Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[louiseh]

Hello, I am about to buy an Eglu Classic and I am thinking about which chickens to buy. I have 2 small children and it would be nice if they could handle or touch the chickens. Would anyone be able to advise the best breed of chicken or best hybrid and would it be best to get young chickens so they can get used to being handled? Would rescue chickens be suitable (I am thinking possibly not as they are rather delicate and brittle...)? Thanks for any thoughts.

[dixie chick]

Both my Specked Sussex and my Buff Orpington would be great with children - and don't mind being handled ..... Some of the others are less keen on being picked up, but none are impossible. If your children are very small then maybe consider bantams ...

[squiffs]

Omlet gingernut rangers - my is like a sack of potatoes when I pick her up - so docile and tame.

[Tweety]

My friendliest hens are definitely the ex batts - they always come and talk to me when I am in the run, and don't mind being handled at all. The Omlet hybrids are also good.

If your children are very small, Pekins might be a good choice - they are lovely little characters and can become quite tame with regular handling.

As regards age, Point of Lay (POL) is probably best, usually around 20 weeks of age though it does vary according to the breed and individual.

Have fun choosing, and let us know what you decide to get!

[jackian]

Gingernut rangers and miss pepperpot ..I have no children but I was like a child when I got them as scared as anything.Now two months later I think they are wonderful and they get on well togewther.

[Redwing]

Most chickens with regular handling will become very tame

 

Exceptions are probably the light breeds which can be a bit flighty

 

Most of the heavy bantams are a good bet, they will lay for years but break over winter, Sussex, Orpingtons and Wyandottes are mostly placid. Hybrids are also easily tamed but a bit bigger, they lay for less years but all year round for the first year at least

 

I love chooks at the 14-18 week age, they are old enough to have passed the worst of the troubles that can affect chicks but small enough to be easy to pick up and means kids can gain confidence quite quickly

 

If you want hybrids though its unusual for them to be sold before about 18 weeks

[UKMARCH]

Hi, we have 3 hybrids which we got after our ED persuaded us. They are all tame and ED was much better at catching them in the early days when they were new and not crouching. Our amber link/star is really friendly and has very soft feathers and is lovely to stroke. They are happy to be picked up but don't like to be held for too long but its just as nice to watch them scratching around and come rushing when they see you. We are getting some more very soon and I would like a speckled sussex but can't find one locally I would get another amber/sussex but then I would like one of each type if we had the room!

[louiseh]

Thanks for the advice everyone, got some better ideas now, will certainly let you know what we go for!

[MedusA]

My Silkies are the ones I always take to our allotment fairs as they are really easy to handle and the children love stroking them as they are so soft to touch.

 

Handling your chooks regularly is vital if you want them to be friendly.

 

Good luck with the choice.

[clucker1]

we have 2 gingernuts from Omlet, one would sleep with me if she could, she is sooooooooooooo friendly....sometimes annoyingly so....spent 5 hours gardening yesterday trying not to dig my fork into her feet, seriously she is a very very sweet and friendly chicken and the other gingernut is our least friendliest of our 4 girls (the other 2 are pepperpots one of them is in charge so they won't come near us too much as we are the annoying enemy who change things around in their run and we get evil looks.) Overall a lot of characters in our girls!!

[AlisonH]

My Amber star has been very friendly from the first day we got her. The Blue Belle isn't so much although she has got better now she has started to lay.

[LunaKiw1]

We had a Gingernut Ranger and a Pepperpot and 'Ginger' was much thr friendlier. When they passed we got a Goldline, a Bluebelle and a Speckled Star. The Goldline is more or less the same as the Gingernut Ranger and once again is by far the most friendly of the three and keen to hang around us.

[Tutti Frutti]

I'd say any brown hybrid - and that includes ex-batts, the most friendly chickens I've ever had. Whenever I sat on the garden bench at lunchtimes, they'd be up there trying to nick my lunch - one loved Marmite, the other hated it All bar one of my current lot (see signature) leg it if I get near them.

[LizzieLloyd]

my two pekin nathams are always the choice for children when thay want to handle one. They are very placid and dont panic being handled by someone who isnt familiar with chicken wrangling

[Happy Mrs Chicken]

I also agree Gingernut Rangers are friendly,My Miss Pepperpot is less friendly but ok and shes harder to catch. They are ok with my two boys aged 7 and 5.

[Carolemagic]

We only got ours in July, 2 gingernut rangers and one Miss Pepperpot, all will now be picked up, the gingernut rangers are probably slightly more relaxed when held but all three are really friendly and inquisitive and all three are now laying most days. Miss Pepperpot - alias Rosa Parks has not missed a day since she started laying, two weeks after we had her.

[Purplemaniacs]

Henny Penny one of our first girls, she was our friendliest ever, she was a gingernut from Omlet, sadly she did not have a long life but she certainly enjoyed it

 

Latte is also very frindly an amber star but mean to the other girls but happy to be cuddled.

 

I think to some degree it depends on the individual but some breeds do seem to be friendlier than others. My little Snowbelles lay beautiful large white eggs but they will never be friendly really hard to get hold of!

 

Chrissie

[Benaberry]

Certainly the friendliest with my son (4 y-o) out of the first flock we had was the Buff Orpington - kind of a chicken version of Bagpuss, fluffy, cuddly, and very, very gentle

 

The two splash Orpington girls that have just joined us look like they're going to be the same (hopefully )

[louiseh]

The Pekins sound good but can't seem to find any close by - going to a farm nearby on Saturday where they have either Welsummer Bantams that sound nice or I could have a Faverolle which sound nice and cuddly like the Opringtons, and a Sussex cross-breed or 2. They are already together and friends though they are only about 10 weeks old I think. Would need to feed them grower pellets. Do you think this is easy enough to do rather than trying to get a POL chook? Do you think 3 large hens would be overcrowded in an Eglu Classic?? Thanks.

[lindafw]

3 in a classic is fine especially if you can let them free range. Mine free range all day and dare I say it we have had 5 cuddling up in a classic.

 

My Sussex hen is my favourite, very curious and friendly ....had to get rid of my Welsummer as she was a bully

[jennym]

Do you think 3 large hens would be overcrowded in an Eglu Classic??

 

They'll be absolutely fine - my three ( & ) practically sleep on top of each other in one tiny corner. I'd try to get an extension if you can - we have a 3 metre run and I wouldn't want to see them in any less, especially since some days they don't get out to FR at all.

[louiseh]

Very excited, got 2 little Welsummer Bantam chicks today, 10 weeks old. They are lovely and seem very calm, my 2 year old LOVES them and had a cuddle already without any problems. They have been scratching around very contentedly and have now discovered the roosting area for a rest. Only slight problem is one of the dogs is so interested she is literally trembling to get to them... hope she'll get used to them soon.

[Henergy]

Sound lovely - don't forget pictures !!!