which chicks?

[Gardenwitch]

Ok we've built the chicken pen, our friends call it the aviary! Its large enough for my over 6 foot OH to stand up in and all penned in with plenty of space for 4-6 large birds to peck about and each with their pwn nesting box OH got carried away with the boxes I've painted it today in a french blue but now I have a dilema which chicks to get?!!

I did have my heart set on Marans, but now I've read about Black Rocks and they seem ideal as well. Basically I want a pretty bird and pretty eggs but ease of breed Are they easy breeds for a complete novice and realiable egg layers?

[Flummery]

I think Marans are a pure breed and Black Rocks I know are a hybrid. Pure breeds tend to come into lay later, lay fewer eggs per year but live a bit longer. Hybrids lay earlier and more eggs per year. They tend to be pretty hardy. To be honest, ask 10 chicken keepers and they'll tell you 10 different 'best chickens'!

I've got Hybrid Rangers by the way!

[Nicos]

Why not have a selection of placid birds???

I love the Marans, but to be honest 4 different placid breeds with different coloured eggs and difference in laying times etc would be fun !!
No idea what to suggest as to other gentle breeds but I get the impression that the faverolles are cuddly birds!

[Hilary B]

I think Marans are a pure breed and Black Rocks I know are a hybrid. Pure breeds tend to come into lay later, lay fewer eggs per year but live a bit longer. Hybrids lay earlier and more eggs per year. They tend to be pretty hardy. To be honest, ask 10 chicken keepers and they'll tell you 10 different 'best chickens'!

I've got Hybrid Rangers by the way!

Ask 10 chicken keepers and you will get to hear of up to 20 'best breeds'<g>

Marans are pretty good, so are Black Rocks.
I would tend to avoid really recent breeds/hybrids, because they are likely to be more 'hybrid-like' (ie very heavy layers with shortened lifespan) than hybrid types which have been around for a few decades, but that is just me. I like pure-breeds, or 'farmyard mongrels' anyway. I've had some very good farmyard mongrels, including some bantam x large-breed hens that were reasonably good layers, and excellent broodies a bit later!
The best advice would really be any types/breeds to avoid. I ain't going there!

[chicken slave]

Black Rocks are very hardy birds and lay a high quantity and quality egg which are standard beige colour (Got 50 of the little blighters in the brooder).
Cream Crested Legbars lay well and there eggs are blue/green.
Marans lay well and most have a deeper shade of brown egg.
There are some things with different breeds for you.

[Gardenwitch]

Thank you everyone taken everything onboard and I think I'll just narrow it down to Marans, Black Rocks, or Cream Crested Legbars. Whichever breeder has them in stock when I can buy in a few weeks are the ones I'm going with

Sorry if this is silly thinking is it better to keep the birds all the same breed or can you house say 2 each of 2 different breeds together without worry of them hurting each other?

[chicken slave]

I know from personal experience that marans, Black Rocks (aka Rhode Rocks) and Light Sussex all live in harmony. I will tell you about cream crested legbars later in the year as they need to hatch first.

[Gardenwitch]

Briliant chicken slave thank you I'd be very interested in knowing about the legbars as well , especially as you have the other two breeds I'll be going after Humm I have a feeling this time next year I'm going to have more chicks!

[Hans Mum]

i have a mix of hybrids including ex-batts and they all live together in harmony. I think if (when) i get some more i will put some different coloured girls in there.

[Gardenwitch]

oh great to know I think I may mix the birds as well then as I would like a variety of egg colors.

[chicken slave]

forgot to mention my warrens (how can I forget them) they are in the flock as well and 2 cockerals a Light Sussex and a Rhode Island Red and then there is lucky don't know what she is but she is cute.

I am also hatching some Buff Orpingtons but I am unsure about them going in with the rest.

[bluemoon]

I've been 'going to get' just about every breed of hen and type of hybrid there is since first deciding to keep chickens. Fortunately for me the chap who raises them knew my OH when they were kids, otherwise he'd probably have told me to ..... off long before now. I've been going to have mixed breeds, but all brown feathered, I've been going to have ones which laid different coloured eggs, I've been going to have mixed breeds with different coloured feathers, going to have all hybrids, going to have all pure breeds, about the only thing I didn't consider was a Marans. I recently fell hopelessly in love with a Copper black marans cockerel though, so now I'm having all CBMs and this time I really can't change my mind because the chap only has 6 left and he's saving them for me.
Marans are easy going and hardy and in my case hardiness is important as they're free-ranging on an exposed Northern lottie, so it all worked out well in the end, but if it hadn't been for that cockerel I'd probably still have been thinking about it this time next year. In addition to what will suit you I'd look at what breed would also suit your situation, if they're going to be confined for long periods of time then it would be wrong to get a breed that didn't like confinement for example.

[Glutton4...]

Copper Marans is a good choice Bluemoon. I bought two Copper and two Cuckoo Marans for my parents recently, and have to say I wish I'd got all Coppers - they are beautiful.

[Gardenwitch]

Thank you so much everyone. Our garden space isnt huge its about 12' x10' all in and half of that space is now the enclosed raised coop and walk in pen area. They will be let out when we're out in the garden daily to walk about wherever they like and then back into their walk in pen and house area. Is this enough space? ( I thought for sure it was)

Now to find some breeders in Essex for Copper Marans(brown speckled eggs), Cream Legbars(blue eggs), and Black Rocks(light brown eggs all year). AND I just found out about Heritage Skylines; a cream legbar cross that produces pastel colored easter egg styled eggs- LOVE them they are so cute! I would like POL, so whereever I can find them first is what I'll be getting

[bluemoon]

I think it probably is enough, Gardenwitch, I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't. Sorry. I just read somewhere that occasionally you get a breed that just doesn't take well to life in a run (though most seem to) and that it might be worth checking when you eventually decide, just to make sure. Hope you find your perfect birds really soon.