The Top 3 best chicken Breeds For every homestead

When searching for chickens for your homestead it often can be overwhelming as there are so many breeds out there today! When I choose a chicken breed I often look for one that is very gentle, docile and happy living in a backyard chicken coop. I also make sure it is generally a very healthy, hardy chicken that will withstand our winters sufficiently (down to -20 Celsius). Depending on what you intend to use your chickens for these are my top 3 picks!

Isa Brown 
These chickens are used today in battery cage houses due to the high yielding egg production. On average, the Isa Brown chicken lays on average 300 eggs per hen in the first year of laying! This is a layer type bird and may not be good eating due to the size of the birds (3-4lb on average). Not only are these hens prolific layers but they are extremely tame and docile. The Isa Brown is an extremely hardy bird and can survive all climates including cold winters. They are quite easy to catch and would make an excellent pet for a homestead with young children. 
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Light Sussex
These chickens are a larger bird than the Isa Brown but are a dual-purpose breed. Dual-purpose meaning they can be used for both egg production and meat production. I noticed that this breed is extremely quiet and they do not seem to cluck a lot unless an egg has been laid :) The Light Sussex is also another hardy bird fairing well easily in all climates including cold winters.  This breed tends to be broody meaning that they want to be a mama chicken and sit on the eggs until they hatch. This chicken would be a good chicken for a family who wants to experience baby chicks and having a broody hen to look after the chicks is well appreciated. You can tell when a chicken is broody if they are constantly sitting on the eggs for multiple days at a time and may puff up its feathers when you come near. The Light Sussex breed was extremely friendly even after the chicks hatched out. She would let you pick up the chicks without much fuss which was nice. ​

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Buff Orpington 
This type of chicken is another dual-purpose bird and is quiet a large bird. She lays large brown eggs at on average 180 eggs per year. I had this type of chicken once and her name was "big booty Judy" because she was not a small chicken. I had that chicken for 3 years because she was so friendly. She followed me everywhere and was easy to pick up and I think she actually liked it. She was very gentle and I let kids come and feed her from their hands. The Buff Orpington is the most hardy chicken of the 3 listed here. A very easy to care for chicken!

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