What should i Get???

[scooby]

i just want to say thanks for all the info and help, the web links where a great help,
i'v kinda got a list going, in no particular order:

Ameraucana/ EE/ Araucana(one of the three for the egg color)
Delaware
jersey giant
orpington
plymouth rock
RIR

now if i can just narrow it down to four!!!! i never knew picking out chickens could be such a hard decision.
I just have one more question. when looking for a particular breed whats the best way to get them, hatcharies, Farmer stores,ect? i tried looking for hatcheries in my area but they are just all turkeys, how do you purchase specific breeds from hatcheries? and how do you get them into your hands and into the backyard????

 

[TCLynx]

Hopefully someone with some more experience can help you more but here is what we are planning to do at least for our first few chickens.

There is a market near here (kinda a flea market) on the weekends and there are some people there who sell chickens and some other farm animals. This will also help up narrow down our decision on breed of chickens for the first choice since we are limited to what they have for sale when we go to get them. (For our first 4 we will be getting grown chickens so we won't be dealing with hatching eggs, brooders etc.)

Perhaps you can find a market near you that might have animals as well. Good luck!

Benefit here is getting local birds that are already used to the climate rather than having a breeder ship eggs from far away.

 

[glowworm]

Check with your local feedstores, they are a good place just to buy a few and you don't pay for shipping! Most order their chicks from a nearby hatchery and theres usually one day of the week the feedstore recieves the chicks.

My chicks are still little and I picked them based on what both of you want. Eggs, friendly, and heat tolerant (but i dont have excess humidity).

ALSO, I know they will become pets because I don't have the heart to get rid of them when the egg production goes down or stops. If you do a search on the threads, many people rave about their brahmas, and that they are still laying well after 4-5 years, while their other chickens aren't. I'm thinking maybe its because they are slow to mature compare to other breeds. They aren't listing for having tons of eggs, but many people say their eggs are X-large which makes up for it in my opinion. THey are from the desert so they are good in heat or cold.

Check out the australorp like Steve suggests. THey are pretty and are good for eggs.

 

[Oakland_Ranchero]

Great job in convincing your hubby to get chickens!

We have 8 Delaware hens and they're about 19 weeks old and we absolutely love them.

They are very friendly and very docile which is good because we didn't handle them probably as much as we should have when they were growing up. We don't have any kids ourselves but we have tons of neighborhood kids that helped us build the coop and come over to play with the chickens. They range from 6-17 year and they all have no problems handling the chickens and feeding them.

Delawares also are good egg producers and are considered a rare breed. They are very pretty too!

Orpingtons and Plymouth Rocks are also great breeds from your list. Orpingtons don't produce as well as Delawares which is why we chose them over Orps.

 

[scooby]

ya It took me about one day of sulking to get my way and then he showed up the next day with a bunch of plywood and spent all day in the 100 degree weather building it......Gotta love it and him too!!!!! we have some hatcherys around here but they are alll turkey, i guess i could check the IFA store i know they had some last spring, i just dont want to be resricted to buying only what they have i really want to get a Ameraucana/ EE/ Araucana for my daughter and i doubt they will have them at the IFA store, they dont even carry straw..... which shocked me, the International Farmers Association store has no straw!!!!

and the other 3 hens i just want to make sure they are gooood egg layers

 

[milleryardchx]

I have two barred rocks and one Ameraucana in my backyard all are good with my 6 month old son my Ameraucana is the best! my barred rocks each lay an egg a day my Ameraucana is 4 and 1/2 months so any day now!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

We're new to chickens, and since we have a lot of land and wanted to put some animals on it before the housing went up across the street (Ohio has right to farm laws as long as the animals are there first) I was able to start with 30+ chickens. Here was our order from McMurray Hatchery, all chosen with the help of the Henderson breed chart previously mentioned:

* Silver Laced Wyandottes (2)
* Gold Laced Wyandottes (2)
* Easter Eggers (Ameraucanas...NOT) (5)
* Barred Plymouth Rocks (3)
* Speckled Sussex (5)
* Buff Orpingtons (3)
* Black Australorps (3)
* Delawares (3)
* Blue Laced Red Wyanodottes (4)
* ...and a random chick.

We didn't know anything about the Easter Egger/Ameraucana/Araucana controversy before we ordered the chicks (just search to learn more than you'll ever want to know!)

Our birds are now 13 weeks old and I think I have a good handle on their personalities. We may be a good test case because with 32 outside birds and a toddler, I know that they didn't get handled as much as some and probably have pretty close to their basic personalities.

Wyandottes--Varies somewhat by color. The silver laced are very friendly, the gold laced are a bit aggressive, and the blue laced reds are in between.
Easter Eggers--run the gamut. We have two that we never see because they hide under the coop, and four that come right up to you. I love these mutts though because they all look so different from each other. Because they're mutts, it's kind of hard to predict looks and temperament. Two of ours are really, really ugly, but some of the others are lovely.
Barred Plymouth Rocks--one friendly, one not.
Speckled Sussex--not afraid of us, but not "friendly" either. Always under foot but don't want to be picked up and cuddled.
Buff Orpingtons--Two were not very nice-looking birds, but one is gorgeous. Queenie is my "prettiest" bird, the color of a sparkly new penny. She is also of a sweet personality.
Black Australorps--Prettier than I thought they'd be, and full of personality. I like them a lot.
Delawares--My very favorite. They like to be held and come right up to you.
random chick--turned out to be my favorite Easter Egger. Very friendly.

I hope that helps. None are laying yet, so I can't report on that aspect yet.

Erika

 

[papadekaitlyn]

For a friendly good egg producing breed I recommend the Golden Comets (also called Gold Star or Gold Sex Link)

I have 15 Golden Comets and 10 Barred Plymouth Rocks.

The Henderson's chart lists the PRs as:

"... docile, friendly, easily handled"

Henderson definately don't know my PR hens...

I would call them:

'aggressive, not too darn nice, will squawk wildy and try to ravage you if handled'

My Comets are sweeties, several will hop up on my arm wanting me to pet them. They also will come to me (all but 1) the second I step foot into the chicken run...

The Barred Plymouths have never warmed to me despite often (gentle) handling when they were chicks and as they grew (if I could catch them) and will peck the devil out of me at every opportunity.

In my very limited experience, I definately recommend the Comet over the Plymouth...

 

[smith2]

You might want to get one of 4 different breeds just so you can compare and have a wonderful, rainbow of colors for your pets. You also want to get pullets. Be careful and don't let anyone foist roos on you "by mistake." If you lived close to me, I'd just give you 4. I have too many anyway. I am an addict and my husband had become one, too.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Delewares are great chickens.
I dont like ameracaunas. I have one that lays green eggs, and she is very nasty.