Best Chicken Breeds?

[cgmccary]

For pure friendliness, a Buckeye hen cannot be beat. They follow me, get under my feet and have got to be right with me all the time. I have to worry about stepping on them. They are all the same this way too. None are ever flighty.

Most of the Buckeye roosters are docile but sometimes, there is a mean one.

Remember, that with every breed, the roosters are going to vary individually.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

Silkies
White Sultans
Polish
Japs
Cochin
Pheonix/Yokohamas

Are some of my favorites. Most favorite starting at the top and then working on down.

 

[Shannonwbl]

What about roosters? Any opinions out there on the "best" rooster? Protective of the flock, but gentle with hens and people? I think my 12 girls need some leadership.

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

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I feel the same way, I hope there is such a rooster.. anyone?

 

[Opa]

I've found Welsummer rooster to be very gentle birds.

 

[Pathfinders]

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Hey you! Howareya?

I will echo this about the Buckeyes, sometimes I go in the pen and just cannot walk, they're so underfoot!

 

[Pathfinders]

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I've had large fowl in the following breeds over the years:

Leghorns (Whites, Light Browns, and Blacks), Polish, Orpingtons, Marans, Ameraucanas, EEs, Naked Necks, Rhode Island Whites, Dominiques, and Buckeyes (I may be forgetting something, not sure.)

Overall, the Marans and the Buckeyes have been the gentlest cock birds, both to humans as well as their wives. Oddly enough, the most human aggressive cock bird I ever had was a Buff Orpington. Mean as a snake. He went away...

 

[xtremechickens]

I Love my Giant Cochin Godzilla. He is the sweetest roo ever! I have been bringing him in to our spare bath room and he stays in the bath tub for a few hours in the day because it's been over 110 here in Arizona.

 

[Shannonwbl]

Great suggestions! I recently saw a couple of bantam cochins: so adorable they looked like muppets! Bantams wouldn't work with my girls but we love cochins and miss our "Dixie" we lost last year.

I posted a "Wanted" on a trade sell thread - wish me luck!

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

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I have silkie roosters and they will breed to my large New hampshire red hen. We let them looe every now and again...Silkies are gentle with their hens, not with people...sadly