Barred Rocks!!!!!!!!! Why are they so mean?

[bgelber]

I have three BR's and they are very sweet. One of them will follow me around the yard and loves to be petted.

 

[cybercat]

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They are from a McMurrey hatchery. We have 2 more that we picked up from TSC. They got their chicks from Townline hatchery. We hope they are nicer.

That explains it MM has a mean line of rocks it is well known to some of us.

 

[nanawendy]

I love my BR hens. They always greet us with cheer and excitement, with hope of a tasty treat. Never has one pecked me, except to get grain from my extended hand. Now the BR ROO is a whole 'nother issue

 

[bburn]

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My girls are pretty sweet....but oh, my rooster. He would gladly flog anyone except my husband that goes in there. I go in and close the pop door and close the people door behind me to check for eggs. And I don't back out. He will be replaced as soon as I can find a new boy.....he is however pretty good with the girlies.

 

[noodleroo]

I have 3 BR babies that are almost a month old. They were the easiest to tame and love to have their ears rubbed. All will go to sleep in my hand with their little legs hanging down between my fingers...real little loves...

 

[Cowgirl71]

Here's another vote for MM having an aggressive strain of BRs! Mine are fine with humans, but they dominate the feeders and waterers. They make sure to have their fill of food/water before the other hens can. Any of the other hens who try to get a quick bite or sip before the BRs are done get a hard peck on the head...

But I will put in a good word for MM. Rhode Island Reds are known for having very aggressive roos, but MM's strain of RIRs are really sweet, both roosters and hens. And awesome layers!

I'm getting some BRs from Ideal Poultry. Has anyone had experience with their strain of BRs???

 

[Heckel's Hens]

Mine are crazy sweet. Overly inquisitive, but sweet.

 

[Heckel's Hens]

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Got my BRs from Ideal. Love 'em!

 

[lockedhearts]

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I agree with Cyn, maybe because some of my birds came from her, but most of my girls and my roosters are friendly. My Younger rooster is not a "Hold Me" kind of bird but he is not mean at all, in fact if I feed them treats from my hand, he is very careful about not pecking too hard.

 

[ralleia]

My BR roo is sweet and smart (see the favorite rooster thread for the full story.) He's the favorite rooster that I've had.

I have several White Rock hens that are my favorites among the females. They are the first to investigate things for food--they peck what they think is food, but that's not aggression. One of them, "Molly," follows me around the yard when I do my gardening, scratching and pecking in the dirt where I dig, sticking her nose into *everything* that I do. She can be a nuisance when I'm trying to dig out a tree root or something, but it's nice to have someone so interested in what I'm doing!

They are the SMARTEST chickens in the bunch. I love 'em. All mine came from McMurray.