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I think chickens make great pets for families, especially kids, if it's a first-time farm animal.
Your kids will learn responsibility with feeding, watering, collecting eggs, and coop cleaning.
Even adults getting into farming will learn a lot about caring for animals if they start with chickens.
Chickens were one of the first farm animals we added to our little farm way back in 2007.
If I remember correctly, my boys were around six and four when we first brought a couple home.
My youngest son loved chickens and all sorts of birds.
He actually had plans to become a chicken farmer when he grew up and had a small business selling and gifting eggs to family and friends.
If you’re curious, as a now adult, he has yet to become a chicken farmer, but who knows, he may become a chicken artist as he belongs to the world of graphic design.
When looking at chicken breeds, there are a few things to consider, like how many can you handle and what you want them for.
I have had a handful of breeds on my little farm over the years, and my current flock consist of eight different breeds.
I pick chicken breeds for PET QUALITY.
I'm not concerned about egg production, and I don't look for meat birds.
In this post, I'll share my top three favorites for family pets, along with a list of breeds I currently own.
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CHICKEN BREEDS I HAVE ON MY SMALL FARM
SILKIES
I have four silkies, two hens, and two roosters.
I originally purchased our first flock of silkies from a local farmer, and then I let them naturally hatch eggs on our farm.
The silkies I have left were hatched here and are the four oldest chickens on my little farm.
Silkies are known for their unique features, and one of my favorites is their turquoise earlobes.
So pretty!
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Silkies also have one, two, three, four, FIVE toes!
The average chicken only has four.
The Silkie is not the chicken for you if you are looking for a ton of eggs.
They are calm and gentle by nature.
In my opinion, silkie roosters are one of the nicest roosters you can own.
It's been a while, but we've even occasionally had our silkie rooster Wolf indoors.
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THE NEXT BATCH OF CHICKEN BREEDS I SHARE COME FROM MURRAY MCMURRAY HATCHERY
I chose this hatchery because they allowed me to mix and match chicks and that's how I was able to combine such a combination of different breeds for my little farm.
In the past, to rebuild my flock, I’ve let my silkie chickens hatch eggs on their own in the coop, but since I needed to guarantee I was getting hens to please my two roosters, I went with a hatchery.
Roosters end up fighting if they don't have their own crew of ladies.
THE CHICKEN BREEDS I PICKED
I put together a unique flock, and sizes range from small to large.
I also get a rainbow collection of eggs from dark browns, greens, blues, and white.
Whiting True Blue - I have two.
The Whiting True Blue was my number one pick for ordering because they lay a beautiful blue egg.
They're a bit skittish, so spoiler alert not a top family pick, but they are a very cool bird, and they blend in with crows.
I hear predators from the sky, like hawks, don't mess with them.
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Light Brahmas - I have two.
Brahmas are a great pick for kids because they don't mind being handled and are easy to catch.
My boys grew up with them and they were a must-have addition and also my husband's favorite breed.
They lay a large brown egg.
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Blue Cochin - I have two.
I had never seen a blue cochin in person before ordering but in photographs, this bird looked beautiful.
From my experience as I now own two, they are extremely gentle, don't make a mess of the yard and are ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
They lay a nice medium sized brown egg.
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Ameraucana - I have one.
The Ameraucana is another breed I chose for the egg color.
I also like that they come in a variety of color patterns.
Goldie, my Ameracauna is a pain in the butt!
She gets into everything on the farm but she's hilarious and I really enjoy her, she likes to follow me around the yard.
I will say I am thankful she is the only Ameraucana I have because she's a messy one.
I also want to put her on a favorites list because she has an amazing personality, but she is destructive.
She lays a greenish colored egg.
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Welsummer - I have two.
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As for the Welsummer, I chose to add two of these ladies to my flock for their large dark brown egg.
I believe they have the darkest egg of the bunch, and I'm pretty sure they're my hardiest layer.
MY TOP THREE FAMILY FAVORITES
TOP PICK - NUMBER ONE
The Blue Cochin is my number one pick.
I love how gentle and easy to handle they are.
They don't jump fences or cause much mess, and they are BEAUTIFUL.
If I could only have one breed the Blue Cochin is my top pick.
ADORE THEM!
NUMBER TWO
The Light Brahma is so gentle with kids, easy to handle, winter hardy, and easy to care for making them my number two pick.
NUMBER THREE
The Silkie, this one was probably obvious, as they are known for being only a pet quality bird with their tiny eggs, and floofy feathers.
They used to be a number one pick for me, but they are the bird I have had the most issues with when it comes to cleaning their bottom.
If you need a chicken bum wash you can find the shampoo I like to use most on the farm here.
XOXO
Emily
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