Picking Chickens With Character For The Camera And The Flock

So your tired of your plain, boring looking, expressionless chickens or your flock might be duller than you anticipated. Well, picking chickens with character can be a tricky task.

Noel, a Triple Laced Standard Cornish hen

Here are some great tips on picking that picture perfect chicken or flock friendly, exciting character:

Tip One: Assess What Traits You Like In a Chicken.
I love chickens that have original character. For example, a petite bantam rooster that comes right up to me for treats when I've never even met him. Other things that love to see as a buyer are healthy chickens, so healthy that they shine or even very tame chickens are great too. Whatever it is you like in a chicken, remember to keep it in mind as you pick out your new character chickens because they should not only satisfy the camera but your desires in your flock.

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Otis, a Wheaten Old English Game Bantam rooster

Tip Two: Seek the Birds Whom Like The Lenses.
Being a current member of BYC or a soon to be member, you should know that everybody loves to see your chickens. So having a photogenic flock will make more than you, as the owner, happy. The friendliest chickens aren't always the best for taking pictures of nor are the absurd, nutty ones. From my personal experience I would recommend that you find a curious chicken, it doesn't have to be very friendly, it just has to like taking pictures and moderately tolerate people.

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PJ, a Crele Old English Game Bantam hen


Tip Three: Pick Chickens With Unique Traits.
A floppy comb, a very fluff caboose or even a poofy heat knot a just a few traits that chickens can develop. I love these things chickens and it appears my camera does too!
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Otis, a Wheaten Old English Game Bantam rooster



Tip Four: Pick Active Chickens.
An active flock is a healthy one. Having a chicken that will lead your flock to greatness is excellent character trait. Chickens to watch out for and that are best to avoid are one's that are picked on or do the picking, because in most cases the same will occur in your flock and that probably isn't what you had in mind.

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Starburst, a White Laced Red Cornish Bantam


Tip Five: Pick Chickens That Will Create Memories.
From my experience everyone who has chickens loves to share stories and best kind are cute and funny just your character-chickens should be. Like my hen Fresno, picture below. Her face alone tells a story.

I used to have a couple more silkie bantams and some other chickens than I do now, and one day, they decided to go broody together, to hatch babies. Then the next day, my Golden Sebright bantam hen went broody then the next my Black Serama went broody then the next day, my big ol' Sussex was giving all four broody hens the stink eye. She wanted a next box to lay in and all four little broody hens were taking up all the room in all of the next boxes. Fresno looked up at me, then she she started clucking a low, greedy sound with each cluck, "Cluck. Cluck. Cluck." She started towards the broodies, but I stopped her, I moved the hens in pairs into the next boxes with their eggs real quick. A few pasted and all the hens hatched their day-old-baby-chicks, then Fresno decided she wasn't okay with all the hens having the babies so she sat on them. Then most of the baby chicks started to follow the hen who hadn't even sat on their eggs. She decided to cluck like a mother hen to them, and the baby chicks just listened. Fresno must be the miracle mother or something because with a few clucks seven baby chicks had just be-mothered her and all hadn't taken a second look at their actual mothers.

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Fresno, a Light Sussex hen

So to sum up, assess the traits you like in a chicken, seek birds who like the camera, pick chickens with unique traits, one's that are active and most importantly one's who will make memories!

The End!
-Whittni
About author
Whittni
Whittni has Bachelor's degree in Agriculture with minors in Art and Communication. In her free time, she enjoys studying flock behavior and hopes to train as a poultry judge in the future.

Her favorite animals? Chickens of course! Whittni would like to revolutionize the outside stigma of poultry keeping and help economise backyard flock keeping. She also enjoys sewing, crafts, and traveling abroad.

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