Choosing chicken breeds?

*zippy*

Hi all

I know alot of you keep chickens and I have really enjoyed reading the chicken threads, so much so that we have a coop coming in the morning, we are so excited.

I'm looking for some advice on choosing which breed to have. I have been offered some chicks by a work collegue, the thing they all look so lovely i am very tempted to get carried away. Firstly we were having 4 warrens as she said they were good layers, I then saw the pekin bantams, araucanas and meadowsweet rangers and she also has silkies, but they are not hatched yet. I have to go and collect what I want tomorrow and really can't make up my mind.

Can anyone with these breeds tell me please what they are like, how friendly, noisy etc

I have a good sized coop and area of the garden sectioned off for them, we have 2 children so would really like friendly breeds, and of course some nice fresh eggs.

At the moment I thought perhaps 2 warrens, 2 meadowsweets both good layers and 1 or 2 pekins and 1 araucanas for their blue eggs does this sound ok? Is 6 or 7 hens too many to start off with?

Any advice much appreciated

Zippy x

Penelope_Penguin

Hi, we've kept hens for some time. Our first were inherited with the house we bought 10 years ago. Since then we've not so much chosen varieties, but obtained what that we could get hold of. This year we hatched some eggs, Buff Orpington and Light Sussex were our choice. We have 2 children, so wanted ones which would be relatively tame, good looking, and lay a decent number of eggs.

Good site for looking for characteristics was Devonshire Rare Breeds http://www.dtbcentre.co.uk/prices.htm. We did google search and came up with plenty of sites.

Good luck, you won't look back!

Penny. x

Ted_Hutchinson

If you want a regular supply of eggs then the standard egg laying hybrids are the most reliable and don't go broody. We pay 50p for dayold chicks which we stick under a broody bantam or we pay £3.50 for them at point of lay.
The ones that are brought up by a bantam forage well, the point of lay (and recycled end of lay ex-intensive unit birds, these birds tend to be great layers, and will live 4 or 5 years after rescue. They can also make great pets!! Email [EMAIL="gimmeachicken@hotmail.co.uk"]gimmeachicken@hotmail.co.uk[/EMAIL] for details.) will soon get the hang of it once they realise they can.