What Chicken Breed is Right for Me?

[Sk8inChick(en)]

Hi there!

I have been researching breeds to try and find one that would work for me. I want to have a small backyard coop, with 3-4 laying hens. It would be great if anyone could suggest a docile breed which will provide a few eggs every day or so.

I've found a few breeds that looked like they might work, but I would love a second opinion on them.


Ameraucana
Easter Egger Bantam
Silkie Bantam
Orpington
Cochin


If anyone has other breed suggestions, I would appreciate it!


The ideal chicken for me would be heat and cold hardy and make a good pet. And perhaps even lay colored eggs. Also, they would need to be okay with being in a coop for at least part of the day.

Thank you!

 

[catdaddyfro]

Hi there!

I have been researching breeds to try and find one that would work for me. I want to have a small backyard coop, with 3-4 laying hens. It would be great if anyone could suggest a docile breed which will provide a few eggs every day or so.

I've found a few breeds that looked like they might work, but I would love a second opinion on them.


Ameraucana
Easter Egger Bantam
Silkie Bantam
Orpington
Cochin


If anyone has other breed suggestions, I would appreciate it!


The ideal chicken for me would be heat and cold hardy and make a good pet. And perhaps even lay colored eggs. Also, they would need to be okay with being in a coop for at least part of the day.

Thank you!

Your first choice on the list should fulfill all the requirements there Sk8inChick(en)

Jeff
PS

 

[Sk8inChick(en)]

Thank you! Is there a difference between Ameraucana and Easter Egger? Also, is size the only difference between Easter Egger and Easter Egger Bantam?

 

[Coopacabana]

The Ameraucana is an APA recognized breed that lays blue to blue-green eggs and has muffs, a beard, a pea comb and come in 8 recognized colors. They are relatively rare and available for the most part only through breeders. A few hatcheries have them, but unless they clearly state that their birds are NOT EEs and are true ameraucana bred towards APA standards then they have EEs.

EEs are a mutt 'breed' created by crossing ameraucanas with other chickens mostly, i guess, for better laying / green eggs / interesting colors. They can be any color, lay any shade of blue, green, or pink/brown, often have pea combs, often ( but not always) have muffs and beards. They are great pets and are sold as Easter Eggers, Rainbow layers, Americanas, Ameraucanas, Arucanas, Ameraucana/Arucanas, etc.

Arucanas are rumpless, tufted, APA recognized blue egg layers that are even rarer than Ameraucanas. Tecnically, Arucana crosses could be called EEs but i've never heard of anyone receiving a tufted, rumpless bird from a hatchery.

Bantam EEs are, therefore, a bantam version of LF EEs. I don't know if they were created using bantam Ameraucanas or LF ameraucana with bantams but anyway it's the same idea. So yes, size would be the biggest difference but as each EE is totally unique you could really get anything. Surprises are the whole point of EEs for me.

 

[Coopacabana]

Meaning, EEs would be good for you as they are cold hardy with their pea combs & good pets.

But hey, don't stop there. There's no reason you can't have more than one breed. Orpingtons are fantastic and silkies are awesome and cochins are great too! Lol now you need a bigger coop and have you seen the blue laced red wyandottes and welsummers and english orps and d'anvers and frizzles and polish and swedish flower hens and frizzle polish and marans and speckled sussex??? and what about light sussex? how about coronation sussex? Who said you were getting a few chickens??? And you need something partridge and what about silver pencilled...

 

[Sk8inChick(en)]

Thank you so much! Now you are making me want more chickens!! LOL

Thanks for all the info, though. Do you think 3 EE's would be a good choice? Or perhaps another breed like silkies as well?
The only thing about Silkies, is that I'm worried they would be too much work for a novice chicken owner. Is it true they require more care because of their feathers?

ALso, are EE's heat tolerant?

 

[Coopacabana]

the only extra care i give my silkies is that i have at least two or three at all times and have plenty of feeders and waterers and space so they don't starve or get picked on. also don't keep them with slightly evil ones like wyandottes or RIR. they are not safe free ranging by themselves around any predators (though no chicken really truly is) because they cannot fly. My first silkie was also one of my first chickens.

EE's are pretty hardy, i wouldn't imagine you having any problems really with the heat or cold.

All in all, three EE's would be a great start and a few silkies would be fun in there too! Happy chicken keeping and keep us posted

ETA- handle your chicks lots and they will make good pets!

 

[Sk8inChick(en)]

Well, it sounds like EE's are probably the way to go. Even though those Silkies are so pretty, I don't think I would be able to give them enough space, so they wouldn't pick on each other. They would have to get along in a relatively small coop. Would EE's and SIlkies get along with each other okay?

Also, what is the ideal age to get chicks at? Is it several days, weeks, months? Will they still be good pets if we got birds that were a little bit older?

Again, thank you so much for all your help! I can't thank everyone at BYC enough! You've all been so helpful.

 

[StarLover21]

Yup, go with EE- you'll love them!

Bedazzle agrees

 

[kitmarlowescot2]

Just the one thing about cochins, their foot feathers tend to get diry quite easy. So you might have to bathe them if you get them, and so will white silkies.