftSilkie You're not a "bad" chicken owner, if you are then so am I. I feed them, keep their area clean & keep them safe ... They give me eggs & stress relief when the life gets me down.