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

[Birdielee]

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

Wow. Lyme disease is in England? I didn't even think of that. I'm sorry. (It started here)

 

[connieconnie]

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"

On it! Been taking them outside already and handling them often they're so sweet. We have one that is more ...intelligence challenged ... and she's really amusing, as you watch her try to work things out Haven't been letting them free run at the moment, just been putting them in a micro pen. Problem is we have dogs that can't be trusted, so trying to socialize the dogs at the same time as the chickens!

 

[connieconnie]

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.

I'm hatching some for a family friend, so if the chicks are super sweet, might try to keep one

 

[connieconnie]

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.
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She's so pretty I love the white coloration, haven't seen many white chickens! I'm sorry she's gone, she seems like such a sweet hen. I love how shes in with you helping you out as you work!

 

[connieconnie]

How do you find their personalities?

Is this about Rhode island whites or barred plymouth rocks?

 

[connieconnie]

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!

Oh my goodness! That's incredible! she must be a really survivor and hard as nails! Super cute behavior asking for treats she probably thinks she's human It sounds like the RIRs have real personality!

 

[connieconnie]

Wow. Lyme disease is in England? I didn't even think of that. I'm sorry. (It started here)

Yup, we have lyme here. I didn't realize it started in america! It's very prevalent in other countries in europe such as poland, germany and switzerland. The UK doctors like to pretend it doesn't exist here

 

[cmom]

She's so pretty I love the white coloration, haven't seen many white chickens! I'm sorry she's gone, she seems like such a sweet hen. I love how shes in with you helping you out as you work!

Patty loved to be around us. She is in the garage with my hubby.

 

[Folly's place]

Diagnosing Lyme disease has been a challenge here too! We have plenty of ticks, several kinds, and difficulties getting tested.
Then, at least here in Michigan, the ONLY test run for tick borne diseases in people is for Lyme disease, unlike what we are doing for dogs, where at least three of the common tick borne diseases are tested for, along with their heartworm testing.
We don't look for logic here...
Mary

 

[Birdmom2020]

On it! Been taking them outside already and handling them often they're so sweet. We have one that is more ...intelligence challenged ... and she's really amusing, as you watch her try to work things out Haven't been letting them free run at the moment, just been putting them in a micro pen. Problem is we have dogs that can't be trusted, so trying to socialize the dogs at the same time as the chickens!

Awe. I have a retriever who thinks he's a herd dog. And right now mine are still babies so I still bring them outside into a small pen and bring them back in my house at night. My little little ones haven't been out yet bc here in NC it hasn't been getting warm enough to where I'm comfortable letting them out yet. But here in a couple days were going up to the 80s and 85 so they will definitely be out in the pen and I'll let my bigger babies range for a little bit.