Best chicken breeds

[twendt]

My next flock will be all RIR or Lavender Buff Orpington chickens.

 

[Ms Clucky]

The best ones I think are the Bantams. I have silver duckwings, one likes to crawl into my coat and suck on my hair. The other one likes to jump on my back. I also have a red pyle mix rooster that I had to bring in the house that hugs me and follows me around like a little puppy dog. I would tell you all the things that my chickens have done that were either cute, smart or just plain adorable, but I would be typing forever.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Oriental Gamefowls are the best. Hands down.

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

CoChins! CoChins!! CoCHins!!!

 

[twendt]

How often do Cochins lay?? I would like Cochins, but from what I know, they don't lay daily, is that true??

 

[Peppercorngal]

I have a Black Australorp that is so sweet, always has been even as a chick. She lays a big brown egg about 5 times per week. Great dispostion.

My Easter Egger is the same as my Australorp.

My Speckled Sussex is nice but has yet to lay an egg, maybe a late starter? She will be a year old in May.

I had a Barred Rock that I needed to re-home. She was an awful bully and had some issues with egg laying.

When I replenish my flock I will definatley get more austrlorps.

I have a friendly Speckled Sussex that is over a year old and never laid an egg either! She did get in the nest box a couple of times, but that was 6 months ago and I'm sure she never laid! She, her name is Sadie, she seems rather hyper and runs all over, follows me like a puppy dog and is the most curious of the flock! I love the little freeloader!

 

[cmom]

My chickens are all super sweet, and I have often wondered how much of that was breed and how much of that was how I raised them (nature vs. nurture; which came first - the nice breeder or the the nice breed? - LOL). I have a Barred Rock, a Brahma, a Cochin, and a Buff Orpington. The BR and the Brahma, in particular, are smart and love to be petted and held. And the Brahma lays the most beautiful, perfect eggs. They're just brown, but they are big and almost shiny and completely blemish-free. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it....

Awhile ago I had a RIW young male (Buster) that was getting beat up by the other males in the bachelor coop and pen. I took him out and put him in with my Gladys. He was so bad off he couldn't walk. At first Gladys didn't want anything to do with him but eventually warmed up to him and when I would let her out each day she would eventually come out and he would try to follow her. He was finally able to walk again and would follow Gladys everywhere. Even though I would pick him up he was always skittish. I thought he might get over it when he saw me handling Gladys but really never did and maybe he never forgot the beatings he got from the other young males. Then one day as I was walking with the birds, he was behind me and jumped me. I let it go but then the next day when I let them out he did it again and again I ignored it but then he started to do it to my husband. Even though he got special care he still insisted on being a bad boy. I think there is something with nature vs. nurture. There was a fellow who was looking for a RIW male. I told him about Buster and he took him. All of my other males are good boys.

 

[Aunt Angus]

How often do Cochins lay?? I would like Cochins, but from what I know, they don't lay daily, is that true??

I only have one, but she is my least consistent layer - about 5 eggs per week. But one fluffy Cochin is hardly representative of an entire breed.

 

[Trux]

Bielefelders are quite docile and friendly and if your looking at getting any kind of chickens you can usually read up on your prospective choices, either by googling or some hatcheries have that kind of info when you bring up a breed on their websites.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Bielefelders are quite docile and friendly and if your looking at getting any kind of chickens you can usually read up on your prospective choices, either by googling or some hatcheries have that kind of info when you bring up a breed on their websites.

True! I order hatchery catalogs for this reason. I have found that Myers and McMurray have good (free) catalogs for this. I am planning on ordering others later today - just because they are fun to read.