Which breed of these would you recommend?

[TinyLittleFarm]

We have 11 7 week old chicks, but 5 are roos and at least 4 of the roos will be rehomed. 7 chicks is just not enough! We have room for 12, and I don't think I could manage with fewer than 10.

A woman I know has some pullets that are about 4 months old that she is selling. She has Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rock, Red Sexlink, Barred Sussex, and RIR. I think I'm going to buy 2-3 pullets.

We live in Wisconsin so we need chickens that are tolerant of the cold and confinement. I have 3 kids so I need chickens who will tolerate being played with and we would really like them to actually like being around us. We have a long list of friends who want to buy eggs, so I want chickens who are really good layers.

We have 4 EE and 3 Light Brahmas (one is a roo that we will probably keep). The EE are fine, but so far they are not very friendly. Not mean or anything, but sort of stand offish. The Brahmas are darlings and walk right up to you and are happy to be held for quite a while. My oldest daughter is 12 and is developmentally disabled and is very shy around animals and the chickens are turning out to be a sort of therapy for her. She loves them and they are helping her overcome her fears. The Brahmas are great with her. They will sit in her lap and let her pet them. (She's only around them while supervised, of course).

If you were me, which breed would you buy?

 

[gamebirdsonly]

The sexlink very good egg layers. Can't go wrong with RIR or the Barred rocks.

 

[Illia]

Now I have a pretty "unique" taste in chicken breeds (

) but I'd say don't get any of those on the list. . . EE's and Brahmas are wonderful, and the others are common, boring brown egg layers (ready set get mad at me. . .

)

If anything I'd get more Brahmas and more friendly EEs or just something a little more "different" if I were you.

My two cents.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
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Ditto! Sexlinks are laying machines

 

[A1 Steak Sauce]

Buff Orps and Barred Rocks are fun and usually docile (though BR's can be a little more spunky than Buff Orps it seems.) Rhodies are a little more... aggressive in my experience, they have no problem jumping up and taking something out of my hands, pockets, etc (never hang around RIR's with a toothpick in your mouth, they will make you bleed lol) so with your daughter being timid around critters, that might not be the best choice. I don't know squat about sexlinks or sussex, maybe someone will chime in about those two.

Also, my chickens aren't so much pets as they are meat/eggs, so they aren't handled often like pets are unless I need to check them for something. But I can still pick up most of my BR's and Orps at any given time like I'd handled them everyday, so they're pretty gentle chickens for the most part. But if you have my luck, you'd grab the one brat of the breed lol, so good luck!

 

[pdsavage]

The Sussex chicken is an alert, docile breed that can adapt to any surrounding, they are comfortable in both free range or confined spaces.They are very hardy,and tolarate very cold Missouri winters...They are also very curious,and love to see what your doing....

 

[ArizonaNessa]

My choices would be in this order
Red Sex Link ~ Awesome layers
Buff Orpington ~ good layer,dual purpose
Barred Rock ~ good layer, dual purpose
Sussex ~ good layer
RIR ~ good layer but personally I am not that big of a fan

As for friendly well chickens are what you make them. If you hug it and love it and squeeze it and call it George then it will give all that back to you. If you pitch it out in a coop and throw some feed at it now and again and never treat it like a pet well you get a nasty, unfriendly bird that just so happens to give you breakfast.

 

[joe17]

Rhode Island reds are not that agressive at all! Well atleast the hens! I had them when I was 5 till I was 10 and they were the sweestest things to me. The only nice roo I had was a silkie though.

 

[erin09]

I highly recommend the red sex-links, as long as you aren't set on a "pure bred". We have 4 and they are wonderfully sweet, great layers and cold hardy.

 

[Shifty Joe]

I would recommend the Buff orpingtons, they are really laid back birds. The ones I have took to being handled as chicks and a year latter are still super friendly. Barred Rocks are another good breed. I got my first Sussex and RIR chicks this year, but they seem to be good so far.