Your opinion Best Backyard chicken breeds? free range, friendly, docile, good egg layers and color

[connieconnie]

If your free ranging your chickens I would suggest you try adding some jungle fowl. https://chickens.fandom.com/wiki/Red_jungle_fowl
They are sold in straight runs so your zoning must allow for roosters but the roosters protect the flock. They are also great foragers, eating not much commercial feed and good for tick control. Also they do breed pretty easily so your flock can keep going.

Wow! Now a jungle bird sounds exotic! I'm not sure if they sell them in the uk (they don't really sell chicks in stores here, you have to find a breeder and pick them up or hatch them yourself). Will definitely have a look out for them, but I'm guessing they're not that friendly? To be that hardy and predator aware?

Tick control is fantastic!!! and don't i know it! I got lyme disease from those things, nearly died several times! So these chickens will be life saving ones

 

[connieconnie]

My Leghorns and my Rhode Island Whites are my best layers, but all of my birds are good layers.

I didn't realize that Rhode Island reds also had a white version! Are they similar in temperament?

 

[connieconnie]

I have 7 different chickens, all different breeds. I free range mine in our back yard, and so far no instances of danger (they did get in the carport roof for a bit, but we fenced it off). I love my speckled Sussex, she’s my friendliest and the top of the pecking order. My buff Orpington, New Hampshire red and Easter Egger are also all friendly. I also have a barred Plymouth Rock, a gold laced Wyandotte and a white crested polish. Good layers, but all a bit skiddish. But all together a good mix and great layers. There are several other breeds I would like to try in the future, so just do some research and find a few fun breeds! I love my chickens, I had no idea what fun they could be!

You flock sounds like my dream! A pick'n'mix of chickens your egg boxes must be so pretty with all the variation! I've only had my chicks for a week and they've already stolen my heart. Having so much fun! Thank you for the help

 

[connieconnie]

Salmon Favorelles are beautiful, sweet birds! They tend to be less pushy than some, so might be at the bottom of the pecking order in a mixed flock. Definitely not a good mix with really pushy birds, like the red sex-links that you don't seem to have in the UK.
I don't have any now, but did for years, and like them very much.
Mary

They sound super sweet But I have heard Barred Plymouth rocks can be a bit pushy (the chicks I have now), even though they're usually sweet. So I might wait to see their personality before I get some SFs! Don't want to be making any chicken unhappy or stressed in my flock.

I haven't found any red sex link, the uk don't have very many of the american breeds, lots of english breed though

Thank you very much Mary, all this information is super helpful

 

[SnowKnitty]

My free-ranging flock includes several Cream Legbars. These chickens lay eggs that vary in color from aqua green to pale blue. It gets very cold here with plenty of snow and they fare quite well. Egg production is pretty good but not great, averaging 4 per week. Cream Legbars are in the category of egg layers (versus dual-purpose or meaties). So they eat a bit less than Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rock Hens, etc. The hens are friendly and curious and exhibit good foraging habits. (My rooster is an aggressive jerk who is bound for the kitchen this fall after I set some of his eggs!)
Hawks are plentiful in the area and snatched up our two silkies. But now they avoid our chicken area because we up a section of hawk netting. (The product we used is called Hawk Stopper.) Significantly, our hawk netting is NOT impenetrable. It doesn't even cover the majority of their foraging space. It just covers the largest open space where there are no trees buildings to provide any protection. The string used in the netting is highly visible to hawks. They do not want to get tangled up and simply go elsewhere. I was skeptical at first. But we've used it for over 3 years now and we haven't had a single loss to hawks or ravens despite daily sightings of one or the other. The other thing that helps a lot is to use treadle feeders. (These can be expensive but get one anyway. If someone at home is handy, this site offers DIY instructions for building one.) Among other things, treadle feeders prevent birds like doves and pigeons from gathering in your chicken area for free food and attracting hawks.
Good luck with your flock. Chickens are addictive!

 

[55Flowery]

55 Flower Hens are my all time favorite breed, a rare breed that you may not be able to source in the UK but it's worth a try. These beautiful birds lay very large white eggs and are the sweetest chickens I have ever had, super friendly, love attention and absolutely love to jump on your shoulder, lap or any other body part, love to preen their roosters from head to tail.
Here is a list of breeds that I have had:
Pavlovskaya - Very rare, unusual beautiful breed, shy.
Blue Birchen Marans - Friendly, assertive.
Swedish Flower Hen - Outgoing, friendly, quirky personality (especially roosters)
Dampierre - Unusual, rare breed, very pretty, very friendly
Rhode Island Red - friendly, huge personalities, love to free range, can be a little bossy, don't like to be handled but love human company.
Buff Orpington - Friendly but shy
Barred Rock - Friendly, love to free range
Splash Marans - Super friendly, soft and cuddly, not great free rangers
Mahogany Orloff - Friendly but shy, funky looking, don't do well in the heat
Light Brahma - Friendly, don't mind being handled, can be incessantly noisy when they want to lay an egg.
Ameracauna - Shy, flighty, become friendly over time
Cream Legbar - Can be very friendly or very flighty, the flighty ones are good free rangers
Easter Egger - Home made from Ameracauna Rooster crossed with Rhode Island Red - Friendly, good free rangers, tightly knit feathers along with muffs make her look and feel like a teddy bear.
Silver Laced Wyandotte - Great free rangers, not overly friendly, keep themselves to themselves, can be bullies.

My birds free range all day.

A word of advice regarding the rare breeds - beautiful though they are they can be much more susceptible to illness and disease since they just don't have the same resistance as the more established breeds do.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Birdmom2020]

This is going to be a little long. Please bear with me!

Okay my best layers I had were either RIR or barred rocks.
The looks of the barred rocks were always a thing for me. (Maybe the black and white with the red. IDK ) my barred hens and roos were always super friendly and even welcomed themselves into my house every chance they got!

I had a huge variety of free range. They all kind of stuck together and kept an eye on everyone as a team.

As far as friendly my favorite was a little Cornish game hen I had. She was my absolute best bud. If I came outside she would come and jump right into my arms and snuggle up. She would follow me around everywhere I went and she would make little purring/chirp noises at me when I held her. She was the absolute loviest bird I've ever seen!

The ones I have now are all still babies. I'm not free ranging these guys tho. I have some RIR, some barred rocks, bovan browns, buff orps, and black minorcas. I also have 1 silkie that my 7 yr old absolutely had to get.

 

[connieconnie]

My free-ranging flock includes several Cream Legbars. These chickens lay eggs that vary in color from aqua green to pale blue. It gets very cold here with plenty of snow and they fare quite well. Egg production is pretty good but not great, averaging 4 per week. Cream Legbars are in the category of egg layers (versus dual-purpose or meaties). So they eat a bit less than Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rock Hens, etc. The hens are friendly and curious and exhibit good foraging habits. (My rooster is an aggressive jerk who is bound for the kitchen this fall after I set some of his eggs!)
Hawks are plentiful in the area and snatched up our two silkies. But now they avoid our chicken area because we up a section of hawk netting. (The product we used is called Hawk Stopper.) Significantly, our hawk netting is NOT impenetrable. It doesn't even cover the majority of their foraging space. It just covers the largest open space where there are no trees buildings to provide any protection. The string used in the netting is highly visible to hawks. They do not want to get tangled up and simply go elsewhere. I was skeptical at first. But we've used it for over 3 years now and we haven't had a single loss to hawks or ravens despite daily sightings of one or the other. The other thing that helps a lot is to use treadle feeders. (These can be expensive but get one anyway. If someone at home is handy, this site offers DIY instructions for building one.) Among other things, treadle feeders prevent birds like doves and pigeons from gathering in your chicken area for free food and attracting hawks.
Good luck with your flock. Chickens are addictive!

Just put some Cream legbar eggs in the incubator Hopefully I'll be able to hatch some, as I am keen on their beautiful blue eggs! Hopefully they'll be as nice as your hens and not your rooster

Interesting you mention hawks, we don't have many of those but we have a lot of red kites (large bird of prey), and I haven't put any protection up against them. They are mostly carrion feeders, so hopefully won't be interested in some cute chickens, I don't think any of the other chicken owners around me have lost any chickens to them.

I haven't heard of treadle feeders, but you definitely raise a really good point. I have a farm opposite me and therefore there will probably be rats trying to take advantage!

Thank you so much for the advice! I'm already addicted and they're only a week old

 

[SnowKnitty]

55 Flower Hens are my all time favorite breed, a rare breed that you may not be able to source in the UK but it's worth a try. These beautiful birds lay very large white eggs and are the sweetest chickens I have ever had, super friendly, love attention and absolutely love to jump on your shoulder, lap or any other body part, love to preen their roosters from head to tail.
Here is a list of breeds that I have had:
Pavlovskaya - Very rare, unusual beautiful breed, shy.
Blue Birchen Marans - Friendly, assertive.
Swedish Flower Hen - Outgoing, friendly, quirky personality (especially roosters)
Dampierre - Unusual, rare breed, very pretty, very friendly
Rhode Island Red - friendly, huge personalities, love to free range, can be a little bossy, don't like to be handled but love human company.
Buff Orpington - Friendly but shy
Barred Rock - Friendly, love to free range
Splash Marans - Super friendly, soft and cuddly, not great free rangers
Mahogany Orloff - Friendly but shy, funky looking, don't do well in the heat
Light Brahma - Friendly, don't mind being handled, can be incessantly noisy when they want to lay an egg.
Ameracauna - Shy, flighty, become friendly over time
Cream Legbar - Can be very friendly or very flighty, the flighty ones are good free rangers
Easter Egger - Home made from Ameracauna Rooster crossed with Rhode Island Red - Friendly, good free rangers, tightly knit feathers along with muffs make her look and feel like a teddy bear.
Silver Laced Wyandotte - Great free rangers, not overly friendly, keep themselves to themselves, can be bullies.

My birds free range all day.

A word of advice regarding the rare breeds - beautiful though they are they can be much more susceptible to illness and disease since they just don't have the same resistance as the more established breeds do.

Good luck and have fun!

55 Flower Hens are my all time favorite breed, a rare breed that you may not be able to source in the UK but it's worth a try. These beautiful birds lay very large white eggs and are the sweetest chickens I have ever had, super friendly, love attention and absolutely love to jump on your shoulder, lap or any other body part, love to preen their roosters from head to tail.
Here is a list of breeds that I have had:
Pavlovskaya - Very rare, unusual beautiful breed, shy.
Blue Birchen Marans - Friendly, assertive.
Swedish Flower Hen - Outgoing, friendly, quirky personality (especially roosters)
Dampierre - Unusual, rare breed, very pretty, very friendly
Rhode Island Red - friendly, huge personalities, love to free range, can be a little bossy, don't like to be handled but love human company.
Buff Orpington - Friendly but shy
Barred Rock - Friendly, love to free range
Splash Marans - Super friendly, soft and cuddly, not great free rangers
Mahogany Orloff - Friendly but shy, funky looking, don't do well in the heat
Light Brahma - Friendly, don't mind being handled, can be incessantly noisy when they want to lay an egg.
Ameracauna - Shy, flighty, become friendly over time
Cream Legbar - Can be very friendly or very flighty, the flighty ones are good free rangers
Easter Egger - Home made from Ameracauna Rooster crossed with Rhode Island Red - Friendly, good free rangers, tightly knit feathers along with muffs make her look and feel like a teddy bear.
Silver Laced Wyandotte - Great free rangers, not overly friendly, keep themselves to themselves, can be bullies.

My birds free range all day.

A word of advice regarding the rare breeds - beautiful though they are they can be much more susceptible to illness and disease since they just don't have the same resistance as the more established breeds do.

Good luck and have fun!

I want to add a not about the 55 Flower Hens. I live in the Salt Lake City, UT area where winters bring low light. All my hens lay far fewer eggs in winter. But my 55's are noteworthy because they completely stop laying sometime on October and do not start up again until April.

 

[connieconnie]

55 Flower Hens are my all time favorite breed, a rare breed that you may not be able to source in the UK but it's worth a try. These beautiful birds lay very large white eggs and are the sweetest chickens I have ever had, super friendly, love attention and absolutely love to jump on your shoulder, lap or any other body part, love to preen their roosters from head to tail.
Here is a list of breeds that I have had:
Pavlovskaya - Very rare, unusual beautiful breed, shy.
Blue Birchen Marans - Friendly, assertive.
Swedish Flower Hen - Outgoing, friendly, quirky personality (especially roosters)
Dampierre - Unusual, rare breed, very pretty, very friendly
Rhode Island Red - friendly, huge personalities, love to free range, can be a little bossy, don't like to be handled but love human company.
Buff Orpington - Friendly but shy
Barred Rock - Friendly, love to free range
Splash Marans - Super friendly, soft and cuddly, not great free rangers
Mahogany Orloff - Friendly but shy, funky looking, don't do well in the heat
Light Brahma - Friendly, don't mind being handled, can be incessantly noisy when they want to lay an egg.
Ameracauna - Shy, flighty, become friendly over time
Cream Legbar - Can be very friendly or very flighty, the flighty ones are good free rangers
Easter Egger - Home made from Ameracauna Rooster crossed with Rhode Island Red - Friendly, good free rangers, tightly knit feathers along with muffs make her look and feel like a teddy bear.
Silver Laced Wyandotte - Great free rangers, not overly friendly, keep themselves to themselves, can be bullies.

My birds free range all day.

A word of advice regarding the rare breeds - beautiful though they are they can be much more susceptible to illness and disease since they just don't have the same resistance as the more established breeds do.

Good luck and have fun!

Wow! Thank you, this list is incredible! I'll look into each one I really appreciate the time this must have taken! Tried searching for the 55 flower hen, no luck, super beautiful but super rare the sound incredible though