Chicken bald back

[CheekyPekins]

Hi all,

 

I've decided to get 2 new hens, to add to my little flock of four (and then that's definitely it... )

I'm going to pick 2 girls on Sunday - I've narrowed down the list from the breeder to the following (all bantams):

 

Sussex (light, speckled and buff) ,

Wyandotte (silver-laced)

Welsummer

Lemon citrus Sablepoots

Silver spangled Hamburgs

 

I'm after hens which are friendly, not ridiculously broody (which my Pekins are) and if they lay OK, that would be a plus

 

And, I know it depends on the individual bird, but if anyone can comment on whether any of the above breeds are known to be noisy (which my Pekins are), that would be great

 

I've currently got a Pekin, a Pekin x Silkie, a bantam Orp and a Sumatra cross.

 

Thanks

[chuckmum6]

Sussex, lay lovely eggs, only one of my three had brief thoughts of brooding. Fairly friendly. I would love a speckled.

Silver laced wyandottes, very very pretty (my bantie 'Dotty' is my fav) has some broody thought and cracking mum's but easily cured.

Sablepoot soooo cute, but tiny, mine has a lovely friendly nature, no sign of brooding, I do end up standing on her boots as she gets so close!

Our welsummer was rather dim, laid lovely big eggs, seem to remember she went broody a couple of times.

I haven't owned Hamburgs.

[Daphne]

My sussex have never been noisy, lay a decent number of eggs, are reasonably friendly and mine have never gone broody either (although I suspect I've been lucky with the broodiness)

Just a thought on hamburghs, beautiful though they are, they can be flighty and less keen human interaction.

[sparkysmum]

Just a quick thought on sablepoots. They are very prone to mareks and I lost 2 of mine to this horrible disease after being at a show. So I would enquire if your breeders hens are,as far as she can tell , resistant to mareks disease. My remaining sablepoot is now almost 5yrs old, still lays a beautiful creamy coloured egg, and is a total joy. She has never grown up and always reminds me of a toddler, happy and chirpy. Lovely birds. Ax

[sjp]

speckled sussex gets my vote mine was a real friendly girl a very good looking hen after her first adult moult they take a couple of years to get their full speckled coat they do go broody through mine settled for once a year

[CheekyPekins]

Thanks for all the replies

 

I'll definitely ask about Mareks if I decide on a Sablepoot - I think they're lovely, so was thinking I'd probably come home with a Sablepoot and another (likely a Sussex, from the advice I've received from you lovely Omleteers!) but I wasn't aware they're prone to Mareks, so I'm very grateful for the advice.

 

Chuckmum mentioned that sablepoots are tiny - can anyone tell me how they compare size-wise to a Pekin?

 

Thanks all, you're all fab

[chuckmum6]

I think my sablepoot Jasmine, is comparable in weight to my tiniest Pekin Lavender, her eggs a pretty large though! She is nicknamed 'pigeon' as she is the same size as a pigeon, the breed said she was quite big for the breed!

[CheekyPekins]

Well.... I now have a little Sablepoot and a speckled Sussex bantam as part of my motley flock

 

Thanks for all the advice, it really helped. And I was very good, I only came home with two.... It could easily have been four... or six....

[Plum]

*cough* have you forgotten something

[chuckmum6]

Photos are compulsory!!!!

[Purplemaniacs]

*cough* have you forgotten something

 

Glad you came to a decision, enjoy your new girls CP.

 

Chrissie

[CheekyPekins]

Photo to follow (I promise) - my poor new girls are in a cat box in the porch at the mo, due to the howling wind due overnight.... They just need names now

[chuckmum6]

They could have storm based names ..... Judy after the impending storm Jude?

[Luvachicken]

They could have storm based names ..... Judy after the impending storm Jude?

 

How about Gail for one of them

[Daphne]

Very clever