Reviews by MamaDoodle

I list brave and stubborn as both a pro and con because I have a pullet a third the size of my biggest rooster and she pecked him in the eye... She was doing it in reaction to him being aggressive to her buddy, which was sweet, but she may be of more than she can chew one day.

Still, I have found her to be very caring towards my tiny pullet, constantly checking things out had on, and spending time on my shoulder and not getting off... I'm quickly becoming fond. Will update when egg laying begins for her.

I have one SS pullet, and she is very shy. She is always behind or beneath my other, larger pullet. But she allows me to hold her and has never pecked another chicken or myself. She is either a runt or a banty, however, so we'll see how that effects her egg production later on. Oh well. I mostly got her for looks!

I have a RIR hen named Wicked; for a reason. She is the first to get to the gate when I walk in the run with food, and jumps up to my chest at times to grab the food out of my hands, and if she can't reach it, or if I scoot her back, she pecks me. If my daughter touches the fence, Wicked pecks her fingers. And if another chicken takes food in front of her, Wicked jumps on her to take it back. I have seen her do it to the roosters twice so far.

However, even since chick-hood, she has loved to investigate new things everywhere, which provides a great deal of entertainment for us. Plus, how can I argue with her when she gives me an egg a day?

I have one CR rooster, and he was the runt of the chicks I had gotten. When he was new, I was afraid he would not make it due to his behavior: head down, eyes closed, lets other chicks run him over, very small...but he grew up to be a giant who is fiercely protective of my hens!

He escaped the run when one of my dogs went after an escaped hen, and fought until he couldn't. And even after that, he still challenges the dogs through the fence. He is very brave and I have never met another rooster like him. My neighbor has three herself and she says she has never had such tough, ready-to-go roosters before them. In fact, yesterday when I scared a hen by picking her up from behind, my roo ran in all fluffed up and kicked me in the knee! When I set her down, he stopped and herded her away with him.

If I ever need a rooster to protect future hens, I would consider a CR first.

I had two Orpingtons, named Oodle and Doodle.

Doodle was the best chicken I have known, and she passed away earlier this week. However, she laid one to two eggs a day for me, came when called, and I was always holding her in the yard. She could be pet any time and never fussed. Even when my daughter roughly patted her, poked her, or sloppily attempted to pick her up, Doodle just stayed still, never pecking, running, or kicking. Oodle, the surviving Orp in my little flock, is also quiet and friendly, though much shyer than Doodle had been. Oodle allows me to touch her at least once a day and comes when called as well, although she walks away when I move too fast or my daughter pulls her tail feathers. Still, no aggression what-so-ever, and she gives me an egg a day!

I would buy Orpingtons again, as a good family chicken breed.