What is your favorite heavy, good egg laying, cold tolerant breed?

[norahsmommy]

I am looking to get heavy standards that are good egg layers and are cold tolerant. What is your favorite breed? I was thinking Barred Rocks, or Partrige Rocks? What others lay well and are nice? I have 2 small girls who would love to help me with chickens, so it would be nice to have gentle birds.

 

[sara]

Quote:
Orpingtons are a great breed, and are very docile.

 

[jossanne]

Love my McMurray barred rocks. They're docile, friendly, and great layers. Plus they're so pretty!

Didn't like my McMurray buff orps. They picked on everyone else and weren't very nice.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

BRAHMA

Light lay best & given a chance they will forage for most of their food!

I have had to put chickens in the pot because kids run fast, they squeeze them to hard, pull their tails & can through a ball that hits a chicken!

Even though they were calm breeds & friendly chickens!!! (most can only take so much) once they go after a kid they are gone un

You can see in my signature I have a few breeds!

Rule at my house is kids are only aloud to pick up Brahmas & the Bantams which are Brahma, Cochin & Silkies!
I have had other breeds of Bantams that didn't last!

I have seen my Brahmas take a lot & not retaliate (because being Loved can hurt) just like an old dog you can trust with the kids!!!

Not to say you can't get a bad strain or a bad egg

but, chances are slight

 

[bmchickens]

WE'VE LOVED OUR SEX-LINKS, BOTH BLACK AND RED.VERY HEALTHY,EASY TO RAISE AND GOOD LAYERS OF BIG EGGS,HOT OR COLD WEATHER

 

[MissPrissy]

Orpingtons.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Buckeyes is the breed to go with, very hearty, friendly, and were breed to withstand Ohio winters

 

[CountryMom]

I have to say Orpingtons also. I have three kids ages 7, 9 and 12. The Orps are very gentle and lay good size brown eggs. I like our one and only Barred Rock, but she is tempermental at times also. The Orps don't pick on others in the flock like the BR and our RIRs.

 

[keljonma]

Dominiques, Wyandottes, and Jersey Giants

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Cochins, white plymouth rocks, orps, cinamom queens, Road Island Reds, Leghorns. In that order. The Cochins are GREAT cold weather birds and they are good layers. I really like the RIRs, but they tend to be sporactic with the laying. Cinamom queens, if you can find them are a cross between a leghorn and a RIR. They are bigger than a leghorn and smaller than a RIR. They seem to be ok with the cold weather and roost high and seem very aware of their surroundings. Goos for cold weahter and preditors. Something most people do not think about. The orps have too many health problems for me, but they are fantastic layers. The White Plymouth rocks are massive birds, probably in the order of the cochins without all those feathers. When they are relaxed and safe, they lay well, otherwise they are do not. As far as what I like in personallity ? We love the RIRs and Cochins. The roos are fairly nasty birds though.