What chicken breeds should I get??

[WindingRoad]

Hello everyone! I am in my first year of raising chickens, but I'm loving it and have some serious chicken math. I keep getting a couple new chicks every once in a while and I want to get a more substantial number (5-10) next time I buy. I've been getting chicks from Orscheln's, Murray McMurray, Meyer Hatchery, and a local hatchery (Heartland). I was wondering what chickens y'all would recommend me getting next! I currently have a bantam cochin, a barred rock, a blue copper maran, a brown leghorn, a buff orpington, a production red, and a silver laced wyandotte (7 in total). What breeds should I get next? I only have one bantam, so I want to get more but I can't find a hatchery that will sex them! Also, my chickens are pets with benefits, so I'm not interested in meat birds. Thanks!!!!!

If you love super large white eggs get White Leghorns. They are cold hardy. They lay every day. They aren't so much a pet. They are skittish but I sing them a lullaby ever night and pat them, take a quick check of feet and crop. Chickens can't see in the dark so I hold my flash light behind me so I can see and pat all 13 that starts to socialize them. I got them as POL pullets last September. They are slowly coming around. Wonderful birds. I have RIR's they are friendly. Lay about every other day. Beautiful Aubrn Coloring with a tinge of black in tail.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Two words: Easter Eggers. Come in so many beautiful colors, lay colored eggs that your neighbors will pay extra for, and most of all are adorable.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Which breeds, you ask?

Ummm... all of them, obviously!

But here are my list of superlatives based on the breeds I have experience with...

Easiest (by FAR): Plymouth Rock

Friendliest: Golden Comet

Biggest personalities: Silkies

Best layers: Welsummer, Australorp

Most quiet: Australorp

Prettiest: Cochin

But SO MANY people I know really love their EEs that I am getting a couple soon!

Let us know what you get!!!!

 

[JadeFarms]

Well forI would choose golden comets or leghorns for eggs.
For all around good chickens (pretty, fun, friendly, early egg layers and smaller) Egyptian fayoumi (small and start laying early) barred rock (bantam) and EE bantam (pretty chickens and eggs).
My favorites are purebred ameraucanas, duccles, Cochins and sebrights are cool.

 

[feather13]

So you mean you are looking for 30-40 chicks right?
Well let me start you off.
1. Silkies
2. D'uccles
3. Silkies
4. Japanese
5. Frizzle Cochin
6. Silkies
7. Olive eggers
8. Black Copper Marans
9. Silkies
10. Sebrights
11. Polish
12. Silkies
13. Phoenix
That's just the start
Oh and also hatcheries don't sex bantams because of how small and fragile they are.

x2 (LOL Silkie, although ours got picked on, so I would get five or so), plus:

*Bantam OEGs: so sweet--our all time favorite
*Black Stars/Black Sex Links: easy to sex, egg layer superstars, can be super salty--in a good way-- and super sweet... we love this breed
*Frizzles
*Crevecoeurs: can be skittish, but odd looking--in a good way--and rare and don't get picked on like our Polish did
*Easter Eggers: we have two EE chicks--one is extremely friendly and they are both beautiful
*Egyptian Fayoumi: Beautiful and interesting, although feral and skittish. They really need to be free ranged and hate being confined

 

[JadeFarms]

And OEGBs are one of my favorite chickens!! I forgot to add them.

 

[Little Chicken Lady]

It sounds so far like I should be getting EEs, brahmas, australorps, and silkies! LOL. I have a friend who breeds ameraucanas so I might see if I can get some of her chicks! Also @JadeFarms and @feather13 I'm not sure I know what OEGBs are! Thank you so much everyone!

 

[Ruthster55]

I would go with Easter Eggers, and if you had the space, might try a few Anconas, Spanish or Brown Leghorns. I would go with breeds that are non-setters. That would leave you with the only broody risk coming from the Bantam Cochin and the Plymouth Rock which is manageable.

Broodiness becomes a "trend" in a flock where there are a lot of broody breeds. One will do it, and before you know it, the other hens will want to brood some eggs.

Since you're not interested in meat birds or hatching chicks of your own + don't want to deal with roosters, I would avoid broody breeds in general. Silkies, Bantam Cochins and OEGs are cute and can be really sweet, but they are also highly broody. OEGB means Old English Game Bantam.

 

[Little Chicken Lady]

Here are two of mine: Hatches and Maria

Aww they're adorable!

 

[Little Chicken Lady]

You should definitely try brahmas. Even if it isn't the buff variety. They are so fluffy and friendly. Their feathered legs are harder to take care of though.

I have a couple feather footed (cochin, maran) and their feathers don't seem to be too much of a problem for us. I was wondering what color of brahma you preferred. Also I heard that they're really intelligent! Is that true?