Oliver Radcliffe
Start With An Honest Look At What You Want
Most families arrive at chicken keeping with two wishes pulling in slightly different directions: a steady supply of eggs, and birds tame enough to be picked up by a seven-year-old without a scene. It is worth deciding which of those matters more before you buy, because the two main routes — commercial laying hybrids and traditional pure breeds — each deliver one of them rather than the other.
There is no perfect breed, only the breed that suits your garden, your children and the amount of time you genuinely want to spend on poultry. Ask yourself a few honest questions first. How much space do you have? Do you want three hens or a dozen? Are you happy to replace the flock every three years, or would you rather have birds still scratching about at eight? Answer those and the shortlist writes itself.
Laying Hybrids: The Egg Machines
Hybrids are the birds in most farm shop pens: ISA Browns, Warrens, Black Rocks, Bluebelles, Speckledys. They are not a breed in the strict sense but controlled crosses, bred for a single job — turning feed into eggs as efficiently as possible.
- Egg numbers: expect 280–320 eggs a year from a healthy hybrid, with the first arriving from around 18–20 weeks.
- Winter laying: they keep going far better than traditional breeds through the short days, often needing no extra lighting until their second winter.
- Feed efficiency: they eat less per egg than a large dual-purpose bird, which matters when a 20kg sack is nudging £12–£15.
- Downsides: they are working birds and their bodies pay for it. Many slow down sharply at two years, and they are more prone to reproductive troubles such as peritonitis and internal laying.
Temperament varies enormously, because hybrids are bred for production rather than personality. Handled daily from point of lay, most become calm and easy to move about with a bit of corn. Left in a large flock with little contact, some stay nervy.
Traditional Breeds: Character, Longevity And Hardiness
Pure breeds lay fewer eggs but are usually healthier, longer lived and far more interesting to keep. Many are dual-purpose — originally bred for a decent carcass as well as a decent clutch — and that shows in their calm, unhurried nature.
- Light Sussex: around 200–240 eggs, docile, hardy and an excellent forager. Arguably the best all-rounder for a family.
- Buff Orpington: big, fluffy and absurdly friendly, but only 120–160 eggs and prone to going broody. A wonderful pet that happens to lay.
- Wyandotte: 180–200 eggs, a rose comb that copes well with cold, calm and self-reliant.
- Australorp: quietly productive at 250 or more eggs in a good strain, and one of the gentlest large breeds.
- Faverolles: bearded, five-toed and exceptionally placid — ideal with small children, though feathered feet need dry ground.
- Marans: 150–200 deep chocolate-brown eggs and a robust, independent character.
Bantams deserve a mention if space is tight. Pekins, Silkies and Dutch bantams are charming and easy to handle, but they lay small eggs and are more vulnerable to foxes, rats and wet weather, so they suit a secure, well-drained run.
Temperament Around Children
Docility is partly breed and partly handling, but some breeds start much further along the scale. Avoid the flighty Mediterranean types — Leghorns, Anconas, Hamburgs and Araucanas — however good their egg numbers look on paper. They are wired to run first and think later, which makes them frustrating for small hands.
Choose point-of-lay pullets from a breeder who handles their stock, and spend ten minutes a day with them. Sit on an upturned bucket, let them come to you, and feed a little corn from a flat palm. Within a fortnight most hybrids and Sussex, Orpington, Wyandotte or Australorp birds will happily be stroked. Teach children to hold a hen low to the ground, with one hand over each wing and the bird's feet supported — never carried at arm's length, and never by the tail. A quietly sitting child with a handful of corn is the best taming tool you will ever own.
Hardiness For British Weather
Our damp, grey, unpredictable climate is harder on chickens than many keepers expect, and breed choice makes a real difference.
- Combs: large single combs are prone to frostbite in a hard snap, so rose-combed breeds such as the Wyandotte have an advantage in cold, exposed sites.
- Feathered feet: Brahmas, Cochins and Faverolles collect mud balls in wet winters. Keep them on dry, well-drained ground or accept regular foot checks.
- Moulting: hybrids moult fast and are back in lay within weeks. Traditional breeds can drop feathers slowly and stop laying for two months or more each autumn, so plan for a seasonal gap.
- Housing orders: in recent winters avian influenza rules have required birds to be kept under cover across much of Great Britain. A covered run with a solid roof is a sensible investment whatever breed you keep.
Whatever you choose, allow at least 25–30cm of perch per bird, one nest box per four hens, and a minimum of 1 square metre of covered floor space per bird in the run. Ventilation matters more than warmth.
Putting A Family Flock Together
Start with a minimum of three birds — chickens are social, and a pair leaves one lonely if the other dies. Four to six is a comfortable family flock. A sensible mix is two or three hybrids for dependable eggs alongside two traditional breeds for character, longevity and colour in the egg basket.
Buy them all at once where possible, as introducing new birds later invites pecking and stress. Never keep a cockerel in a suburban garden: the 4am crowing causes complaints within days, and a protective male can be surprisingly bold with children. Finally, if you ever plan to keep 50 birds or more, you must register your flock with the Animal and Plant Health Agency — well beyond a family flock, but worth knowing as the hobby grows.
