Best Breed for....(a kinda, sorta, poll)

[JedJackson]

Good idea. Hm, I have tried pretty much every breed that interested me, was available, and seemed practical, but I've always rather wanted one of those frizzled Seramas. Yeah, yeah, they're mop chickens, but they look pretty neat. My OEGBs require enough help in winter, though; I don't need more birds to lug inside whenever it goes below zero.

I wanted Polish for a while, but then I had Sultans and decided I liked chickens that were a bit more intelligent than the average office stapler, lol!

Brahmas are on my hatching list but I've had them in the past so they don't count for this.

Seramas are interesting, I think. They have a lot of spunk for their size and they are just cute. Frizzled Seramas> Haven't seen that but I'll have to google it. They're probably even cuter! But yeah, probably would need help in winter.

I like Polish. Mine were pretty smart, actually and the one I showed years ago was top hen in a flock of probably 40. She didn't take guff from anyone.

I do like Brahmas but feathered legs aren't ideal for the wet PNW climate, so I've avoided them. But they're gorgeous and HUGE!

 

[HuskerHens18]

Makes sense to me. My Leghorns are the same way, and I love it. I have no use for a chicken that can't keep itself alive within reasonable expectations.

Yeah I really wish my other breeds were more cautious, my Anconas are very people friendly, but they're still observant. I admire a smart chicken

 

[BantyChooks]

Seramas are interesting, I think. They have a lot of spunk for their size and they are just cute. Frizzled Seramas> Haven't seen that but I'll have to google it. They're probably even cuter! But yeah, probably would need help in winter.

I like Polish. Mine were pretty smart, actually and the one I showed years ago was top hen in a flock of probably 40. She didn't take guff from anyone.

I do like Brahmas but feathered legs aren't ideal for the wet PNW climate, so I've avoided them. But they're gorgeous and HUGE!

They're little wool balls with legs and a head. Quite cute. I've seen from many sources that they need heat in anything under 40*F.

While I doubt that anything could be quite that delicate, it seems logical that they wouldn't be able to handle even moderate cold due to their size.

 

[JedJackson]

They're little wool balls with legs and a head. Quite cute. I've seen from many sources that they need heat in anything under 40*F. View attachment 1346672 While I doubt that anything could be quite that delicate, it seems logical that they wouldn't be able to handle even moderate cold due to their size.

Yeah, that seems a little ridiculous but I guess it's because their tiny bodies can't generate enough heat even when they're huddled up together. I personally don't bring my birds indoors and I'm reluctant to use heat in the coops. I've brought my birds into the garage a couple of times during Arctic blasts and it was a big pain. No way would I want to do that or even worry about it all winter.

 

[chickendreams24]

Okay I'll play although I too feel that this is so subjective and also each bird is such an individual as to be borderline unhelpful. Still I hope it can help someone.

Friendliest chicken- LOL our whole flock lol no okay EE hen, Pebbles, oegb hens Minnie and Crocket(RIP), English Orpingtons, cream legbar hens(particularly one slightly off, white lady)
Most skittish chicken- brown leghorns purchased and raised as chicks were rehomed due to causing constant fear in the flock. Also our two barred rock pullets from last year.
Best layer- sexlinks, EE, Orpingtons
Worst layer- oegb, and slw from a show line, silkies
Largest egg- EE, sexlinks, mixes, legbar
Smallest egg- oegb, silkie, sebright
Prettiest egg- EE, mixes legbars English Orpingtons
Top of pecking order - mixes, roosters, Orpingtons, legbars, EE
Bottom of pecking order- juveniles and youngest adults, silkies(but some of my silkies are also near the top)
Smallest chicken- oegb
Largest chicken- English Orpingtons
Favorite chicken- EE oegb Dominique Orpingtons legbars
Least favorite chicken- leghorns mixes barred rocks

Or maybe say which chickens you would definitely have again or ones you would not likely get again..

I will continue to own oegb, EE, English Orpingtons, Dominiques, Buckeyes, Legbars, silkies, along with the miscellaneous brahma, Delaware, Wyandotte(although I will be finding new stock probably this year) etc.

I will not buy hatchery barred rocks again and probably not hatchery leghorns. As far as sexlinks go we really enjoyed our isa browns and cinnamon Queens but our golden comets have been spazzes.

Some of our hatchery EE haven't been terribly friendly until after their first birthday but most when handled regularly as chicks are very sweet. Our Buckeyes and Dominiques have just passed their first birthday so I'm not yet sure how they will measure as layers as fully grown hens. Most of our Buckeyes are very sweet but one is a spazz lol

We breed many of our own pure breeds and mixes and some of our most beautiful eggs are from mixes including a pale mint green egg with dark brown flecks.

We did get white rocks last year but all of the pullets killed themselves off when free ranging with the flock by wandering long distances alone out of sight of the other birds. One after another to a fox. We have other white birds in the flock and none of them have ever been taken. We were very bummed about the rocks as one of the cockerals had very good size and type. He however was culled as we had no one to breed him to.

We have a large flock with multiple pens and coops. We free range daily weather permitting and the flock is all together except for cockerals (being grown out to mature or for freezer camp they are separated when their hormones become a problem) and when we want to collect pure breed eggs for hatching. Including current cockerals headed to freezer camp we are at about 110 birds with 80-90 keepers.

While nearly all of our flock follows us around and wants to be with us there are a few that are more aloof or just don't give a hoot about people except food and there are many more that love people and our company even if we have no food and they don't always enjoy being held.

 

[BantyChooks]

Yeah, that seems a little ridiculous but I guess it's because their tiny bodies can't generate enough heat even when they're huddled up together. I personally don't bring my birds indoors and I'm reluctant to use heat in the coops. I've brought my birds into the garage a couple of times during Arctic blasts and it was a big pain. No way would I want to do that or even worry about it all winter.

For sure. I'm working on a bantam project that won't have to come indoors. I have one mutt hen with incredible feathering that only came in once this winter (for a day or so) during two weeks where the daytime high didn't see zero Fahrenheit. She might have been fine, but I noticed her starting to slow down 10ish days in and I got worried because I had just lost two birds the day before. I like bantams—I don't like hauling them inside all the time. Aiming for the personality and body size/type of an OEGB with increased feathering and a small comb.

 

[BantyChooks]

Yeah, that seems a little ridiculous but I guess it's because their tiny bodies can't generate enough heat even when they're huddled up together. I personally don't bring my birds indoors and I'm reluctant to use heat in the coops. I've brought my birds into the garage a couple of times during Arctic blasts and it was a big pain. No way would I want to do that or even worry about it all winter.

I don't like heat in the coops either. It makes me worried ever since I had a near disaster in 2014. The extension cord got chewed on by a mouse, and if the break in the cord had been a few inches lower it probably would have been curtains for my flock. Since then I operate under a 'reset' theory. If I see a bird looking bad, I bring them inside for a few hours and get them warmed up and a crop full of feed and water. That's usually enough to pull them out of their spiral and get them perky again. I don't usually keep birds that need a reset—they get sold the next time a cull comes around—but I'm not going to leave them outside to die if I have a chance to save them. Freezing's not a nice way to go!

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Most friendly chicken=Australorp or Speckled Sussex
Best Layer=Australorp
Worst Layer=Polish
Most skittish chicken=D'Uccle Rooster
Largest Egg=Easter Egger
Smallest Egg=D'Uccle hen
Top of pecking order=Buff Orpington
Lowest of pecking order=Serama
Largest chicken=Buff Orpington
Littlest chicken=Serama!
Favorite Chicken=Mille Fleur D'Uccle hen
least favorite chicken=ugly, old Easter Egger
I have 3 four year old EE's who don't lay much, a four year old BO, a 2 year old BO and 2 year old Black Sexlink, 1 year old Australorp and Sussex, 1 year old Red Sex link and GLW, year old pair of D'Uccles, and my brain hurts too much to name anymore that I can't remember

 

[Alexandra33]

Disclaimer: the following is based solely upon my own experience with one or more examples of any given breed. Keep in mind, much like humans, each bird has its own, individual personality aside from "breed stereotypes." You could try something I list and end up with completely differing results simply because that's how it works in the poultry world.
Most Friendly = d'Uccle
Worst Layer = Sumatra
Most Skittish = Fayoumi (although this isn't an entirely bad thing, in fact, quite predictable)
Largest Egg = Welsummer
Smallest Egg = Old English Game bantam
Top of Pecking Order = Sicilian Buttercup
Lowest of Pecking Order = Buckeye
Largest = Marans
Littlest = Serama, though the smallest I've owned is Old English Game bantam
Favorite = d'Uccle, Sumatra, Old English Game bantam, Marans, Plymouth Rock (yes, I'm aware that's more than one )
Least Favorite = Production Red (nasty, NASTY hen )
And there you have it; my two cents' worth!
My current flock consists of 73 fat, spoiled girls along with a lone bantam rooster who is severely hen-pecked, and 2 happy duckies. They truly are the stars of the show, especially when company's over. All people want to do is snuggle our chooks. Who can blame them, when we ourselves are big and ugly, and the birds are cute and fluffy?

Overall, I've been very happy with most breeds and would recommend them. Our Production Red, Jordan, however, was the single rotten egg of the bunch who was evil as all get out. To put it lightly, she ate a large hole in my Campine's back after ripping out her back feathers. Even supplementing Jordan's diet with extra protein didn't fix the problem! Needless to say, she's no longer around. This may not be representative of Production Reds, but I personally will never own another.

~Alex

 

[Merrymouse]

Neato idea.

Least favorite chicken although I think most of us will have a hard time with this- Showgirl. If I wanted a poodle I would buy a poodle.

* Let's add this:
Breed you've never raised but always wanted to- White face black Spanish

Very interesting flock and funny post!!! good add to the list with most wished for chicken, I like it