For the past few years, I had been toying with the idea of raising chickens. Every spring when the baby chicks arrive at my local feed stores I would be struck with “chick fever” and would be tempted to buy some. For a while there I was strong enough to resist, but after some time I finally caved and purchased some chicks. I figured that I had wanted to give raising chickens a try for long enough, so why not.
At first, I only wanted two chickens because I’m a neat freak and hate chicken poop. Well, that plan didn’t last long, and my two chicks quickly turned into ten. There were too many breeds that captured my attention, so settling on only two proved very difficult. And plus, I discovered that using sand as bedding is an extremely cheap and easy way to keep things clean and odor-free, so that gave me the courage to expand my flock. When it was all said and done, I ended up with three Easter Eggers, a Welsummer, two Salmon Faverolles, a Lavender Orpington, a Speckled Sussex, and two Silkies.
I chose these breeds based off of looks, egg color and production, and personality. I wanted breeds that would give me a unique variety of different egg colors, and that would also be friendly as well as hardy. The breeds that I selected checked off all of my requirements. So, that’s how I ended up with ten chickens instead of two. It’s a common problem among chicken keepers, and once you start picking out chicks of your own you will probably understand.
Here is a brief overview of the breeds that I selected for myself. You might want to keep some of them in mind when you’re trying to decide which breeds to add to your flock:
Easter Eggers
The first breed that we will discuss is the Easter Egger. I was attracted to this breed because of the fact that they lay colorful eggs. This breed produces eggs that can be various shades of blue, green, or pink. This was exciting to me because I love anything that is unique or different, but honestly who wouldn’t want colorful eggs in their egg carton? It is worth mentioning though that each chicken will only lay one egg color its entire life. They cannot rotate between the different colors, which is part of the reason why I got three.
Easter Eggers are technically a mixed breed of chicken. They can be mixed with a few different breeds but are usually a cross between an Ameraucana (a breed that lays blue eggs) and breeds that lay light brown eggs (and sometimes white). Other blue egg layers such as Cream Legbars and Araucanas are sometimes also used in the mix. Since Easter Eggers are a mixed breed this means that they can come in various colors and sizes, which makes them a very fun chick to raise.
Easter Eggers are very friendly, curious and hardy. Their average weight is around 4-5 pounds, and they typically produce about four eggs a week. Since this breed is a mutt there is no standard look that they have to meet. However, most of them have a pea comb and muffs around their face, making them look like they have tiny beards.
My Easter Eggers are a bit more aloof and quirky than my other breeds, but they are still tame and easy to be around. Two of the three are usually social and will follow me around most of the time, and only one of them can be a little standoffish when it comes to being handled. However, I will say that she is getting more docile with age. I lucked out by purchasing three of them because by chance I ended up with one that lays blue eggs, one that lays army green eggs, and one that lays pink eggs. My blue egg layer is probably my best producer out of all of my breeds so far. Her eggs are always massive and are beautiful in color. She's also a dependable producer because she lays an egg almost every single day.
(Speckled Sussex on the left, two Easter Eggers on the right)
Easter Eggers are both heat and cold hardy, and bare confinement well. With their social nature, variety of looks, and unique egg color, there isn’t much not to like about this chicken!
Welsummer
Another type of chicken that you should consider adding to your flock is the Welsummer. This breed lays a rich, dark brown egg that is often speckled. Their dark eggs will stand out in your egg baskets and cartons, adding a nice pop of color.
Created near the village if Welsum in the Netherlands, Welsummers have a very classic look to them. Their partridge pattern is accented with various shades of brown and hints of gold. They sport red combs, earlobes and wattles, and have yellow legs. A dual-purpose breed, Welsummer hens weigh in around six pounds with roosters reaching seven pounds.
Welsummers are known to be friendly, gentle, and very intelligent. They are often considered to be a chatty breed and make excellent foragers if allowed to free range. Welsummers tend to prefer cooler weather but can tolerate the heat as long as they have a shady place to rest.
Considered to be a hardy breed, Welsummers can produce up to four eggs a week. On the downside, egg production in this breed has been known to decline during the winter months. During the winter you will also have to provide them with adequate shelter from the cold, since their comb can get frostbite if exposed to the elements for too long.
A fun fact about the Welsummer is that they are an autosexing breed. This means that you can distinguish between the genders from the time they hatch. Female chicks will have obvious dark brown striping one their heads and around their eyes. The males will either lack the striping or will have markings that are pale and visibly less pronounced.
My one Welsummer is not aggressive at all, but she is definitely the boss hen in my flock. She is very smart and outgoing, and her curiosity always puts her right in the center of whatever is going on. She lays a beautiful dark, speckled egg that always stands out from my other brown layers.
Speckled Sussex
Another breed that we will cover in the Speckled Sussex. The beautiful splashes of white against the mahogany feathering on this bird is what first captured my attention, and the good qualities of this breed doesn’t end with just the flashy looks.
The Speckled Sussex originated in Sussex County, England over 100 years ago. This dual-purpose breed is a dependable layer, producing 4-5 brown eggs each week regardless of what time of year it is. Hens tend to weigh around 6-8 pounds with roosters reaching weights of 8-10 pounds. This breed is both heat and cold tolerant and does well either free ranging or confined. The hens also tend to make very gentle mothers, often becoming broody during the warmer months.
This is a very docile and friendly breed of chicken. They are not known to be flighty and as a result do very well with children. They can often be found following their owners around the yard and appear to be very curious about whatever takes place around them. I can vouch for this as my Speckled Sussex has always been one of the most outgoing and comical birds in my flock. She is always one of this first to greet me and is always eager to see what I am doing whenever I'm outside in the yard. In fact, she is so eager to follow me around that I often have to watch where I'm going so that I don't accidentally step on her! She is very silly, sweet, and curious and always wants to be involved in whatever is taking place around her.
The Speckled Sussex is not prone to any serious health issues, making them a great breed to add to your backyard flock.
Salmon Faverolle
The Salmon Faverolle is yet another great choice when picking out breeds for your flock. This breed is cute, incredibly friendly, and is a very prolific layer.
Salmon Faverolles originated in a small town in France called Faverolles, hence the name. It is said that they were created by crossing a variety of breeds which may include Houdans, Brahmas, French Rennes, Flemish Cuckoos, Malines, and Dorkings. Salmon Faverolles are a dual-purpose breed that bare confinement well and do well in both the heat and the cold. In fact, Salmon Faverolles are so cold hardy that they often continue to lay their large, pinkish-tan eggs well through the winter months.
As the name suggests, Salmon Faverolle hens are a tan-salmon color. They are very fluffy and have muffs, making them appear to have beards. They also sport an extra toe on each feathered foot, which is unique since most breeds only have 4 toes per foot.
This breed is sweet, calm, and is often described as goofy. Their happy go lucky personalities make them fun to be around, and their curious nature is fun to observe. This breed is known to excitedly greet their owners and follow them around the yard, which makes them the perfect breed if you don’t only want a good layer, but a pet as well. They are also quite chatty, but not in a bad way. My two Salmon Faverolles are always chirping back and fourth to each other, but it is a quiet sound that is actually pretty cute to hear. They also hop instead of walk when they are happy or excited, which is adorable in my opinion.
When my Salmon Faverolles were younger they were shy and in some ways, a bit strange. They only preferred the company of each other for some reason and would tend to avoid me and the other pullets. It was kind of cute seeing how obsessed with each other they were. They were always cuddling and sharing food and chatting with one another far away from the rest of the flock. But now that they have matured and started laying, they have become remarkably more social. While they are still always side by side, they now spend time with the rest of the flock and even run to greet me now.
Lavender Orpington
The Lavender Orpington is up next. Orpington chickens can come in many different colors, such as white, black, and more commonly, buff. I chose the Lavender Orpington because of its lovely gray color, but they all have similar characteristics besides the color. This fluffy breed of chicken is calm, sweet, and is a great layer.
While Lavender Orpingtons are relatively new, the Orpington breed was first developed in Great Britain in the late 1800s. This large breed can be used for both its laying ability and its meat, with hens reaching around eight pounds and roosters topping out around ten pounds. Their thick feathers make them appear larger than they are, giving them a soft appearance that matches their gentle personality.
This breed of chicken lays between 4-6 light brown eggs a week, and often continues to produce eggs throughout the winter months. This is yet another hardy breed that does well when confined or allowed to free range.
Orpington hens make fantastic mothers and are great if you want a hen that will hatch eggs or raise chicks for you. They are also the perfect breed for families that have small children because they are extremely docile and easy to handle, and truly appear to enjoy interacting with people. In fact, my Lavender Orpington is so friendly that she climbs onto my lap any chance she can get and is always by my side when I'm out in the yard. She is extremely laidback and quiet, and doesn't have a mean bone in her body.
It is important to keep in mind that the laidback personality of the Orpington chicken makes them prone to being bullied, so you wouldn’t want to mix them with a flock of birds that tends to be more dominant, such as the Rhode Island Red.
The lovely and kind disposition of Orpington hens makes them a great choice for families who want a bird that can not only produce a reliable amount of eggs, but can be a good pet as well. I would highly recommend this breed to anyone who is getting into raising chickens.
Silkies
Last but not least we have the Silkie chicken. This bizarre looking bird is not the best choice if you’re looking for a dependable layer. Instead it is the perfect breed if you’re looking for a unique pet or a living incubator.
Silkie chickens come in a variety of colors, giving you a lot of options when it comes to looks. Believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, the Silkie chicken has long, fluffy feathers that look like fur. They have blue earlobes, five toes on each foot, and black skin, which some cultures believe has healing properties if consumed. Their cute, puffy looks are truly eye catching, and they have the perfect personalities to match their fun appearance.
Silkie chickens are very gentle, social, and friendly birds. Even the roosters are known to be gentle, making this breed a great choice for families with children. On average, Silkie hens only produce about 2-3 small eggs a week. Because of their low egg production and small size, they are not a good choice if you’re looking for a good layer. However, hens of this breed are extremely prone to going broody. As a result, they make great surrogate mothers to other eggs and chicks if you want to try hatching eggs. They will gladly adopt the eggs of other breeds in your flock and take care of them, leaving less work for you.
Silkies are generally a healthy breed but because of their smooth feathers they are said to be slightly more prone to mites than other breeds. However, allowing them to take regular dust baths in Diatomaceous Earth will easily eliminate that problem, since the fine powder naturally kills any pests that will try to live in their feathers. If you mix Diatomaceous Earth in their feed, it will also act as a natural de-wormer and the eggs will come out cleaner than ever.
I hope this brief summary of my different breeds is helpful to anyone who is considering getting into raising chickens. There are many other breeds and many other options out there, but when it comes to looks, egg color, and personality, these birds will always be at the top of my list.
Check back because I will be profiling other breeds in the future!
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(Speckled Sussex, Welsummer, and Lavender Orpington)
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