Whats the best chickens for eggs?

[SHERRING7712]

Sorry if it came across wrong, you didn't "ruffle my feathers" and I'm not mad or upset or anything. Haha sorry if it seemed like it. Just curious because I'd never heard that before but maybe it's more common than I was thinking.

Yeah, I knew/figured you were probably talking about aggression towards other flock mates but figured I'd mention it anyway just in case since it seems a couple people have experienced that too which to me is worse.

And well I've never had the actual "Ameraucana" breed but I do have Easter Eggers right now, which often times are sold as Ameraucana or Araucana, and yeah they're in a mixed flock. 1 Barred Rock, 2 Black Australorps, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Easter Eggers. They're never aggressive. Although they used to occasionally bump chests with the Orpingtons but I had more issues with one of my Australorps being a bully to the Orps and jumping and chasing for no reason. But since they all started laying 2 months ago everybody has calmed down and gets along fine now. The EEs are also the flightiest and skittish so tend to just run away but they do seem friendly and want to be friends with me but are unsure. They tend to hang with the other EE or with the Orpingtons. One tends to hang with the Barred Rock and the other with the Orpingtons but the EE is a similar color to the Orps. That's when free ranging which I don't do that often but have been trying to every evening. Anyways, I don't have any problems with mine being aggressive and in fact they sometimes get picked on by the others especially the red one, the more flighty of the two.

my ameracauna rules the roost and can be a little bossy but isn't mean. She makes a lot of noise when getting ready to lay and if somebody else comes in while she's laying. My ee's are pretty much at the bottom of the pecking order but when I got young juveniles they did pick on them. Just my opinion. All three are great layers though.

 

[ShrekDawg]

my ameracauna rules the roost and can be a little bossy but isn't mean. She makes a lot of noise when getting ready to lay and if somebody else comes in while she's laying. My ee's are pretty much at the bottom of the pecking order but when I got young juveniles they did pick on them. Just my opinion. All three are great layers though.

Yeah, my one EE is definitely last on the pecking order. The other one I think is a little bit higher. They seem to be pretty nice but sometimes the higher ranking one can join the others in being a little mean

 

[Sylvester017]

Yeah, my one EE is definitely last on the pecking order. The other one I think is a little bit higher. They seem to be pretty nice but sometimes the higher ranking one can join the others in being a little mean

This is why I don't like to mix EEs or Amer's with layer breeds or dual purpose breeds. The EE/Amers are prone to timidness. They don't have the combative personality of our commonly known layer breeds. EE/Ams seems to prefer to flee rather than fight -- it's almost like they avoid conflict at all costs -- even if cornered. They accept orphaned chicks or new members into the flock with hardly a notice and seem to be uncommonly kind to flockmates. My girl got chest-bumped by Silkies and either ignored them or just jumped over them rather than peck back at the littles. I had better success mixing my girl with other known docile breeds and re-homed all my dual-purpose birds which were more assertive. Dual purpose/layer breeds average 6 to 7 lbs where EEs/Ams look just as large but actually weigh up to a pound less -- they just look bigger because of all their excessive fluff and under-down. Meanness in a flock can be contagious and is why I chose to re-home all the heavier dual purpose bolder breeds and kept the lighter-weight more docile breeds in our flock. It was a less stressful environment for the kooky spooky jittery jumpy wary Ams/EEs who can become loners just to avoid confrontations with bolder hens in a flock. Some dual purpose flocks can be nice but it only takes one mean girl to upset a flock.

 

[ShrekDawg]

This is why I don't like to mix EEs or Amer's with layer breeds or dual purpose breeds.  The EE/Amers are prone to timidness.  They don't have the combative personality of our commonly known layer breeds.  EE/Ams seems to prefer to flee rather than fight -- it's almost like they avoid conflict at all costs -- even if cornered.  They accept orphaned chicks or new members into the flock with hardly a notice and seem to be uncommonly kind to flockmates.  My girl got chest-bumped by Silkies and either ignored them or just jumped over them rather than peck back at the littles.  I had better success mixing my girl with other known docile breeds and re-homed all my dual-purpose birds which were more assertive.  Dual purpose/layer breeds average 6 to 7 lbs where EEs/Ams look just as large but actually weigh up to a pound less -- they just look bigger because of all their excessive fluff and under-down.  Meanness in a flock can be contagious and is why I chose to re-home all the heavier dual purpose bolder breeds and kept the lighter-weight more docile breeds in our flock.  It was a less stressful environment for the kooky spooky jittery jumpy wary Ams/EEs who can become loners just to avoid confrontations with bolder hens in a flock.  Some dual purpose flocks can be nice but it only takes one mean girl to upset a flock.

Yeah, had I known some would be mean, I probably wouldn't have added the EE's. She hasn't even been laying cause she's been bullied. Which is actually weird because they used to get along fine. I think it's mostly the Australorps and Barred Rock causing problems. But that said, I think a large part of the problem is also because the coop and run is way too small for them all. We need to hurry up and finish our new coop and run before winter so they can move in. They're still in the teeny TSC coop kit but have taken to sleeping on the roof since May or June, I put the inside on especially cold nights or inclement weather but they seem to be doing fine. I think that helps be less crammed but there isn't much room up there. Anyway, we need to finish up the new coop. It is 4x8. And i think the run is really boring. I need to put things in the run for them to do and not attack each other lol or maybe free range more. I think they are just bored and would be fine if they free ranged or something. But the separation, you are right, she separates from flock now and hangs back or hides when i come in when the other 7 greet me.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yeah, had I known some would be mean, I probably wouldn't have added the EE's. She hasn't even been laying cause she's been bullied. Which is actually weird because they used to get along fine. I think it's mostly the Australorps and Barred Rock causing problems. But that said, I think a large part of the problem is also because the coop and run is way too small for them all. We need to hurry up and finish our new coop and run before winter so they can move in. They're still in the teeny TSC coop kit but have taken to sleeping on the roof since May or June, I put the inside on especially cold nights or inclement weather but they seem to be doing fine. I think that helps be less crammed but there isn't much room up there. Anyway, we need to finish up the new coop. It is 4x8. And i think the run is really boring. I need to put things in the run for them to do and not attack each other lol or maybe free range more. I think they are just bored and would be fine if they free ranged or something. But the separation, you are right, she separates from flock now and hangs back or hides when i come in when the other 7 greet me.

I ordered two Blue Wheaten Amers to grow up together so they'd have each other to hang with but as luck would have it one died 2 weeks after arrival so my BW Amer was a loner. When I saw how the Marans, White Leghorn, and Buff Leghorn started to bully her and bully the Silkies by pulling out their crests, muffs, and beards, and jump them with claws and just general harassment chasing I decided it was enough - assertive breeds really take advantage of the non-retaliatory gentle breeds. No more egg layer or dual purpose birds around our gentle and timid breeds. Our Amer was so much more relaxed once the assertive breeds were gone. She had a more gentle flock environment with the Silkie littles and non-combative Breda -- she actually started to join the gentle girls at treats time which she never had done before. But our gentle Amer was not suited to our humid climate and we lost her this summer. Blasted State drought is going into the 6th yr and now we're in the red flag fire season warning through November.

 

[DebjOliver]

Do you have pictures

 

[ShrekDawg]

I ordered two Blue Wheaten Amers to grow up together so they'd have each other to hang with but as luck would have it one died 2 weeks after arrival so my BW Amer was a loner.  When I saw how the Marans, White Leghorn, and Buff Leghorn started to bully her and bully the Silkies by pulling out their crests, muffs, and beards, and jump them with claws and just general harassment chasing I decided it was enough - assertive breeds really take advantage of the non-retaliatory gentle breeds.  No more egg layer or dual purpose birds around our gentle and timid breeds.  Our Amer was so much more relaxed once the assertive breeds were gone.  She had a more gentle flock environment with the Silkie littles and non-combative Breda -- she actually started to join the gentle girls at treats time which she never had done before.  But our gentle Amer was not suited to our humid climate and we lost her this summer.  Blasted State drought is going into the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] yr and now we're in the red flag fire season warning through November.

Yeah, mine grew up together and sometimes hang together/stick together but she's also close to the Orpingtons. I can see how the relaxed flock environment would probably help and be better but i think for now i can manage with the bigger coop and run and free ranging but in the future I think i won't put them together and/or I'll have them but have separate flocks. We have them for the eggs as well as pets so having the layers is necessary.

Wow that's a long time!

 

[Sylvester017]

Yeah, mine grew up together and sometimes hang together/stick together but she's also close to the Orpingtons. I can see how the relaxed flock environment would probably help and be better but i think for now i can manage with the bigger coop and run and free ranging but in the future I think i won't put them together and/or I'll have them but have separate flocks. We have them for the eggs as well as pets so having the layers is necessary.

Yep, I was hoping to have it all -- bantams, layers, ornamentals, fancies, dual purpose -- with a colorful egg basket -- all living in harmony NOT! I quickly found out the first year that I couldn't mix my DH's Silkies with assertive layer types. So now our flock is more pets than utility but that's ok -- DH takes good care of them.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yep, I was hoping to have it all -- bantams, layers, ornamentals, fancies, dual purpose -- with a colorful egg basket -- all living in harmony NOT!  I quickly found out the first year that I couldn't mix my DH's Silkies with assertive layer types.  So now our flock is more pets than utility but that's ok -- DH takes good care of them.

Yeah, I've heard mixing Silkies is a bad idea, but no one really mentions EEs or Amers and that should maybe be mentioned more but i think it also maybe depends on the bird cause some have more of a personality.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh and my dad like refuses to eat store eggs now so no going back now