What chicken breeds should I get??

[feather13]

Bantam Old English Game Birds are absolutely adorable and our favorite breed of chicken. We'd have 100s of them if we could! They can be slightly high maintenance though. They don't look like chickens and because they're so small, prone to predators. They can be broody and don't lay a lot of eggs (and the ones they lay are small since they're bantams). They are also escape artists and can fly really far and high. We had one who would fly onto neighbor's garages and would split for a few days at a time, only to return to my bedroom window to wake me up.

But, all of that said, ours were extremely friendly, almost like parrots, and would love sitting on our shoulders. They loved to be held and would coo like doves. But if you're going to get bantams, I would definitely get as many as you can since they can get picked on by standard sized breeds.

 

[JadeFarms]

Another Plus to old English game bantam is that they won’t get picked on as much as normal bantams. They are less prone to getting eaten by predators since they are very flighty and smart. Also, they are such pretty birds!

 

[Ruthster55]

Games whether standard or bantam, are indeed smart. They are extremely oriented toward raising a family, and will hide eggs and brood them. They are quite independent. They're great for some chicken owners, especially if there is enough room and the person doesn't mind having baby chicks (and the inevitable cockerels).

I find that my Barred Plymouth Rocks are nice, but a little bit "behind in the class" compared to the Games. They imprint well on a human.

My dullest but sweetest chickens in the main flock have been a barred (crele) meat bird that is larger than the Barred Plymouth Rocks. I had two that I called "The Stupids" (affectionately). One was rehomed to a friend's house and the children almost immediately adopted that pullet as a pet because it tolerated being handled. (I thought both were cockerels, but I split up a pair....) :-(

I have four Cornish X and they are sweet but also lack in the smarts department.

When I had Easter Eggers, they were quite a spectacle flying down from their roosts in the morning when I opened the coop door. Overall, they are fairly independent and lay beautiful eggs.

The Mediterranean breeds are non-broody but also need lots of imprinting when they are chicks so they won't be extremely flighty.
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[Little Chicken Lady]

Thank you all for the information! I love the idea of hatching my own chicks in an incubator or having a broody hen do it. I also have a friend who can have roosters that assures me that he will take any cockerels that I hatch out! OEGBs sound really fun and like quite the handful! I'll definitely look into them!

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Bielefelders are pretty great too, large brown eggs. My roosters are about five months and I wouldn't doubt my biggest one being almost 10 lbs. And they're autosexing! Breed Biel to biel and pullets will have the chipmunk stripe while cockerels will have a white spot on the head. They aren't bantams, but I love mine!

As for bantams, d'uccles and D'anvers are amazing! My D'anver went broody this summer and is currently raising an EE chick (who will soon outgrow her mother XD).

 

[NatJ]

Cackle also has a sexed bantam deal, but it's hatchery choice only on a few breeds that can possibly be sexed by down color.

Last time I looked, they sold some individual breeds of bantams sexed, too. So you could choose to buy just Buff Brahma Bantam pullets, or just Crele Old English Game Bantam pullets, or whatever, instead of being forced to have the hatchery choice. It's pretty much all the barred bantams, and some of the gold/red/brown ones. None of the white, silver, or all-black ones (at least, not that I have yet found.)

I agree with keesmom, it's just the ones they can sex by down color. (I'm still waiting for someone to breed sex-link Easter Egger bantams. Genetically, it's simple to set up. But I haven't yet seen any hatchery actually doing that.)

 

[Ruthster55]

Thank you all for the information! I love the idea of hatching my own chicks in an incubator or having a broody hen do it. I also have a friend who can have roosters that assures me that he will take any cockerels that I hatch out! OEGBs sound really fun and like quite the handful! I'll definitely look into them!

Broody-hatched chicks are so healthy! Game hens are very good mothers, too. Pretty much all you do is give feed and water and the Mama Hen takes care of the little ones and keeps them warm.

Learning to get the temperature and humidity perfect in an incubator has been a bit difficult for me.

I am so glad that you have a friend who can take any future cockerels. I think you’re planning this well and the range of possible breeds you can have is expanding.

Bielefelders, Brahmas, bantam Cochins, OEGBs, Silkies and more all sound like possibilities along with Easter Eggers.

 

[Little Chicken Lady]

Broody-hatched chicks are so healthy! Game hens are very good mothers, too. Pretty much all you do is give feed and water and the Mama Hen takes care of the little ones and keeps them warm.

Learning to get the temperature and humidity perfect in an incubator has been a bit difficult for me.

I am so glad that you have a friend who can take any future cockerels. I think you’re planning this well and the range of possible breeds you can have is expanding.

Bielefelders, Brahmas, bantam Cochins, OEGBs, Silkies and more all sound like possibilities along with Easter Eggers.

Thank you!!! I'm glad to know that they end up healthier and are easier than monitoring an incubator! I have lots of ideas for future breeds in my flock! Do you know if bielefelders are good layers?

 

[Ruthster55]

Sorry I know nothing about actual Bielefelders although my “Stupid” looks like one. (But almost certainly isn’t).

His sister has recently started laying helping his new home prepare omelets....

Most dual-purpose breeds like Plymouth Rocks and Bielefelders will lay fairly well but a little less than Anconas, Spanish, or Leghorns. They should help more with breakfast than Cochins or Games.

 

[Little Chicken Lady]

Thank you! That makes a lot of sense. I have a bantam cochin that barely lays anything and is broody all of the time! So extra eggs would be wonderful!