What would you say are the BEST tempered, GOOD laying, NICE looking hens?

[Alpine Bobwhite]

I would suggest Wyandottes, Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, and Speckled Sussex for beautiful birds. I also really like Ameraucanas. All of them we’ve had have been friendly & personable as well.

Would you consider getting a variety of individual birds? IMHO, I think a mixed flock is the most beautiful of all (& you can tell each chicken apart.) How many are you looking to get?

I don't know, maybe 6-8, I think I mix would be nice

 

[Iluveggers]

I don't know, maybe 6-8, I think I mix would be nice

You could check out Ideal Poultry and Mt Healthy Hatchery, they both have low minimums and fees for orders of around 8-10!

And you can order just 1 chick of each breed!

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

You could check out Ideal Poultry and Mt Healthy Hatchery, they both have low minimums and fees for orders of around 8-10!

And you can order just 1 chick of each breed!

Do they sell eggs?

 

[Mrs. K]

I have been in this hobby for a lot of years. Many the time, I have thought "THIS is the breed - only to find -hmmm I kind of like the old mutt best!"

I suggest in a small flock, to get one of several breeds - they are easy to recognize, easy to count at night, and make for a colorful egg basket. They will all have different personalities, some a bit more friendly and some a bet more formal. But all will be fun to watch.

Personally, I just love to watch them, not hold them.

Mrs K

 

[Geena]

Okay so they can be friendly if raised from chicks. Do you think if they grew up alongside adult quails they could learn to like them?

I do not suggest trying to keep chickens and quail together. I once tried to temporarily put a 4 cream legbar chicks in with some coturnix in a very large outdoor aviary. I thought it would be okay for awhile since the legbars were so young and not much bigger and there were plenty of hides and feeding stations. Everything seemed fine at first, but by the time I went back to check on them, about an hour later, the legbars had already killed and pecked the brains out of the poor quail.

 

[Iluveggers]

Do they sell eggs?

Meyer and Cackle are the best big-hatchery source of eggs. Keep in mind that probably half will be roosters if you decide to hatch.

 

[fluffycrow]

I'd never recommend keeping your quail with chickens, it's not going to work. That being said, a breed you can look into is the Russian Orloff. It pretty much meets your three criteria

 

[Aunt Angus]

Thanks! Appenzellars look lovely! They also seem to lay a lot!

They are very clever, too. Cuddly is a tough one in any bird, but if you handle them a lot as chicks, maybe? My friendliest by far is a Barred Rock, which isn't "typical" of the breed.

 

[Iluveggers]

They are very clever, too. Cuddly is a tough one in any bird, but if you handle them a lot as chicks, maybe? My friendliest by far is a Barred Rock, which isn't "typical" of the breed.

I have actually heard a lot of people say their Barred Rocks are friendly & sometimes cuddly. My favorite hen of all time is a Barred Rock, precisely for that reason. When I would bring a chair to the farm, she would run over and hop right on my lap for a nap.

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

I'd never recommend keeping your quail with chickens, it's not going to work. That being said, a breed you can look into is the Russian Orloff. It pretty much meets your three criteria

Yes I have seen them, thing is, they lay only 100 eggs per year unless Google is getting it wrong.