Recommend a breed

[Beckybex]

Hello,

We are into our third year of keeping chickens, and currently just have the same 3 ordinary brown hens that we started with. We love them dearly but the eggs are becoming a bit thin on the ground! We've recently enlarged their run so are looking at getting maybe 3 more birds. Can anyone recommend a breed to try. We'd like reliable layers of decent sized eggs that are easy to handle for the children, but something a bit different. My husband is keen for something quite fancy looking and unusual!

[Bephlam]

Oh my...I've just spoke about this exact thing in reply to another thread. I'll just copy and paste what I put there...

I keep Faverolles, Marans & Araucanas. All lovely birds....

Faverolles: large, very docile (the teddy bear of the bird world)...good egg layer (almost 1 per day per bird - white eggs), good winter layers and very pretty. Only downside to this bird would be their size - they really are big, therefore if you're limited with space possibly not the best breed for you.

Marans: medium, very friendly (although in my experience flighty until they learn to trust you...and can always get high enough to escape if needs must), good egg layers (with lovely chocolate coloured eggs). Only downside to MY Marans is that they're soooo greedy (well, in fairness...mainly Bertha!)!!

Araucanas: medium to small, friendly, lay small blue eggs. I can't tell you much more than this at present because my lot are only 4 and 6 weeks at present!

This may not help at all, but like everyone else said...we all have our own 'special' breeds...so it's hard to give you a definite answer!

I love nearly every breed...but some of my other favourites are the Pekin, Orpington, Brahma, Sussex and Poland.

But, I keep chickens because of their character and looks etc...the eggs are just an added bonus for me. So, I'm all about the looks and the personality...lol. Vanity, eh?

[Beckybex]

Thanks, I hadn't noticed there was a similar thread! Is there a good website anyone can recommend where I can look up the different breeds?

[Bephlam]

Omlet has a good breed section...fairly interesting, if a teeny wee bit basic!

Alternatively...be a saddo like me and buy chicken books, then read them in bed at night....

What can I say...I'm an addict!

[Bramble-Poultry]

If you want a good layer and something nice to look at maybe a

Maran - cuckoo are a nice colour and lay nice dark eggs we get about 5 a week each from ours

Gold laced wyandotte good layers with lovely feathering to look at as is the barnvelder

Sussex breed - silver, buff or light - very very good layers and mine are quite placid too.

there are just soo many breeds and I like them all - but I picked the couple above because they are good consistant layers - pehaps 1 of each!!

[walldanzig]

I like rhode island reds good layers and look well.

[Bramble-Poultry]

further to my dear other half's comments (jennie) the sussex and the rhode island red are the basic genetic stock of the myriad of hybrid layers so you can expect good egg laying abilities from both of those breeds. the light sussex is a better choice for looks as they have various colour forms, buff, columbian, silver etc, whereas the RIR has the basic red colouring that the hybrids are famed for.

another good looking bird that will give a reasonable amount of eggs is the cochin. they lay a smallish egg for their size, but they have many many colours, black, partidge, white, red, etc etc etc. however, they are gentle giants and if space is at a premium, maybe not the best choice.

maybe look into bantams?? our partidge pekin quarter (cock + 3 hens) are laying around 20 eggs a week between them. the eggs are smaller than a normal hens egg, more golf ball sized but they have pretty much the same sized yolk so you get a rich egg which is great for baking.

The other advantage of bantams is you can keep more together, just be careful when introducing them as the larger hens might pick on them at first.

hope that helps, let us all know what you wnet for in the end -

cheers Mike

[Hilary B]

further to my dear other half's comments (jennie) the sussex and the rhode island red are the basic genetic stock of the myriad of hybrid layers so you can expect good egg laying abilities from both of those breeds. the light sussex is a better choice for looks as they have various colour forms, buff, columbian, silver etc, whereas the RIR has the basic red colouring that the hybrids are famed for.

another good looking bird that will give a reasonable amount of eggs is the cochin. they lay a smallish egg for their size, but they have many many colours, black, partidge, white, red, etc etc etc. however, they are gentle giants and if space is at a premium, maybe not the best choice.

maybe look into bantams?? our partidge pekin quarter (cock + 3 hens) are laying around 20 eggs a week between them. the eggs are smaller than a normal hens egg, more golf ball sized but they have pretty much the same sized yolk so you get a rich egg which is great for baking.

The other advantage of bantams is you can keep more together, just be careful when introducing them as the larger hens might pick on them at first.

hope that helps, let us all know what you wnet for in the end -

cheers Mike

I would say that with banties you need less house-space, but sometimes MORE 'run space', because a lot of them are rather livelier than their big cousins (but some of the fancy breeds are quiet).
Cochins need a bigger house, but they are so gentle/lazy that they don't need as much 'moving about' space as you might expect, if you are going to be poo-picking (especially since they don't scratch up the grass so much).
I love the gentle giants, but I couldn't honestly recommend them to someone who is serious about wanting eggs. You get more egg for the feed you buy from the 'classic' layers (hybrids or their original breeds), the best banties are good that way too.

[RichmondHens]

I agree with Hilary on the space issue for bantams. Our bantams are much more active than their larger pals.

If you already have full size hens then go for more of the same size, but in a contrasting colour.

[Snadger]

I have ISA brown hens, a Light Sussex hen, a Dorking hen and Faverolle, Light sussex and Silver Sussex cockerels.
My favourite hen of the ones I have has to be the Light Sussex. My favourite cockerel is my huge (Snadge) Silver Sussex even though he has got a bit of an attitude.
If I was to get any more I fancy some Black Minorca's or some Silver Sussex hens!

I think it's a case of ask 100 people what are the best chooks and you'll get 100 completely different answers. Go with your heart is what I say!

[Bramble-Poultry]

Snadge - Silver sussex hens look fantastic. i got some for my sister and never though much about them, but saw them a couple of weeks ago, fully matured and running around her field - wow - absolute stunners.

regarding cochins, i agree they are a big bird and can be lazy, but i find (not sure about anyone else) that they come into lay early and lay around 150-180 eggs then "go off the boil" they fill the early gap nicely and then go broody which is great to rear youngsters on - mind you they can make crap mothers too!

as snadge says - horse for course. go with your gut reaction. everyone has a favourite and will defend that breed!

[bluemoon]

I like rhode island reds good layers and look well.

Me too, though their colouring can be considered a bit boring by some I don't agree. Their feathers are a lovely 'red setter' red and the few black feathers have a distinct green sheen. They're also really friendly and good with children (some books, especially American ones, say they're neurotic, but I haven't found this and I don't know anyone who has) We started out with Marans, which look good, but mine at least seem to have no interest in anything to do with humans and tend to ignore us. We also have a couple of Gold-Tops, which are fun, but go broody at the drop of a hat. It's definitely going to be Rhode Island Reds for us from now on..... though I have to admit that if I could get my hands on a trio of gold laced Wyandottes........

[Polly Fouracre]

There was a pair of Lavender Orpington pullets at our local poultry auction a couple of weeks ago. If only I had had somewhere to put them! They went for �10 apiece but, for once, I let my head rule my heart and someone else has the joy of them.
I could recommend going to a large poultry auction or show and seeing what you (most!) fall in love with.

[Suechooks]

There's a poultry sale at a pub about 10 miles from me on Sunday! Went last time it was on to see if my stolen girls were there. I'm going this time too .....I will not take the carrying box...I will not take the carrying box...I will not take the carrying box

[Bramble-Poultry]

Wheres that one sue? and what time?

I've looked for your girls at every sale i've been to - probably sold privately!!