[gingerplant]

Hello all
We'd really like to get some hens (probably 3 to start with) and I've been doing loads of reading but still haven't got a clue as to what breed to get....
We have two kids (aged 2 and 4) and a big garden; we'll probably get a coop with run attached, and also fence off some of the garden to avoid complete destruction :-)  So I think we need hens that are easy to handle, friendly for the kids, ideally not too destructive (wishful thinking?!) and good layers.  My husband said he'd like pretty hens  but I'm not that bothered, and neither of us care what colour the eggs are, as long as they taste good!  Am I asking too much?!  I'm fully aware that everyone will have their favourites, but I've got the names of breeds coming out of my ears and I'm confused!
Can anyone help?!
thanks 

[joyfull]

I just chose hens that I thought looked pretty  . So now I have a bluebell, a blackrock, well summer, cuckoo maran, copper black maran, amberlink, araucana crosses, araucanas and bantum hybrids, now my garden looks very colourfull 

[Vi]

Hello Gingerplant,

We've got Gingernut Ranger chickens which are a hybrid between Rhode Island Reds and Light Sussex.  We've found them very friendly, though not always up for being picked up and held for periods of time (especially if you're force feeding them medication), they are pretty docile and allow us to carry them to their pen if we're in a hurry and don't want to herd them there.  They follow us around the garden when we're out and one of them talks to us all the time.   

http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens&breed=Gingernut%20Ranger

I've found a picture of the breed on the above website (i hope it's okay to put the website here) if you're interested in having a look.  There are other breeds there you can have a look at too.  Chances are you've already found this site in your searches.

Good luck and have fun

Vi

[woodside farm]

You can narrow it down by

Do you want Large Fowl or Bantam?
Do you want feathered legged chickens or not?
Do you want Pure Breed or not?

Pekin bantams are a nice docile birds for children, and not too destructive in the garden, they do lay quite a few eggs, but the problem with them is they can become broody (usefull if you want to hatch your own chicks  ).
What ever breed you decide on I would get younger hens so they get used to you handling thm.

Just one word of warning, chicken keeping is very addictive 3 will not be enough 

Michelle xx

[matilda duck]

When we decided to get ours ( I had read up so I knew what |I was doing )  I chose in the end chickens that I liked . 
I stood for about an hour and watched to see which came up to us, which seemed to be bossy, and which were just plain funny . 
In the end we chose 2 light sussex, cou cou maran and a copper black.  We now also have a black rock, isa brown and 3 ex-batts. 
Out of all of them, the light sussex and isa brown are the most friendlyiest.  I have 2 children 4 & 8 and Mary (4) loves her chickens she is always carting them round the garden. :blink:

 I think you just need to see them to see what suits you...............Enjoy
Top Tip  ......... Make sure your house and run will accomodate about 20!!!! cause you'll soon need it

[chickenlady]

Hello! we started with 2 goldline hybrids (ginger medium sized hen also known as a warren, isa brown, gingernut ranger etc) and a babcock hybrid (lovely dark chestnut brown with black tail feathers) all 3 are extremely friendly, love cuddles and have been laying an lovely BIG egg a day for the past 4 months without a break!  :blink:
we also have a blackrock (skittish, a comedian and slightly unhinged  :blink:) and amberlink (friendly, another one who lays a BIG egg every day but is a bit of a high maintenance girl so she feather pecks) and a bluebelle (lays every other day but they are BIG is more stand offish than the others but is very pretty)
bantams are fab and have bags of character, my favs are my salmon faverolle and wyandottes, all very pretty too!

sorry im going on and on and on arent i  :blink: hope this is of some help!?

Debbie

[gingerplant]

That's all really helpful... thanks !

Keep it coming....!

[Bruced]

You're going to drive yourself nuts if everyone gives you a run-down of their hens!

I have 3 - a gingernut ranger, who is v friendly but the most destructive in terms of lawn havoc; a speckledy (maran-based hybrid) - doesn;t like being handled and I understand that is fairly typical of marans; and a utility light sussex, who is borderline psychotic. I think she might be the exception to the rule though - sussexes seem to generally thought pleasant birds.

A couple of things to think about, one obvious, one not so:
1. If you go for a breed that lays more (generally hybrids), remember that each hen has a finite number of eggs - a pure breed may lay less but for longer
2. Some colours are a b*gger to spot if they free-range. Our sussex is very visible as she is white, even when it starts to get a little darker. The Speckledy (cuckoo coloured) is really hard to see!

I like the idea of going to see them and see what makes you laugh. Everyone will have their favourites and I am sure that whatever you choose, with the right research and preparation, you will enjoy them.

And 3 is likely to expand - I am on the lookout for some Welsummer pullets as we speak.

Good luck!

PS if you want a book on different breeds (mostly pure breeds rather than hybrids, you could try Choosing and Keeping Chickens by Chris Graham. Then you can drive OH up the wall by reciting interesting facts about Asils, Yokohamas etc etc

[SarahJC]

I have 5 hybrids, soon getting another 3   Believe what everyones saying, it is addictive  

I have 2 brown hens (rhode island red and light sussex cross) Dolly lives to eat and Dotty is slightly slow in the brain department, bless her. Dotty will snuggle down on my lap and have a power nap  :happy:

A Bluebelle called Gracie, who is very pretty with lovely hazel eyes. Not overly keen on cuddles, but she's coming round a bit.

A Amber Star called Lettuce, pretty, small but compact hen. Lays slightly smaller eggs, but a lovely dark brown. We had a problem with feather pecking with her, but a beak bit sorted that out and she's far more laid back with life now.

A White Star called Sybil, a leghorn cross. Lovely big floppy comb   She's a bit flightly but loves a cuddle once she's picked up.

You could always get hybrids for eggs throughout the year and some pure breeds you like the look of.

Hope my waffling helps  

[nzdunn]

I have cuckoo maran and a black rock who i was telling someone about on another thread, they are very beautiful birds, i also have a young barnevelder, which i collected a week ago, i had her on order for ages, she gorgeous, shes lovely yellowish legs.    Nickyx

[agingchick]

Hi I have 3 oops sorry 6 chickens my original 3 are an amber star a speckledy and a black star (blackrock) all three are friendly and very different personalities the black star keeps going broody which is why I now have 3 more, these are pure breeds (2 cream legbars and a dorking) and I can't really say what they are like as they are only babies.
Diane

[8doubles]

I got 3 different hens that lay different size and coloured eggs . Its handy for spotting laying problems or if you have to medicate a bird you know which egg to bin if you need to .

[andymac]

Hi Gingerplant.
We had the same dilemma a few months ago. We were going to get four different breeds, until we talked to our local supplier who had been breeding various different breeds for about 25-30 years. We also had similar reasons for wanting then I.E. lots of nice eggs and handle able by our grandkids, also reasonably quiet for our neighbours etc.
Our supplier advised to get Isa browns, which is a Rhode island red/white cross I think. They are sort of your standard brown farmyard hen looking chicken. I think he was right as they are great fun to watch and  we get 3 to four eggs per day from them.
We love them, and as our supplier said, "you can go for the more exotic breeds later on when you get  used to keeping them". Good advice we thought.
Have fun.
Andy.

[kitkat]

Hi, I think with young kids Pekins would be lovely, small eggs, but i prefer small, less damage to the garden and very pretty, great personalities[can go broody, although mine haven't]

[Sassy]

I ended up going for  what I liked the look of originally. Now a I need to replace I am trying to get a mix of coloured eggs. It depends what you want.

There are exceptions to the natures of the breeds and some sites even contradict each other - it does make it very confusing. The other thing to think about is what is available locally to you, otherwise you could end up travelling miles.

Whatever you decide, good luck!!