Last night we added some new fuzzy friends to our little homestead, 4 Mallard Ducks, 2 Bantam Chickens, and 5 Silver Laced Wyanadottes! They seemed to have survived the frosty night last night and are doing pretty well.
I went in to Runnings to just pick up some more ducks since something ATE mine this winter but I ended up with this little mixed brood! I thought I'd take this opportunity to talk about some of my favorite breeds of chickens and why we like them.
Ameracana or Araucana
These are some of my favorite show birds. They are unique with their colors and these were the ones we always took to the fair. They aren't the biggest birds in size but they lay the famous "Easter Eggs" or blue eggs. The good layers will lay every day while the normal layers will lay every other day.
Silver Laced Wyanandottes
These are my current favorites. They are big birds and great brown egg layers. I love the gentleness of this breed and I think they are beautiful!
Buff Orpingtons
I'm not a huge fan of these but my mom loves them. These are a good bird to have if you want a big bird that's a reliable egg layer. The hens grow to about 6 or 7 pounds on average, they are big!
Black Australorps
I think the Australorps are another gentle bird. They also are a reliable egg layer but are just slightly smaller than the Orpington (but still pretty big) these birds make great setters!
Barred Rocks
My hubby loves his Barred Rocks. They are reliable brown egg layers and seem to be pretty mild birds.
What are your favorite chicken breeds and why?
Photos Courtesy of Murry McMurry
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I have buff orpingtons, new hampshires and rhode island reds…they’re all so sociable…and nosey!!
I think Cochins. They are friendly, beautiful, good mothers and they don’t fly over the fence.
I have Aurachanas. 22 hens and a rooster…and just hatched out another dozen! They are wonderfully calm, and very friendly!!
Wyandotte – Blue Laced Red ..very friendly hens, and gorgeous.
Cochens, love their fluffy legs! And they are very tame.
Golden Laced Wyandotte, They are such pretty birds.
Black Australorps and New Hamp Reds…Hardy and great layers.
My best layer is a mutt – she was supposed to be a wellsummer but at best she might be a cross. She lays nearly every day (except when the rest of the flock quits laying in late fall) and she is quick about it. Our black astrolorp is our second best layer. I LOVE my buff orpington, Buffy. Alas, she isn’t a great layer just a great companion in the garden. She will get underfoot, like a cat, until I pick her up and hold her. I hand raised (from our own eggs) 4 mille fluer duclay bantams and ounce for ounce they are pretty good layers, very friendly (they will perch on my shoulders, head, lap) and great foragers. They are also very sneaky and will hide their eggs if I don’t keep half an eye on them. I never liked eggs until I inherited (friends moved across the ocean) some laying hens, now I love eggs – well, my eggs, store eggs aren’t worth eating – BLAH!
Right now we do not have chickens. I am hoping soon for a house and a place before we have chickens. I am wondering what is considered the best breed for egg laying chickens.
There are many good breeds for laying hens, I think it also depends on if you want them for meat birds as well. All of the breeds I mentioned above are good layers as well as good meat birds. If you just want birds for laying you could always get Leghorns or Production Reds but they aren’t as large as these birds and not as gentle. They would be excellent just for laying though!