What type of chicken should a beginner get?

[Egg Crate]

Our Buff Orphington is our friendliest chicken, she practically begs to be picked up. Our Star and Frizzle are also very content to be picked up and carried around. It helps considerably if you hold them a lot from when they are young. Birds that are not used to being handled while young never seem to like being around people.

 

[fowled-out]

Since you are in England, I Highly recommend Welsummers. They are a fantastic breed and lay beautiful terracota eggs.

 

[ZombieChickens]

We're pretty happy with our RIRs. The kids can pick them up easily, and they have been great layers!

(The stone is a good idea, helps keep the mud under control.)

 

[Dead Rabbit]

any type of red sex link breed, will meet or exceed the criteria you set out.

 

[BooBear]

hello,

I have my first flock too. I picked the Blue Wyandottes which just turned 2 weeks today. They are very curious and friendly so far.

The Wyandottes rate really well for egg laying and as meat bird. They also are very pretty too.

 

[Junkmanme]

I would recommend "Whole-heartedly" the Buff Orpingtons...easily found in your Country.
GREAT CHICKEN !

 

[V Comb]

Houdans!!

 

[PineappleMama]

Code rules here say we can have 4, and no roos.

So, to be absolutely certain that the chicks were girls we went with sex links.

So far they've been great. Not aggressive, eat treats, WILL peck your shoelaces (especially pink ones)... very curious little ladies. Very good layers of big eggs. Made it through the Texas summer like champs... overall very happy with them.

But, if I could have bought (for sure) pullets for decent (no insane shipping) prices I'd have loved a varied basket.... someday.

 

[gryeyes]

Let me echo the suggestion for Orpingtons. I only have one, a Buff Orpington, (right now) but she's a lovely and wonderful bird. Big gal, went broody shortly after she started laying and hatched a single chick, my first GrandChick. It was another pullet's egg, but Buffy has been a wonderful momma.

I'm hoping to get some Buff Orpington eggs to hatch some more for my flock. I have a whole slew of different breeds, "testing them out" as another person mentioned, and haven't really found any I don't like. But I LOVE the Orpingtons - hatched out some Lavender Orps, too.

Black Australorps are also a good breed (being semi-related).

 

[Dead Rabbit]

Quote:
you did right, not taking away from the Orphintons, cause i have a couple of them, and had more of um, more recently...fine birds. i call them my golden girls. they are beautiful birds.

they eat quite a bit more than the sex links, are bigger birds, and dont lay as well as the sex link. i dont feel they are as calm and laid back as the RS either, but it would be hard to beat the RS, so coming in a close 2nd, no shame in that.