4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[tom123]

As you have probably heard I have finally persuaded my nan and gramps to get chickens! They are having 2 of mine, Milly & Molly, so that means I have some space for some more

 

As ginger is being rehomed I have space for 3 more ...so what breeds???

 

I would LOVE some blue or green eggs HOWEVER as we only have a run with 4ft high fencing am very worried about cream legbars and all the other blue-egg laying hybrids as they can apparently fly WELL.

 

I would love 2 but dont want to be worrying about them flying over while I am at school and on holiday

 

On my list of breeds to choose from I have...

 

Cream Legbar

Coral

White star ( Good Fliers???)

Welsummer

Cuckoo Maran/Speckledy

Dorking

Sussex

Vorwerk (Love them!)

Wyandotte (Love them too!)

 

Does any one have any of these breeds? If so can you give your honest opinion on them?

 

Would love a nice colourfull range of eggs

 

 

Thanks

Tom

Edited January 29, 2009 by Guest

[AJuff]

I have a pretty little white star, she is a very good flyer! My marans are too big to fly, very heavy pure breeds!!

[feemcg]

My experience of the breeds on your list are -

 

Marans - very friendly and good layers

 

Cream Legbar - same as above, and mine haven't flown anywhere

 

Buff Sussex - overly friendly, follow me about and stand at my feet waiting to get picked up

 

Wyandottes - pretty but a bit more timid, taken me a bit longer to get them used to being handled.

 

Welsummer - squawkiest, most nervous, flightiest birds I've ever dealt with......got rid of both of them

[chelsea]

I agree about Welsummer, they are very flighty.

 

We have a maran, she is the flappiest of all our birds and hates being picked up - but she is our best layer, a true traditional farm hen in my eyes - nothing fancy just gets the job done. (no broodiness either)

 

If it were my choice I would go for the Sussex and the cream legbar.

[Tulip]

Oh, go on Tom, the cream legbars are stunning... ours hasn't flown anywhere. Whe'll have a flutter but not get more than a foot or two off the ground

 

BLue eggs... you know it makes sense!

[Cooks]

I have a Coral, shes lovely!, doesn't fly, just flaps!! beautifull porcelain cream/white eggs

[Daphne]

The skyline hybrid lays blue/green eggs (I believe you have something like an 80% chance she will lay these colours) isn't flighty - too much of a great big lump.

[BeckyBoo]

Well my Speckledy is a beautiful big mother hen, she does go broody and is a great mother but is the only one of my 17 hens laying an egg every day at the minute!

My only experience of cream legbars has been young ones and they are really really timid. My buff Sussex was a boy so can't really comment, and my wyandotte turned out to be a bantam and she's a daft little thing. I can recommend Black Rocks, Speckledys, Buff Orpingtons (although she almost trips you up in her eagerness to get to food, gutty thing, but very VERY friendly, Polands - can't fly very well, can't see you coming so can be picked up easily, lay beautiful white eggs but stops in the winter and daft as brushes,

 

Good luck choosing, it's nigh on impossible I always find and I end up coming away with nothing that I said I was going to get!

 

BeckyBoo

[tom123]

Now I THINK I am pretty much sorted

 

I think I will get:

 

Cream Legbar (the pure breed)

Coral

 

 

But still stuck on whether to get a welsummer or speckledy???

 

Help!

 

 

Thanks

Tom

[quickcluck]

Toughy, can't you fit both in?

[chelsea]

Speckeldy.....*thumbs up*.

[moomin]

I wouldn't get a Welsummer if they are flighty

[tom123]

Ye thats what I thought Ros

 

I think it will be a cream legbar, speckeldy and coral then

 

HOPEFULLY I will get them at the start of half term

 

 

Thanks

Tom

[Scramble]

ooh blue egg layers

 

would love a little pekin blue layer

 

Must stop O.C.D-ing over pekins.....do love their fluff factor though

 

They sound nice, how far away is your half term?

Ours is only 2weeks

[tom123]

Same

 

Lol

 

How are your pekins btw???

 

any pics

 

 

Tom