Help a first first timer choose her chooks?

[Lotster]

Hi all,

I'm about to get some POL chickens for the first time and am trying to whittle my four finalists down to three!

They are:

Bluebelle
Light Sussex (White Sussex the same thing?)
Speckledy Maran
Columbine or other blue/green egg layer

After I initially expressed an interest in Legbars, the lady I'll be getting them from recommended I go for hybrids instead and get a Columbine if I want a blue-egg bird.

Thing is I had heard from another chicken man that Columbines are a bit nervy and not recommended as a first time bird, so I'm wondering whether to get the three others then progress on to a Columbine when I'm a bit more experienced? I've only provided holiday cover for a neighbours chickens so far.

TIA for any advice.

Light Sussex are lovely birds, usually very friendly and good layers,likewise bluebelles. I have a copper maran and cuckoo Maran Bantam who were both more timid than the Sussex when they first arrived and definatly quicker to get spooked still, but are still freindly enough, especially when they know i have the food lol!

Dont know about columbines but I have a cream legbar and she is definatly more skttish than the rest, always comes out last and refused to come of the coop the first 2 days after she arrived! She has now settled down and will come out but I have yet to handle her more than once in 3 weeks!

That's interesting dobby, thanks!

I'm wondering if the pursuit of the blue egg is worth it, from what I understand the taste comes from the feed, not the egg colour. It's just that I always buy Cotswold Legbar eggs in my shopping so we're used to them, and convince ourselves they taste the best!

My son chose the Light Sussex from pictures which works out well as I hear they're good for children. I'm glad to hear you say similar about Bluebelles as I actually want one of those more because I like the name and colour than anything else!

Columbines are also not good with gardens I have heard - as they need lots and lots of greens and will tear up a lot of foliage. But I can thoroughly recommend the Light Sussex and also the Speckled Sussex (although the latter is HUGE). My Light Sussex is sweet, calm, very tame and she is the most professional layer in the world. She is still laying an egg now every day - in this cold weather. Hardly ever ill, either. Also (I sound like a PR agent for the Light Sussex!) my Light Sussex adores my daughter and falls asleep in her arms......

I have a light sussex and she's a great bird. So friendly, cheeky, tame and a brilliant layer.

My cochin is sweet natured and very gentle, but a poor layer and my orpington is just plain nuts and a poor layer!

My light Sussex is a little cracker. So friendly.

My columbine is beautiful, but I've never managed to touch her and she lays pink eggs. She loves landscaping.

My cream leg bar is a little beauty and crouches for a cuddle when I go near her.

My speckledey is a lovely girl, lays pretty eggs and goes broody about four times a year - occupational hazard of being speckledey.

Also adore my Cochins, lovely little dumplings that they arre. My araucana is a nutter and lays lovely green eggs. I'm working on picking her up now she's crouching.

Hi all, thanks for the replies, sounds like the Light Sussex is a good choice! Will think on the other comments.

Also, am I ok going for three different types or is it better to go for groups or pairs of the same do you know?

Just won the coop I wanted on Ebay, very chuffed, and excited now!

It's more the case of the personalities of the different strains. I have 7 different breeds or variations within breed and they get on fine. The quirky ones balance the calm ones.

Glad y won yr coop. Plenty of attention to fox proofing for the veery hungry quarter of the year now please!

By the way, lobster, the taste of the eggs will come from their free range freshness - wont look back!

It's fine to mix these types (some, like Polands, don't necessarily mix well). Marans can really dig up the garden, so be prepared. I have heard good things about light Sussex and my Sussex cross is a delight - very friendly and intelligent.

Great to hear more Sussex comments, and will definitely fox proof- my poor sisters chickens just got killed in the daytime whilst having a roam.

The coop has got a big run so they can excercise safely. Then I'll let them out at times when I can supervise I think.

Interesting maran facts too.

Thanks all.

Would go for a good layer like the Sussex or Maran. Ours are mostly pekins and although lovely and cute to look at, not to mention having big personalities, they aren't great layers. We have 9 and they're either getting on a bit or resigning themselves to winter, but we haven't had any eggs for months now!

I watch them lots in the garden....as I crack open the eggs I just bought ...!

If I were to start again and only get three, I think I would go for hybrids as we have a mix on three hybrids and 4 (was 6, but we sadly lost two) purebreds and we only just get enough eggs really. At times in the summer we got enough to give some away, but we were never over-run. We do have a family of five though.

My light sussez hybrid is my favourite. She is so full if personality and character. She's always the first to come over and be nosey if I am cleaning the house, always the first to investigate new things and also the only one of mine who crouches. She is also a great layer, also laying every day even now.

I have a bluebelle and I have to be honest and say I wouldn't get one again. She's an OK layer but not very friendly and small compared to the other girls.

We did have a Cream Legbar and I adored her. She was a wonderful layer, laying virtually every day and didn't crouch but was happy to be picked up and very friendly. Not at all skittish like they have a reputation for being. When we get more hens, they will be top of our list. She died suddenly though of what we assume was a heart attack, as she had laid that morning and was fine, then I found her dead, it was completely unexpected and I was so upset. I don't think the breed are prone to heart problems though.

We also have a marans hybrid and she's a grumpy old bag! I love her, but she's the only one who's ever tried to peck us!

Just to add, they aren't on your list, but we have two purebred Buff Sussex girls. They are brilliant layers and fairly friendly.

Hybrids are lovely - we had our first ones from Omlet: a gingernut ranger and a Miss Pepperpot. Our gingernut was just sweet...used to come running when you called her name...would charge into the kitchen and fly up on my lap. But we decided that their shorter lifespan and the problems they suffer re excessive egg laying..it broke our hearts and put us off, to be honest. But I still miss my gorgeous little hybrid....

Hi everyone, sorry it's taken so long to reply, didn't see these posts.

Really interesting to hear your stories.
I'll check out the Buff Sussex, thanks Midori - not sure whether to get Bluebelle after what you said, I do think they're pretty though!

Punk the Miss Pepperpot looks a very pretty chicken, sorry to hear about your GR.

Good again to hear more positive reviews of the Light Sussex from Midori and Sunnyrosie - it is the only one I'm certain one. Athough I visited my neighbours chickens today (two brown ones, not sure what (!) and a Light Sussex) and the Sussex is a huge beast! I'm hoping she's larger than usual for the breed as she's bigger than our terrier! Think only one of those in the coop or it won't be as palatial as I'd like for them all

Oh Buff Sussex is lovely!

My Speckled Sussex is huge...a little neurotic and she walks grumbling all day....

I have days like that too!

I thnk it depends on the hen rather than the breed. We had a light sussex who was a darling. she was friendly and let the children pick her up time and time again. Unfortunately she was foxed and the light sussex replacement we have won't let anyone near her. Very different in temperament. I have three orpingtons, two of whom run a mile if i try to pick up and one who is as happy as larry to be picked up. Two pekins both untypically really good layers and a derbyshire pekin cross, very adventurous and very fast!

Thanks littleredsquirrel - that's good to know. Perhaps if the chicken lady has a POL Bluebelle I can see how well it reacts to handling.

We have a Bluebell and she's lovely. Great layer of double-yokers too. She's still laying at the moment and was the first of my hens that I could pick up. The children decided to call her Bluebell of course.Mind you our Black Rock is doing much better in this cold weather. She's in her element while the other two look fed up.

Aha! Twinky - just googled Black Rock and you've helped me identify a piccie I'd saved of a chicken I'd read was a good bet but forgot to name, thanks!

Good to hear that about Bluebelles, maybe as
LRS says, each hen can be different.

I have to get the Light Sussex for my son, the other two I shall be open minded to, out of the breeds mentioned on here, and depending what the lady has.

Now my husband is asking if we are going to put them in the freezer when they go off lay (haven't even got them yet!!) - whilst I'm very clear with the kids about where our meat comes from and they're fine with it, I'm not sure we could eat pets...

we've got sussex speckledy (lovely friendly hen that is large brown and speckledy! Just like a proper old fashioned farm yard hen - lays speckled eggs)
A black Marran - lays dark brown eggs
A dorking - has five toes! Very pretty, greyish and lays white eggs. I like it as all the eggs different coloured so I know who's laying!!!!

I lost my little Columbine (Candy), just before Christmas . She took ill and died in a matter of a couple of hours She was very feisty and I could only pick her up if I was wearing gloves as she was the only chicken I have ever owned that pecked me!! Having said that, she would follow me around like a dog, and was always loitering outside the back door for scraps...I do miss her.

My Cream legbar (Daisy) is skittish, and will not let you pick her up easily. That said I have a real soft spot for her as she survived two fox attacks, managing to fly out of her run in order to escape. She lays the prettiest blue eggs, and is very strikingly marked herself.

I have to disagree with Minda over Black Rocks. After the two fox attacks Daisy was the only survivor and we had to get her a buddy asap. Someone from the local allotments gave us Tina, who came in a shocking state - Raised scales on legs due to leg mites, a very dirty bum, and large bald patches . After loads of TLC, she is such a brilliant chicken, best friend of Daisy, and aunty to all my other chucks who have come along! Maybe I just was lucky with her!