Brown egg layer pets

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auntychickoleta

auntychickoleta

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Way upstate New York
I have 9 chickens, all Brown egg layers, some are very friendly while others are very skittish. I truly want one's that are more pet than just egg sources. If you have any suggestions on breeds that I should get please share with me thanks.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC!
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Unless you raised them from chicks, they can be a bit nervous of you. Food is a wonderful bonding agent and will help to tame them up quicker. Keep them in the run or coop, someplace they are more confined and bring out a bag of goodies...( lettuce, greens, fruit, mealworms, grains, seeds, bread, etc..) and sit down on the floor on their level. Get some of the goodies in your hand and tempt them to come to you. You can sprinkle some around you too so they come close. And sit there for 20 mins a day quietly, you can talk to them, reassure them all is well. Do this every day for a few weeks and you will have some friendlier birds. Some may come around completely and sit on your lap, others not. Chicks really warm up to you so much faster than older birds, but you can friendly them up much more than they are. Move slowly around them at all times, try not to pick them up much until they trust you and keep them in a quiet place away from loud noise, barking dogs, lawn mowers, etc...Just keep working with them and they will come around and be friendly.

Orpington breeds are very friendly...Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps, Silkies, Barred Rocks...just a few.

Good luck with your new flock and welcome to our roost! :-)
 
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Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.

If you're open to bantams, Silkies, Bantam Cochins, and Seramas are all incredibly friendly breeds bred mostly for pet and show uses. For standard birds, I love Brahmas, Cochins, and Faverolles. For birds who are quite good as both pets and layers, I enjoy Black Sex Links, New Hampshires, Delawares, and Orpingtons. Honorably mention to the Shamo, for although they are the friendliest and most intelligent breed I have ever worked with, they are rare and often expensive. Well worth it, though.
 
I was trying to get my birds to be more friendly. I started by giving treats from my hand. Once they are comfortable with that I would pick one up at a time and set it up on something then feed it. After only a couple times 5 of the 10 where walking around my feet and waiting for me to pick them up.
 
I have Rhode Island Reds, Black Australorps, Plymouth Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingotns. Of the breeds that I have the Orpingtons are by far the most friendly. Some of them will perch on me and most of them will let me pick them up or pet they and they all eat from my hand. My Barred Rock will let me pet it and eat from my hand. The RIRs and Australorps all back away from me, not that they are unfriendly but skittish.

That being said, I did not raise the RIRs, Australorps or the Barred Rock, my mother did. I raised the Buff Orpingtons from day olds and have interacted with them every day. I suppose that could have made the difference.
 
I have two chickens that follow me around both are cochins and two more (black and lavender australorps) that will let me touch them when they are on the roost or in a nesting box. All four of them love getting their necks, backs and tails scratched and will spread their wings so I can get their shoulder area better. The other five I have are just skittish and run when ever I get near them. I love being able to pet and hold my four that let me.
 

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