Help me choose my next chickens

[ORChick]

I have a small (very small) flock of chickens - 4 hens and a rooster. I want to add another 2 or 3 hens next Spring. At present I have 2 hens, who will be 3 years in the Spring - a New Hampshire Red, and a Silver Spangled Hamburg; 2 pullets, who will reach 1 year in the Spring - a Barnevelder, and an EE.
I like having a mixed flock - as I have so few I like to have the different looks of the hens, and different colors of the eggs. I live in SW Oregon, which means that cold hardiness is not really an issue, but ability to deal with wet weather is - I'm thinking no feathered feet. I prefer non-white eggs because ... well, just because. Maybe because most supermarket eggs here in the west are white . I like having a colorful egg basket. My hens are here because I enjoy them, and to give me enough eggs for myself and DH, as well as occasional extras for friends; I don't need super producers, just sufficient to give us breakfast eggs. When I started this chicken lark 2 1/2 years ago I had no thoughts for a broody hen, but now I rather fancy the idea of having chicks. None of mine have shown any inclination to go broody, so I'd like to have a "likely to go broody" in the new bunch.
Can you offer any suggestions for not necessarily cold hardy but definitely mud hardy breeds, laying not-white eggs, who might be inclined to go broody? Oh, and not the same as those I listed above. I'd be open to the idea of a bantam (I understand some of them are very inclined to brood), but she would need to be mud tolerant. The four breeds listed above are the only ones I have had experience with, and I would welcome hearing the pros and cons of other breeds, and your experiences with them.
Thanks.

 

[Denim Deb]

I have a friend that has a couple of hens that seem to be fairly easy to get broody. I think one if a buff Orpington, and the other is an Australorp. But, I could be wrong. I don't think that she even knows! They're just the orange hen, and the black hen to her.

 

[BarredBuff]

I am thinking Black Australorps and Buff Orpington.

 

[TanksHill]

I'm thinking whatever is on sale at the feed store.

 

[journey11]

My black australorps were pretty broody. I didn't care for them myself...maybe just got a bad lot.

Buff Orpingtons are a pretty gold color and are good layers of brown eggs.

Barred Rocks are good layers and have a striking appearance.

If you are really going for color in your egg basket though, I would say you need a Black Copper Maran. They lay dark brown eggs, "chocolate" colored. They can be hard to come by. You may want to look for someone on BYC who has them for sale or knows where to get just one or two. Most any other chicken you can buy anytime throughout the season, but I found out the hard way that I have to put my order in by January if I want Marans (purchased from a hatchery).

All of those 4 breeds tend to be very docile and friendly as well.

 

[justusnak]

My buff Orpingtons are by FAR the most beautifull hens I have. They do tend to go broody, and they lay light brown eggs. The Barred Rocks are pretty, mine dont seem to go broody, and are a little smaller than the Buffs...but very docile, friendly birds. The Marans are great DARK brown layers, but I found them to be a bit more flighty. I would add a Buff Orpington, she would really add some beautifull golden color to your flock.

 

[okiemomof3]

you need some speckled eggs...so i would get you a couple of Welsummers....unless you get a certain blood line, you normally won't get the terra cotta colored eggs from the Wellies, but you will most probably get the speckled. My wellies just started laying and i am LOVING the speckled eggs....they are not high producers, maybe 4 or so a week each....

 

[Blackbird]

I am thinking Black Australorps and Buff Orpington.

x2

I would also recommend Light Brahmas (but they are soo slow growing) or Speckled Sussex!

 

[savingdogs]

I'm in a similar climate and have four breeds and three have gone broody, my russian orloffs did the best job of incubating and raising the chicks however. I have two who went broody together so they did not mind being apart from the other birds. They are an unusual breed to find and lay white eggs though.

My Rhode island reds lay consistent dark brown eggs and are my most friendly chickens. One goes broody every few months in warm weather even though that breed is not "supposed" to, but only one of my five does that.

My EEs are too young to lay eggs still....

My Buff Orpingtons have both gone broody, and are very friendly and cold hardy and pretty....and lay a lot of light brown eggs, very pretty color. I think of my four breeds, I'd suggest them. They have good personalities, just as the rhode island red do, but more of them go broody, sporatically one or another will go broody but I haven't gotten a successful hatch from them.

All you need is one broody hen.....and you can raise any chicks you want. I did not have the russian orloffs raise any of their own offspring, they hatched more buff orpingtons for me.

I wanted to add a maran or two in my flock to get a couple of dark eggs.

 

[Wannabefree]

My Delaware's slogged through bout 6 inches of mud all last Spring and they seemed to rather like it. Haven't had a broody yet, but I don't let them go broody. I have had a few try I take the eggs away from them a couple times a day. If I ever get too sick to go out, I'll have a broody the next day probably They give me good big brown eggs too, so I would recommend them. My Buff I had last year didn't seem to care for the mud...maybe she was just prissy