Cochin chickens are a great backyard chicken breed for beginners. They are friendly and docile, making them easy to handle. Cochin chickens are also good layers, producing large brown eggs.
Pekin Bantams are low maintenance, great temperament, fun, friendly tidy little chooks, perfect as a family pet. You should also check with your council regulations regarding the number of chickens that can be kept in your area, as well as any other stipulations.
Buff Orpingtons are often referred to as the “Golden Retriever” of chickens. Large, friendly, quiet, loyal, and docile, Buffs make excellent pet chickens. They have a lovely golden buff color and lots of soft under-feathers giving them a puffy shape. They are very hardy birds, well suited to colder climates.
Be safe around poultry.
Don't kiss, hold or touch backyard poultry and then touch your face or mouth.
A chicken will exhibit affection by scratching at your skin or rubbing its beak against your leg. Some chickens will also rub against your legs, try to get closer to you, and even lie right next to you. When a chicken gets close to its owner, it will start grooming. A chicken can even start grooming you.
ISA Brown chicken breeds' are one of the most popular chicken breeds found in backyards Australia-wide. They are a hybrid chicken, and are said to produce up to 300 eggs per hen in its first year of laying (they typically lay for 2 years).
The Australorp is renown for being calm and reserved - anyone with children knows that quiet chicken breeds are essential for families who are probably already sleep deprived! They are very friendly, and aren't easily skittish, which is good news for anyone with overly energetic young children.
My personal favorites for easygoing hens for families with children or anyone who wants a friendly flock are Buff Orpington, Australorps, Sussex, Cochins, Brahmas. These birds are known to be docile in temperament and enjoy human company.
Chickens are extremely flock-oriented, so a good starter flock size is no fewer than three chickens. You should collect about a dozen eggs from three laying hens. A flock of five or six hens is a good choice for slightly larger families.
One of the best ways to get your flock to trust you is to spend time with them. If they're chicks, pick them up and spend some one-on-one time with them every day. Let them see your face and talk to them. They will get comfortable with you and even nap in your hands or on your lap.
Silkies are also known for their calm, friendly temperament, which makes them exceptionally great pets for homes that have children. In fact, silkies can be quite affectionate if owners take the time to handle them often.
As usual, cockerels are the exception to all the chicken rules. They do not get on very well together and will often fight, violently.
As with deer, however, there are plenty of herbs that can be incorporated into the landscape that chickens will avoid. These include: borage, calendula (pot marigold), catnip, chives, feverfew, lavender, marjoram, Mexican sage, peppermint and spearmint, rosemary, sage, salvias, St. John's wort, tansy and yarrow.
We only use quality 100% Australian RSPCA Approved chicken, supplied by familiar brands like Baiada and Inghams. Our signature cheese is made in Bega, NSW. In 2021 we transitioned our processed cheese to natural flavours, natural colours and no added preservatives.
The Ameraucana chicken is a unique and rare breed. They are currently growing in popularity in both Australia and the USA. Ameraucanas are known for their light blue eggs. However, there is more to this breed than just blue egg laying.
The Australorp is a chicken breed of Australian origin, developed as a utility breed with a focus on egg laying and is famous for laying more than 300 eggs.
Silkie roosters are known to have very docile temperaments and friendly, calm personalities. They adapt well to confinement and would be a good fit for small backyard flocks. Silkie roosters (and hens) are not very cold hardy due to their unique feather type that does not trap heat well.
Whilst cats and dogs are happy for humans to replace their pack, chickens are not quite the same. They do recognise and bond with their owners, but they will still get lonely without other chickens, which can cause stress and shorten their lifespan as well as affecting egg-laying.
There's no better way to gain the love and affection of your flock than to become a part of it! This could mean something as simple as sitting with them. Allow them to go about their lives with you observing and just being around. You might notice a few of the chickens wanting to sit next to you or even on you.
Chickens can recognize up to 100 faces
These faces include those of humans! Chickens even remember positive or negative experiences with the faces they recognize and pass that information on to members of their flocks.