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

[SnowKnitty]

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

You will LOVE your cream legbars. They are one of my favorite breeds and I never tire of watching kids react when they see the colored eggs for the first time!
It's worth the effort to inquire with your chicken owning neighbors about predators in the area. Even some carrion eaters will attack chickens. Ravens in our area teamed up to harass and kill chickens at a neighbors place. I assume anything big enough to take a chicken will eventually try to do so.

 

[connieconnie]

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.

Thank you I really appreciate all the time and effort to write this, I love all advice and help I can get!

I've already hatched a few barred rocks, so I hope they end up as friendly as yours sound. I also love the way they look with the black and white barring, I'm just hoping that at least one of the chicks are female

Your Cornish game sounds like a dream chicken! So cute and sweet! Chicken goals

I can understand where she's coming from, so fluffy Sounds like a pretty amazing flock!

 

[Birdmom2020]

Thank you I really appreciate all the time and effort to write this, I love all advice and help I can get!

I've already hatched a few barred rocks, so I hope they end up as friendly as yours sound. I also love the way they look with the black and white barring, I'm just hoping that at least one of the chicks are female

Your Cornish game sounds like a dream chicken! So cute and sweet! Chicken goals

I can understand where she's coming from, so fluffy Sounds like a pretty amazing flock!

Thanks!! My husband is the one who started it all. He's obsessed with chickens! On top of the chickens we also have 2 guineas and 2 Pekin ducks. He's crazy for his birds! Lol I really miss my barred roos. I had one who fell ill and I let him live in my house with me for 3 months. I never did figure out what ailed him. He couldn't walk and had no energy whatsoever. After about 6 weeks he came walking out into my living room spinning in circles as he walked and picking up pieces of waffles and eggs I would toss for him. Then he got better and better and was able to rejoin the flock. He turned out to be just like my Cornish game. I'm hoping the new babies are as friendly!

 

[connieconnie]

You will LOVE your cream legbars. They are one of my favorite breeds and I never tire of watching kids react when they see the colored eggs for the first time!
It's worth the effort to inquire with your chicken owning neighbors about predators in the area. Even some carrion eaters will attack chickens. Ravens in our area teamed up to harass and kill chickens at a neighbors place. I assume anything big enough to take a chicken will eventually try to do so.

I'm super excited too! I feel like a child when I look at their pretty colour in the incubator

Really good point, will ask the neighbours

No way ravens?! Well red kites are pretty big ...

 

[connieconnie]

Thanks!! My husband is the one who started it all. He's obsessed with chickens! On top of the chickens we also have 2 guineas and 2 Pekin ducks. He's crazy for his birds! Lol I really miss my barred roos. I had one who fell ill and I let him live in my house with me for 3 months. I never did figure out what ailed him. He couldn't walk and had no energy whatsoever. After about 6 weeks he came walking out into my living room spinning in circles as he walked and picking up pieces of waffles and eggs I would toss for him. Then he got better and better and was able to rejoin the flock. He turned out to be just like my Cornish game. I'm hoping the new babies are as friendly!

Couple goals That's so lovely you both love your birds! I have some friends which think I'm crazy for wanting chickens they crazy, they just haven't realized how cute they are!

Oh my goodness, I want my barred rocks to grow up just as nice as yours! Good luck with your baby birds too!

 

[Birdmom2020]

Couple goals That's so lovely you both love your birds! I have some friends which think I'm crazy for wanting chickens they crazy, they just haven't realized how cute they are!

Oh my goodness, I want my barred rocks to grow up just as nice as yours! Good luck with your baby birds too!

Thank you and good luck with yours as well! Give them lots of treats and spend time outside just hanging out and let them come to you. (This is what I've been told by others when trying to find ways to make the new babies more friendly and less afraid of me {it worked too!}) And you should get your "buddy birds"

 

[Vicker]

Buff Orpingtons are docile and good layers. The only problem I have with them is that they go broody more than other breeds that I have. It's great if you want to hatch your own eggs but not so great if you're depending on them to keep laying. And broody's hog the nest box when others want to get in to lay. I have used a broody gal to raise day old store bought chicks, though.

 

[cmom]

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

They are good birds and do tend to go broody more than the Reds. This was my Patty. Sadly she is no longer with us but was a great bird.

 

[55Flowery]

How do you find their personalities?

 

[55Flowery]

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

You're welcome! If you want personality and non stop egg laying you can't beat Rhode Island Reds. One of my RIRs was attacked by a ginormous Red Tailed Hawk, honestly I don't know how she got away. It hit her back, flipped her over, peeled the skin and feathers from neck to legs and wing to wing and started to tuck into lunch. She managed to escape and came running with the flock, huge wedge of skin dragging on the floor, as if nothing was wrong. It was a Sunday evening and no vets were available so we had to cut off he trailing skin and patch her up as best we could. Her injuries were pretty horrific, I didn't think she would make it. We treated her for 3 months with Vetrycin to keep it clean and coconut oil to keep it moist and for that time she roosted on a step ladder in our games room. She has a bare patch but a lot of the feathers grew back surprisingly. Now she's really part of the family, she knows where every door in the house is and will make a fuss at each one until we let her in, then she heads straight for the fridge. If I don't open it quick enough she tugs at my pant leg until I get her some treats, then we go for a long walk before she rejoins the flock. She's a superstar, tough as old boots!