What breed to get???

[Poultrybonkers]

I wouldn't get a Sussex. They're known for crop problems.

Mine have never had crop issues and they are 3 years old, only bird i ever had crop issues was a blrw rooster but he was up there in age before it became pendulous. Its like me saying i had a scissor beak ameraucana so dont get those as they are prone to it... Any breed can have issues.

 

[Cold-Blood]

I voted Brahma. They're good in whatever temperature and may, may not go broody. They're a pretty bird though they can get interesting attatudes at times. As a heritage breed, they're not production and will lay longer. The Buff Brahma is my favorite color on them.

Orpingtons would be my second pick. Lavenders can be hard to find and expensive though.

Brahmas all the way. I love them! They are so friendly, quirky, an nice looking. I get a decent amount of eggs also.
So far they have been pretty much bulletproof too.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

They are? I have never heard of that.

Yes. I never knew it until I got one. Mine had such a bad crop problem that I dealt with it the whole time I had her. (There was a few breaks with the crop problems after she went through some special treatment. If I didn't do the treatment right, she'd get worse.) So because I had a crop problem hen, I ended up looking at other threads with hens with crop problems. That's when I learned that it's common for the Sussex to have crop problems. A good lot of the threads I was looking at the time of hens with a similar crop issues as mine had were Sussexes.

(Now I do know there's a difference in a lot of breeds which includes Sussexes if you buy them from hatchery or a breeder. Mine came from a hatchery, though I don't know where those other cases were from. It could be a hatchery defect, but I looked into it deep enough to know.)

 

[Isadora]

Sapphire Gems tick off all of those boxes ! I own five or so of them. They are really friendly and actually lay almost 300 eggs per year ! They are not considered a production breed. They are cold and heat hardy . They hardly ever go broody, but when they do, they will hatch eggs, or never come out of it.

One of my favorite chickens is a sapphire gem.

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

Nice and friendly will lay eggs for a few years but not a production breed
good cold and heat hardy and broody is not a care either is fine

Unless you get exclusively Orpingtons, I wouldn't recommend them. Out of 9 orpingtons I now only have 1 because the rest became ruthless, cannibalistic, killers. It took me and my family a long time to find them out as well because they would pretend to be angels when I would come. We lost many from them including a favorite. When I came to feed them one day, I heard desperate and horrible crying. Her side was ripped opened and she was screaming. I ran and pulled her out of her tractor, she was beyond help. Stuck on her side crying in pain, ripped wide open. We had no choice but to end her suffering..... Those chickens who harmed her are gone.

They did lay well, but I never plan to get them again.

The one I kept is a sweetheart though, she's low on the pecking order and I haven't seen her be violent.

There are great Orpingtons, like the one I kept, but I've experienced over 20 breeds of chicken and Orpingtons were by far my worst experience.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I voted Brahma. They're good in whatever temperature and may, may not go broody. They're a pretty bird though they can get interesting attatudes at times. As a heritage breed, they're not production and will lay longer. The Buff Brahma is my favorite color on them.

Orpingtons would be my second pick. Lavenders can be hard to find and expensive though.

I agree! Brahmas and orpingtons are the best! I also would love to own Marans i have heard they are good! Another breed is a Austrolorp(just a suggestion, mine is great still laying in -2 degrees). Although lavendar orpingtons cost $25 dollars where i live and i can barely find them so i would have to order(i have a buff).

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

And for the Marans please say what type you would choose
Thanks!!

I voted for Marans, Sussex, and Lavender Orpington.
And I would chose either French Black Copper Marans or French white Marans.

But that's just me.

 

[The Birb King]

Those are all amazing breeds you should do some research about all of them and see which one will fit your needs best. (Or get all of them which is what I would do lol)

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Okay

I'm 99% i know what I am getting

Speckled Sussex
Light Brahma
Cuckoo Marans!!!

Awesome! I love my Cuckoo Marans. I've found them to be more intelligent than my other hens.

 

[Iluveggers]

I have a Blue Cuckoo, Light Brahma, & Speckled Sussex! You will love yours! They get along really well, too. All gentle breeds.