[Brijjy]

I've got two silkie x pekins which make terrific mothers and although have feathery feet, they seem better able to cope with the wet and mud than pure silkies. I have to say I do love my araucanas. They have laid pretty much throughout the winter and they lay a lovely blue/green egg. The cockerel is fine and not at all nasty. I've also got white cochins which are rubbish at laying, have very little meat and are quite clumsy but they are very funny and remind me of those giant feathery muppets. The cockerel is called Gaylord because he will tread anything including other cockerels and the ducks.

[Smalltime]

I was thinking of making a roll-away perch for the Silkies as i read they are very broody...but who can resist that face. 

[JEP]

there is a farmer that sells warrens for £4.75+ depending on how many you have
hes in knutsford his number is in farmers guardian he

[Frieslandfilly]

I sell hybrids to passing trade, I also have my own pure breeds and cross breeds, out of the hybrids when people ask me I always say you cant beat the ISA brown, warren type because they are friendly and they do the natural stoop when you approach them making them easy to pick up, ideal when you are trying to put them to bed for the first couple of days, also good in the hybrid line are Rhode Rock (consistant layers) and the Spekeldy's I would steer clear of the 'Blue' hybrids as they tend to iniate in house fighting, dont ask me why, just an observation I have made over time. Out of the pure breeds, Orpington are friendly although not very reliable as constant layers, good broodies though, Marrans and Welsummers lay well but are more 'aloof' i find, Light Sussex are a good bird too.

I think as with most things its trial and error and personal preference, you will enjoy thier antics no matter what to decide on in the long run. The one thing you have to do is watch out for the dreaded fox, if you think it is fox proof, look again and make doubly sure! Enjoy 

[princesspiggy]

dont make the same mistake as we did at the beginning.
i had my heart set on light sussex but at the time could only source hybrids. so we got sussex stars hybrid. they were great and had the same markings as light sussex, but when i finally got the purebreds i wanted, i couldnt tell the difference between the purebreds and the hybrids as they were all free-range, identical and i hadnt marked them. it got a bit complicated so i never had the confidence to sell off spring incase they werent pedigree. we ended up with about 30 hens as we had chicks popping out everywhere. completely put us off eggs for ages as we had soo many! lol

now we are more organised, important ones are ringed, any surplus go in pot (u have to learn that bit) and have a market for surplus hens and eggs! learning was part of the fun tho...enjoy it!   

[colliewoman]

Am I the only one who has a problem with wyandottes? Or the cockerel at least Henry is a silver laced and is an evil vicious little (big) bastard. I am covered in bruises from him and am thankful his spurs aren't very big!
He is calming down now though after our little come to jesus talk I don't like scaring animals, but I pinned this one down and told him exactly what would happen if he tried it once more
Why can't he be like Ichabod, the pekin cockerel and be nice!?

[jaykay]

My three wyandotte cockerels are all gentlemen, as were their ancestors. Are yours LF or banties?

My vicious cockerel was my Old English Pheasant Fowl who would come at me feet first and chest height  - somehow And Dad had a Leghorn cockerel when we were kids who mum had to approachwith a dustbin lid as a shield 

[colliewoman]

Large fowl, definately very large fowl, gets my thighs without even opening his wings. I hate his behaviour with me (only me, he doesn't do it with anyone else???), but he is stunning so I will put up with it. For now...

[Brijjy]

I had a white cochin cock that was nasty. I could cope when he was horrible to me but when he went for my daughter I wrung his neck there and then. He had been warned but obviously ignored it. The white cochin cock I have now is fine and not nasty at all. I don't think it matters on the breed of chicken, they all seem to have different personalities