breed is best for me

Dossers · **Joined:** Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:47 pm **Posts:** 6

help me decide which breed is best for me? I am thinking about getting 5 hens for eggs but they must be friendly with the kids and good layers, any suggestions?

Liz

b&p · **Posted:** Sun Apr 04, 2010 9:38 pm

More info is needed Liz.

How old are the kids? How big is the pen? Will they be free-ranged? Do you want bantam or standard birds? How many eggs (approx) do you want a week?

MariaCreeksPoultry · **Posted:** Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:59 pm

I would go for purebred bird as your kids will probably get attached to them. The little red hybrids you see everywhere have a short laying life and you probably don't want to have to cull and replace your birds every 18 months or so.

I would recommend Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, any of the Sussex for a start. These are standard birds and lay a large egg. Bantams lay a much smaller egg and as I don't keep bantams I can's say much more about them.

The best breed for you is probably an individual thing. People are taken by different colours and shapes.

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

MariaCreeksPoultry wrote:

I would recommend Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, any of the Sussex for a start. These are standard birds and lay a large egg. Bantams lay a much smaller egg and as I don't keep bantams I can's say much more about them.

These breeds also come in Bantams

Dossers · **Joined:** Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:47 pm **Posts:** 6

Thanks for the suggestions the kids are 7 & 11 both boys I was thinking of bantam so the boys can pick them up but I have read they are not the best layers so not too sure. I have a big mobile chicken coop not sure exactly how big but I will let them out every day.

b&p · **Posted:** Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:53 am

Liz these 2 sites are very similar and sadly neither has bantams in the above breeds on their lists, but both lists will give you a bit of a run down on many breeds. Just remember that both sites are U.S. based.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/breeds/breed-chart

http://ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

I recemtly sent a friend these lists and she came back wanting 4 different breeds LOL

Edited to correct spelling issues....must learn not to type so fast and to check what I have typed. :lol:

beccy boo · **Posted:** Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:53 am

if i were you i would be going for somthing small such as the pekin. they are very friendly but lay small eggs and they are very yummy. pekins are like cochins and i think pekins are what you should get. i love them.

Dossers · **Joined:** Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:47 pm **Posts:** 6

Thank you for that I will have a look at those sites now. I do like the pekins beccy but the little eggs worry my husband as he does like the bigger eggs but I haven't discounted them that's for sure

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

OEG are tough birds and would make good pets and so would modern game but they arnt the best layers,if you want eggs then mabey try leghorns all of these birds are hardy fowls and would be good for kids
Try and buy the birds young so you can raise them to be tame

Bantams are just a small bird ,most are replicas of a large form except for the 5 True bantams which are Pekins,Sebrights,Rosecombs,Belguims,and Japanese bantams, these have no large counter part.
Bantams lay just as much as their large form

Dossers · **Joined:** Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:47 pm **Posts:** 6

Leghorns bantams are on our short list I do like the look of them and from what I read they are good egg producers, I didn't think I would be that hard of a decision but I want to get the right ones from the start

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