Which Hen is the best for: Eggs, Temperament, Looks and that isn't hard to find

[rural mouse]

@Shadrach @Perris any advice for a fellow UK resident?

 

[Shadrach]

I live in England so it doesn't get too cold. I don't think we hardly ever get under -5 Celsius EDIT: We RARELY get snow. More often we don't. Only predators are really foxes and cats

If you live on the mainland in the UK you should add:
Weasels, Stoats, Dogs, Mink, Kites, Falcons to the common predator list.

 

[NatJ]

Thanks! And from what you said it sounds that Ameraucanas are different from Easter Eggers, have I been missing something?

Ameraucana is a specific breed, just like Orpington or Leghorn is a specific breed. They have a certain size, a certain leg color, a certain comb type, certain accepted feather colors, and so forth.

Easter Egger means any chicken that lays blue or green eggs but does not belong to a specific breed. It is similar to calling a chicken a "white egger" or a "brown egger" based on the color of their eggs.

In the US, it is common for hatcheries to sell chicks as "Americana" (note the different spelling) when they are actually Easter Eggers (lay colored eggs, but have some traits that are not right for the Ameraucana breed.)

 

[Iluveggers]

What type of temperament are you looking for? How many eggs per week?

 

[Shadrach]

Just wondering which of these is the best.

None of those would be on my list no matter what the keeping conditions.
Easy to find and essentially a production breed, Crested Cream Legbar.
Others to consider; Bristish Marans, Light Sussex.

For a harder to find but interesting breed consider the Dorking and the Norfolk Grey.

 

[fluffycrow]

Well it depends. Are you looking to get really good egg production, and don't care as much for friendly birds? Then leghorns might be an option. Don't know how they handle the cold though, especially the males. I'd look into light Sussex. Look for breeds that were developed in England, those should cover most of what you're looking for, and be able to handle the weather

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

What sorts of birds of prey do you have around? Goshawks are pretty agile and big enough to kill adult chickens. Rats can do a number on even half grown birds too. Anything in the weasel family can (and will) take on things bigger than themselves. Otters can kill turkeys. Neighborhood dogs can kill chickens.

Any people near you with chickens? What do and do nots do they suggest based upon local experience?

We get SparrowHawks but not Goshawks though I wish we did as I am a birdwatcher and Goshawks are pretty rare! We do get rats though we try and control them and we have a rat proof aviary. We don't get weasels or stoats and we don't get otters either and no dogs could get to them either.

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

If you live on the mainland in the UK you should add:
Weasels, Stoats, Dogs, Mink, Kites, Falcons to the common predator list.

We don't get stoats, mink, kites or falcons in our garden and we don't have any dogs. The chicken would be in a rat proof aviary as well

 

[TillyPeeps]

Another British breed: Dorking. Been around since the time of the Romans.

Do you have a place to get birds from? what do they have available?

Can you check out their keeping conditions? (Do the birds have lice/mites? Are they crowded together?) More for backyard breeder source, but if getting from a hatchery, check out reviews of the place. There's also a thread on here reviewing assorted places.

I love my dorking girl, but I cannot say she is the best layer. Only 2~4 eggs per week which depends on the season. But she is a very reliable layer even in winter and loves to cuddle. Her body shape and voice are also completely different from other chickens.

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

What type of temperament are you looking for? How many eggs per week?

We would like some friendly ones and I guess as many eggs as possible! Probably 200+ a year