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

[Pretty Birds]

Haven't heard of austra whites, will do some research! Thank you

They are half Black Australorp and half White Leghorn. Mine are very sweet and friendly; I like them a lot.

 

[connieconnie]

You have been given a lot of good recommendations for different breeds. Be prepared for some losses eventually when free ranging. Once your birds are discovered by predators they will pick them off when you least expect it. I used to free range but then the birds were discovered and I lost some to predators so now they are in nice large pens. Here are a few sites that may help you with your decision. Good luck and have fun...
https://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_selector.html
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
http://www.poultrydvm.com/breed-selector.php

Wow, I didn't think that a friendly and docile bird would be more susceptible to being picked off by a predator. But now you mention it, that makes a lot of sense!

I have two very well behaved but protective dogs. Do you think that predators would come into a garden which is very well 'marked' by dogs?

We have the option to fence off a pen if needed. But hopefully they won't need it!

Thank you for the help and advice!

 

[connieconnie]

I enjoy my buff Orpington, (tried to buy another chick this spring, but when the feathers came in she was all white so I’m not sure what we got). My Rhode Island reds have a lot of character and lay well, my created cream Legbar slay pretty blue eggs, but are a bit skittish, as are my leghorns(but white eggs are fun too).
So far the only ones I probably won’t get again are the gold laced Wyandotte’s, nothing particularly wrong with them, but the ones I had just seemed more prone to having random issues.

Interesting! I didn't think about it, but of course some breeds are more prone to certain health problems (like dog breeds)! Are there any other breeds that might might be more prone to issues? I was thinking about cream legbars (as they're very common where I live in the UK and other blue laying breeds are impossible to find). And I suppose the alertness will keep the whole flock safe, but won't make them cuddlers.

I'm hatching some buff opingtons for a friend ... maybe I'll keep a few They look so cute and fluffy!

 

[connieconnie]

I have barred rocks, buff-laced polish, golden Campines, Rhode island red's, and silkies. If you're looking for a good egg layer I would definitely recommend the barred rocks and RIR's! The polish and campine's don't do half bad either and they are very friendly. Silkies are probably not what you are looking for, they are not good egg layers. But, IMO they are the sweetest chickens ever! That's all the breeds I have experience with.

Thank you! I'll definitely look into the RIRs! As I've already hatched some barred rock chickies (they're 4 days old and completely stolen my heart)

 

[cmom]

This was my Gladys. She was a love and loved to be held. One day I was out painting the coops and she was in a garden dust bathing when a fox came up and snatched her during the middle of the day. I was really heartbroken. I cried. If I had only put her in her pen but I thought since I was out there no predators would come around, WRONG. I still miss her. It's been about a year since the fox got her. She was special with special needs as she was a cross beak. I still miss her. I have never had a bird like her. Again good luck and have fun...
This is Gladys in DH's lap. She would jump up when she wanted to be held.

 

[WVBirdsAndBees]

I think you'd be happy with the cream legbars for blue eggs if they're around you. You have the rocks for brown eggs but australorps are another option. We love ours. Obviously orpingtons are great too. My next brown layers will be speckled sussex or swedish flower hens. Generally marans lay the darker brown but I understand that's not always the case, depending on line and individual bird. Easter and olive eggers, essentially mixes bred for colored eggs, are great for egg colors but I know you said they're hard to find there.

One more note. You will find a lot of variation in breed profiles/info and among people's personal experiences, especially concerning personality. The birds are individuals and don't always fit the research. Just find some that should fit your climate and free range situation, then socialize them a lot when they're young. You may be surprised which turn out sweet, flighty, etc.

Good luck! They're a joy!

 

[Abel8989]

Hi,
I'm new to raising chickens, and I've just recently hatched some barred plymouth rocks!
However I want to have a few different breeds to have egg color variety (Cream, blue, brown, green etc.).
They'll be living in my back yard, free ranging and would ideally like them to be super friendly, docile (not pick fights and peck one another) and good egg layers.

Are they're any breeds you could recommend? Could you recommend a few ones that work well together and also have different egg coloring?
For example a brown layer, a dark chocolate layer, a blue layer, a green layer, a white layer etc?

Are they're any breeds you wouldn't recommend for a beginner and someone living in a mild cold climate (the UK)?

Many thanks,
I really appreciate any help and advice!
Connie

I don’t free range but I got 10 hens and I’ll tell you my Easter Egger lay eggs like machines and they are so tame and nice, I had once a batham and that little thing was noise like the devil lol she was such beauty but had to get rid of her too noise and my neighbors complaint.

 

[cmom]

Welcome to all of the new members. @WVBirdsAndBees is correct. I would choose the breeds you want. Everyone is different as well as their situations. There are a few breeds of birds that tend to be more flighty such as Leghorns but even they can mellow out some depending on how they are handled, and indeed every bird will have it's own unique personality. They will work out their pecking order. I have certain breeds that I raise to show at poultry shows. I interact with my birds daily. Some don't want to be touched and some look forward to that little pat. It appears you are starting off with chicks or eggs to hatch. Again, good luck and have fun...

 

[connieconnie]

This was my Gladys. She was a love and loved to be held. One day I was out painting the coops and she was in a garden dust bathing when a fox came up and snatched her during the middle of the day. I was really heartbroken. I cried. If I had only put her in her pen but I thought since I was out there no predators would come around, WRONG. I still miss her. It's been about a year since the fox got her. She was special with special needs as she was a cross beak. I still miss her. I have never had a bird like her. Again good luck and have fun...
This is Gladys in DH's lap. She would jump up when she wanted to be held.View attachment 2099204View attachment 2099208

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. She looks beautiful, was she a Rhode Island Red?

I will definitely will be using the pen then! Even though our garden is really closed off (they would have to scale a 10ft wall or a 8ft fence), I can imagine how crafty and daring foxes can be. I'm so glad I persuaded the family to help me fully fortify the garden!

I so sorry you had such a horrible experience with foxes, and lost a wonderful chicken. But thank you for sharing, it really helped me understand the need for a secure coop

 

[connieconnie]

I think you'd be happy with the cream legbars for blue eggs if they're around you. You have the rocks for brown eggs but australorps are another option. We love ours. Obviously orpingtons are great too. My next brown layers will be speckled sussex or swedish flower hens. Generally marans lay the darker brown but I understand that's not always the case, depending on line and individual bird. Easter and olive eggers, essentially mixes bred for colored eggs, are great for egg colors but I know you said they're hard to find there.

One more note. You will find a lot of variation in breed profiles/info and among people's personal experiences, especially concerning personality. The birds are individuals and don't always fit the research. Just find some that should fit your climate and free range situation, then socialize them a lot when they're young. You may be surprised which turn out sweet, flighty, etc.

Good luck! They're a joy!

I've heard of australorps, but they're another really difficult to find breed in the UK Easter eggers sound incredible, and although I can't get them I thought I might be able to breed my own olive egger if I cross a Black copper maran cockerel with a cream legbar hen?

That's a really good point on personality and socialization! Hopefully as I'm hatching and hand rearing them all myself, they'll get used to human interaction

Thank you for all the help! I'so new to this all, so any advice is really appreciated!