Which chickens do I get?

[BroomHandledMouser]

We're looking to get some chickens this year and we're very excited!!

We have a 4ft fence seperating us and next door and so are looking for breeds that aren't too flighty.

I've found silkies which I've read are tame and lovely as we have two children. Also orpingtons?

What do you think? I'm not too fussed on egg production and size, as long as we get a handful a week

Thanks

Hi, mine are very friendly and love to be stroked, are always in the way 'helping' with whatever you are doing and come when they are called. They were like that almost from day one really. I know they can get up quite high because they like to sit up on top of the coop when I've got the roof open to clean it out, but they don't bother otherwise. Dh put a small fence of about 2ft round the flower beds to stop them digging them up and they still haven't realised they could easily get over, though they put their heads forlornly through the gaps!

I think with a 4ft fence you need to be aware that things can get over into your garden as well as chooks possibly getting out. I've got a tall fence round my garden and at the back there is a wall with a steep drop the other side down to a bridleway, I reckon it's got to be 10ft on the other side and I thought nothing could get over. Well a few weeks ago I heard the girls going crazy and I looked out of the window I saw a very excited terrier running around in my garden. At first I thought the side gate must have blown open but it was shut, then I heard the owners calling the dog from the bridleway so it really had jumped over somehow. It was just lucky the girls were in the run.

They are Goldlines btw, which are a cross between Rhode Island Red and Light Sussex. Tbh I only got them because they were the cheapest (£8.50) and I couldn't really justify spending upwards of £30 per chicken as I'd seen advertised for the 'prettier' breeds, but I'm more than happy with my girls .

My next hens will be a mid-sized hen that is a good egg layer and not one of the 'breeds'. I have Pekins at the moment and they don't lay well, go broody for most of the summer and just aren't as friendly as my 'brown hens'. In the past I have had light Sussex, Colombian blacktails, bluebells and the RIR/light Sussex cross and all have been lovely and friendly and are good layers. I haven't had silkies or Orpington's though, so someone else would need to comment on those breeds.