Holland

I got one with my original four birds (a d'uccle mix, a d'Anvers roo, a Barred Rock and the Holland) and through many flock additions and flock shakeups she's been a pretty and kind bird. She lays a cream-colored, almost white egg regularly and has only stopped because of molt and snow. My only complaint is that she is a food hog during feeding time and can peck at flock mates if she thinks they are too close to her share of the food. Otherwise she's a lovely bird to own and earns her keep.

The Holland is one of those dreamy, perfect breeds for every owner of a mixed flock or the person who desires good producing birds that are friendly and low-stress.

This is a breed that EVERYONE should own.

Not only are they beautiful, unflinchingly calm, quiet and sedate, they're great layers of XXL white eggs. Extremely hardy, they've done superbly well for me in a so. KY climate - winters below 0 with windchill, snow, and ice, and summers well over 100 degrees with humidity so bad you can't hardly breathe. They're great in coops or as freeranging foragers. Best of all? They fit in GREAT in just about any flock, and are just as personable with people as they are other chickens. I adore this breed!

And it's not like they're hard to look at either.

Have Teenagers now no eggs yet. Hope to Repost Later

Repost 4-7-13
They are beautifully barred birds, not flighty, not afraid, but not super friendly. . . . My Roo is aggressive to other roos, but not to humans. He's also a little rough on the hens. Their numbers are declining, I plan to continue with them.

I liked mine. Just didn't like it when things spooked them. They became jumpy/flighty. As long as you keep their wings clipped, they don't get good height. As soon as they do, just clip again. I wouldn't mind having these again. Not sure how they do with other breeds.

This is my second year raising Barred Hollands and I love them! I chose them from studying the breed index for poultry and found they had all the qualities we were looking for. We have not been disappointed!

They have handled all changes and conditions with great poise. The hens are sweet and easy going. They have bonded with us and our dogs and I find that they generally follow our activities and will gather where we are working in the yard. The rooster is watchful over his hens, always sounding alarms when he sees some threat. However, he is also easy to handle and we can carry him around without fuss.

Did I mention hardy? We have not had one bit of illness in these birds. They have been strong and healthy since chicks and we've had zero health issues with them. The rooster comb is quite large and prone to frostbite, so I just put vasoline on it during the winter to keep it insulated. Otherwise, they handle the cold quite well.

Really great birds, would recommend them to anyone.

I love them! I havn't had them for long but they are great chickens!