Every chicken owner wants something from his or her flock. Meat, eggs, companionship, exhibition, breeding, etc. Some people are very set on having friendly chickens with affectionate personalities. Below, we have written about 10 breeds that are known for their docile dispositions.
Silkie
Eggs: Small, white and very often broody
Weight: Bantam; males, 26 oz. / hens, 32 oz.
Features: Walnut comb; black, white, partridge, buff, gray and blue are the recognized color varieties
The Silkie is a true bantam. Their feathers are referred to as ‘fluff’, and that is exactly what they look like! They do poorly in heat but good in cold. They do best in confinement but like to roam. They make great pets because of their sweet, cuddly and friendly nature.
Note: Be cautious when adding Silkies to your flock if your chickens have never lived with Silkies before. Their small size and unique feather pattern encourage pecking from other chickens.
White and buff silkies
Cochins
Also available in bantam size.
Eggs: Medium, brown and frequently broody
Weight: Standard; males, 9 lbs. / hens, 7 lbs
Features: Single comb; black, buff, partridge, white, barred, golden and silver laced, mottled, blue, columbian and red are the recognized color varieties
This breed is very cute, cuddly and fat looking! They have feathered feet that help achieve their big, bulky look. Although hardy in cold climates, be sure to keep those feathered feet dry. They like free ranging but can adapt to confinement. They are very friendly, docile, affectionate and calm.
Black Cochin bantam hen
Buff Orpingtons
Eggs: Large, brown and known to go broody
Weight: Standard; males, 8 lbs. / hens, 7 lbs
Features: Single comb; buff, black, blue, white, splash and lavender are the recognized color varieties
Buff orpingtons are currently the top rated chicken breed for families with kids! They do well in confinement but really enjoy free ranging. They are very cold hardy and don’t do well in really hot weather. Orpingtons are docile, calm, friendly and make excellent pets for families with children.
Sussex
Eggs: Large, light brown and occasionally broody
Weight: Standard; males, 9 lbs. / hens, 7 lbs.
Features: Single comb; speckled, red and light are the known color varieties
They are cold and heat hardy and do fine free ranging or in confinement. Sussex chickens are friendly, affectionate and make good family pets. Some are so friendly that even the males can be kept together!
Note: These birds are extremely curious and will get into anything and everything if possible!
Australorps
Eggs: Large, brown and often broody
Weight: Standard; males, 10lbs. / hens, 8 lbs.
Features: Single comb; black is the most common color variety but blue and white have also been bred
Australorps can be raised just fine in confinement but like to run around. They are heat and cold hardy. Being quiet, friendly and easy to handle, they make great pets. They only come in the color black in the U.S.
Black Australorp
Belgian Bearded d'Uccles
Eggs: Peewee; Cream colored or white
Weight: Bantam, 20-30 oz.
Features: Single comb; Recognized colors: mille fleur, black, porcelain, golden neck, mottled, self blue, white.
d'Uccles are very sweet docile birds, do fairly well in confinement, and occasionally go broody. Because of their small size, and sweet personality they are great especially if you have young children in your family. d'Uccles are seasonal layers, producing heavily between january and may, and than slowing down through the summer. They are cold hardy but not overly heat tolerant.
Make sure to keep their feet dry to avoid frost bite.
Mille Fleur d'Uccle hen and rooster
Easter Eggers
Eggs: Medium to large; Blue, green, pink, or brown.
Weight: Medium, 4-8 lbs
Features: Typically pea combed and bearded, but not always; any color
These unique birds originated in chili, and are often sold as ''Americana/Araucana''. They are not a standardized breed, but readily available, and come in a wide range of sizes and colors. They are a very slow growing and extremely docile, and non-aggressive, and occasionally flighty, making them almost always at the bottom of the pecking order. Because of this they don't do great in confinement, especially if you already have older birds. They are very cold hardy, and fairly heat tolerant.
Easter Egger hen and rooster
Wyandottes
Available in full size and bantam versions.
Eggs: Medium to large; light brown
Weight: Full sized: 6-9 lbs; Bantam: 24-30 oz.
Features: Cushion or rose combed; Official colors: silver laced, golden laced, white, black, buff, partridge, silver penciled,
colombian, blue. Unofficial: blue laced Red, barred & others.
Wyandottes are big fluffy, all around good natured birds. They come in both a full sized and bantam sized version. Wyandottes are inclined to be broody, and make fairly good mothers. They are great layers, and come in a wide range of colors. Wyandottes are very cold hardy, and fairly heat tolerant as well. They are friendly, fun birds to have around!
Silver laced Wyandotte hen (top) Blue laced red Wyandotte (bottom)
Marans
Also available in a bantam version
Eggs: Dark brown; Medium to Large.
Weight: Full sized: 6-8 lbs; Bantams: 32-38 oz.
Features: Single combed; Recognized colors: black copper, silver cuckoo, golden cuckoo, white, wheaten, birchen, blue, blue wheaten, and others.
Marans, though some what rare, are docile, fast growing birds, and well known for their gorgeous chocolate brown eggs.
They are pretty heat/cold tolerant, but don't lay much in the winter. They are very friendly birds who don't mind a treat out of your hand once in a while. Marans have a bantam counterpart, but they are hard to find. If you love to have a few ''chocolate'' eggs in your basket, Marans are a must for your flock!
Wheaten Maran hen (top) Black Copper Maran rooster (bottom)
Dominique's
Eggs: Small to medium; light brown
Weight: 5-7 lbs
Features: Rose comb; Barred
Dominiques are one of the oldest american breeds, and very hardy birds. They are calm and inquisitive, and great mamas. They lay smaller eggs than most breeds their size, but make up for it by laying for a long period of time. They are very cold tolerant, and fairly heat tolerant as well. They don't do very well in confinement though.
Dominique hen and rooster
There are many chicken breeds out there all intended for different purposes. We have discussed with you ten breeds who are most well known for their friendliness. Note that these are only ten and there are many more out there. We hope this has given you a basic idea for choosing friendly chicken breeds.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please contact Mountain Peeps or mymilliefleur
Silkie
Eggs: Small, white and very often broody
Weight: Bantam; males, 26 oz. / hens, 32 oz.
Features: Walnut comb; black, white, partridge, buff, gray and blue are the recognized color varieties
The Silkie is a true bantam. Their feathers are referred to as ‘fluff’, and that is exactly what they look like! They do poorly in heat but good in cold. They do best in confinement but like to roam. They make great pets because of their sweet, cuddly and friendly nature.
Note: Be cautious when adding Silkies to your flock if your chickens have never lived with Silkies before. Their small size and unique feather pattern encourage pecking from other chickens.
White and buff silkies
Also available in bantam size.
Eggs: Medium, brown and frequently broody
Weight: Standard; males, 9 lbs. / hens, 7 lbs
Features: Single comb; black, buff, partridge, white, barred, golden and silver laced, mottled, blue, columbian and red are the recognized color varieties
This breed is very cute, cuddly and fat looking! They have feathered feet that help achieve their big, bulky look. Although hardy in cold climates, be sure to keep those feathered feet dry. They like free ranging but can adapt to confinement. They are very friendly, docile, affectionate and calm.
Black Cochin bantam hen
Buff Orpingtons
Eggs: Large, brown and known to go broody
Weight: Standard; males, 8 lbs. / hens, 7 lbs
Features: Single comb; buff, black, blue, white, splash and lavender are the recognized color varieties
Buff orpingtons are currently the top rated chicken breed for families with kids! They do well in confinement but really enjoy free ranging. They are very cold hardy and don’t do well in really hot weather. Orpingtons are docile, calm, friendly and make excellent pets for families with children.
|
Buff Orpington hen |
Eggs: Large, light brown and occasionally broody
Weight: Standard; males, 9 lbs. / hens, 7 lbs.
Features: Single comb; speckled, red and light are the known color varieties
They are cold and heat hardy and do fine free ranging or in confinement. Sussex chickens are friendly, affectionate and make good family pets. Some are so friendly that even the males can be kept together!
Note: These birds are extremely curious and will get into anything and everything if possible!
|
Speckled Sussux hen |
Eggs: Large, brown and often broody
Weight: Standard; males, 10lbs. / hens, 8 lbs.
Features: Single comb; black is the most common color variety but blue and white have also been bred
Australorps can be raised just fine in confinement but like to run around. They are heat and cold hardy. Being quiet, friendly and easy to handle, they make great pets. They only come in the color black in the U.S.
Black Australorp
Belgian Bearded d'Uccles
Eggs: Peewee; Cream colored or white
Weight: Bantam, 20-30 oz.
Features: Single comb; Recognized colors: mille fleur, black, porcelain, golden neck, mottled, self blue, white.
d'Uccles are very sweet docile birds, do fairly well in confinement, and occasionally go broody. Because of their small size, and sweet personality they are great especially if you have young children in your family. d'Uccles are seasonal layers, producing heavily between january and may, and than slowing down through the summer. They are cold hardy but not overly heat tolerant.
Make sure to keep their feet dry to avoid frost bite.
Mille Fleur d'Uccle hen and rooster
Easter Eggers
Eggs: Medium to large; Blue, green, pink, or brown.
Weight: Medium, 4-8 lbs
Features: Typically pea combed and bearded, but not always; any color
These unique birds originated in chili, and are often sold as ''Americana/Araucana''. They are not a standardized breed, but readily available, and come in a wide range of sizes and colors. They are a very slow growing and extremely docile, and non-aggressive, and occasionally flighty, making them almost always at the bottom of the pecking order. Because of this they don't do great in confinement, especially if you already have older birds. They are very cold hardy, and fairly heat tolerant.
Easter Egger hen and rooster
Wyandottes
Available in full size and bantam versions.
Eggs: Medium to large; light brown
Weight: Full sized: 6-9 lbs; Bantam: 24-30 oz.
Features: Cushion or rose combed; Official colors: silver laced, golden laced, white, black, buff, partridge, silver penciled,
colombian, blue. Unofficial: blue laced Red, barred & others.
Wyandottes are big fluffy, all around good natured birds. They come in both a full sized and bantam sized version. Wyandottes are inclined to be broody, and make fairly good mothers. They are great layers, and come in a wide range of colors. Wyandottes are very cold hardy, and fairly heat tolerant as well. They are friendly, fun birds to have around!
Silver laced Wyandotte hen (top) Blue laced red Wyandotte (bottom)
Marans
Also available in a bantam version
Eggs: Dark brown; Medium to Large.
Weight: Full sized: 6-8 lbs; Bantams: 32-38 oz.
Features: Single combed; Recognized colors: black copper, silver cuckoo, golden cuckoo, white, wheaten, birchen, blue, blue wheaten, and others.
Marans, though some what rare, are docile, fast growing birds, and well known for their gorgeous chocolate brown eggs.
They are pretty heat/cold tolerant, but don't lay much in the winter. They are very friendly birds who don't mind a treat out of your hand once in a while. Marans have a bantam counterpart, but they are hard to find. If you love to have a few ''chocolate'' eggs in your basket, Marans are a must for your flock!
Wheaten Maran hen (top) Black Copper Maran rooster (bottom)
Dominique's
Eggs: Small to medium; light brown
Weight: 5-7 lbs
Features: Rose comb; Barred
Dominiques are one of the oldest american breeds, and very hardy birds. They are calm and inquisitive, and great mamas. They lay smaller eggs than most breeds their size, but make up for it by laying for a long period of time. They are very cold tolerant, and fairly heat tolerant as well. They don't do very well in confinement though.
Dominique hen and rooster
There are many chicken breeds out there all intended for different purposes. We have discussed with you ten breeds who are most well known for their friendliness. Note that these are only ten and there are many more out there. We hope this has given you a basic idea for choosing friendly chicken breeds.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please contact Mountain Peeps or mymilliefleur
