Single hen

[chick1]

hi

 

Asking your advice on what in your opinion is your best breed to keep and why?

Im only going to be able to have 3 chickens or 5 smaller sized breeds to start as im getting a so dont have room for any more.

I do also want to have a breed which is good with kids as i have 2 and 6 yr old girls as well,so any recommendations would be good.

[Kittycat]

Hi there

 

Welcome to chicken keeping. I, too, got a just over 5 weeks ago now and went through exactly the same process as you, doing lots of research and deliberating for ages over what type of chickens to get - I even considered bantams. I knew that I didn't want any chicken with feathered legs or fancy hairdos - just something that would be straightforward to look after and produce eggs.

 

My research led me to believe that in general, traditional breeds lay fewer eggs per year but over a longer lifespan, whereas hybrids lay more eggs but have a shorter shelf life (although someone on here is bound to contradict that!). There was also the cost factor with most traditional breeds costing three times as much as a hybrid. And bantams, although lovely, produce pretty small eggs.

 

So I ended up getting 3 hybrid chickens (1x Lohman Brown, 1x Black Rock and 1x light Sussex). I have a 5 year old and a 7 year old so my only real criteria were to have 3 chickens that looked very different (the children each have their own chicken). Pepper, Rosie and Treacle have been fantastic - very laid back, laying every day (with the occasional day off) and great with the kids. We also have the bonus that they each lay a slightly different coloured egg so we can tell whose chicken has laid.

 

One day, when I have lots of land I would like to have a lot more chickens and delve into the world of traditional breeds, but as a first time chicken keeper, with no previous experience, and looking for chickens that are good egg layers, I would recommend the hybrids.

[C&T]

The Omlet breeds have been great for us as first time chicken keepers.

 

Friendly, good egg layers, great personalities, slightly daft - very funny!

[feemcg]

In my experience Hybrids, Sussex and Marans have been the easiest breeds to keep in terms of friendliness and reliability. I would steer clear of breeds such as Leghorns, Welsummers as they are more skittish and nervy.

[meezers]

You could have 3 ( or 5 smaller ) different breeds. Out of my 6 I have to say the warren is my favourite- she is so friendly and interested in what we are doing. My Rhode Island red and Light sussex are the next friendliest, but I think it will depend on the individual chook. If you go for non flighty breeds and handle them a lot, they should be tame.

[eglutinie]

hi i'm new to omlet and have four chickens.

 

i would reccomend the hybreds .mine is very friendly and will sit on your lap

 

my hybred is called Maisie

 

we also have

in a

[gracefruit]

We have two friendly Mendelshams and a very friendly Welsummer. We also have two leghorn hybrids who are flighty and wild.

[chick wiggle]

you have me slightly concerned now, i only got my girls yesterday, 2 rhodies 2 light sussex and 1 leghorn. Just how flighty are the leghorns and will it be ok with my kids?

[Hangman]

Araucanas are also very friendly birds, not that bad at laying either - especially for what you get, blue eggs - they're small and relatively calm. Very good pets in my experience.

[Omletina Kyckling]

you have me slightly concerned now, i only got my girls yesterday, 2 rhodies 2 light sussex and 1 leghorn. Just how flighty are the leghorns and will it be ok with my kids?

 

I think it depends on the individual hen. I have two leghorns and they are my friendliest girls, and crouch if I go within two yards of them, and love to be picked up, they follow me around the place wanting to know what I'm doing. My welsummer is my next friendliest girl. My leghorns are the noisiest when they lay, and one can fly about 6 ft in the air over the walls, but I love them!!

 

If you handle them a lot and stroke them in the Eglu in the evenings when they are settled, they'll get used to it and be fine!

[wombatally]

Pekin Bantams are lovely - and have great colours, they are good with children too. Also as mentioned above araucanas are fairly easily tamed - mine is not much bigger than my pekins and lays a medium size egg (I did wonder if she was a bantam when I got her).

 

Alison