BYC Debate Thread- What's The Friendliest Chicken Breed?

[The chicken Hatcher]

I think my bantams are the friendliest chickens I have
They are so sweet

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I think my bantams are the friendliest chickens I have
They are so sweet

What type of bantams?

 

[Devyn Nagy]

I had speckled sussexes, which were very friendly as chicks. They would climb on me and let me walk around with them on me. Unfortunately, they never made it to adulthood. Thanks, raccoons.

 

[SarahLadd]

I think there is a lot of push in the united states Belgian bantam clubs and communities for line bred birds with outstanding companion temperament.

Some of that research is being done through manipulation of imprint behavior, to make an easier going rooster.

Temperament is a big deal to the tight knit barbu de watermael community, without tolerance for stupidity (ie, the silkie chicken). Friendliness cannot come at the cost of her intelligence.

I keep barbu d'anvers and barbu de watermael. The d'uccle is the most popular and easily obtained in the US. My friendliest bird is my red millefleur d'anvers, but all my d'anvers are easy going. My watermael are all intensely curious, smart little birds that will settle down for a cuddle on their own terms. They like it less to just be yoinksed from the ground and prefer to find me for human jungle gym activity.

 

[SarahLadd]

Like most people who choose chickens as pets, I gravitated toward the breeds famous for their genial nature. My cruelest hen is a welsummer. She is a bully to the flock, and bites with the intent to maim. While the topic is broadly "friendliness", she is a kind and patient bird with me, her human. But it's not in my best interest to have a bird that's lovely to me and horrible to other chickens.

To narrow down a specific breed as being exceptionally friendly may be tough, even within a breed, most notably those with different lines bred for color. Within d'anvers there is a significant temperament difference seen in quail, versus porcelains/self blues, versus millefleur, for example.

 

[589205]

• What is the friendliest chicken breed(s)? I personally enjoy English Orpington’s the most.
• Why do you think this? Mine are very friendly and affectionate towards people. They will follow you around the yard everywhere you go and will jump up on your lap for pets every time you try sit down.
• What evidence can back you up? Threads? Articles? I don’t have much evidence in threads other than pictures but if you’d like to come over and see for yourself, you’re more than welcome to. Just PM me in advance, please.
• What is your experience with this breed(s)? I hatch eggs and raise them.
• What breeds are not very friendly? Why? I think the worst breed I’ve ever dealt with was white Leghorns, just because they were super flighty.
• Anything else Nah, but thanks @PippinTheChicken for tagging me!

 

[HennyTerri83]

My Americauna (probably EE) chickens are the friendliest. on my lap, shoulders... all up on me whenever i’m in with them! My Apple girl is the happiest by far People’s opinions will vary though. My Wyandotte’s are super stand-off-ish... and my Olive eggers were mean teenagers but are more tolerable as big girls so But this chicken in the pic has always been a big baby

 

[cajebrso]

I love all of our chickens but of our 4,
The Easter Egger is probably the friendliest because she likes to hang around our legs when sitting outside or lay down by the back door - we call her our golden retriever. She is also very docile and more amenable to sitting on our lap.
Our Buff Orpington and Black Australorp are also very friendly in that they come right up for treats and are also always curious.
Of the 4, our gold laced Wyandotte is the least “friendly” in that she is more reserved and skittish and also pecks the Easter Egger more. But she has other strengths in that she lays super regularly and is so precise when she eats/catches things!

 

[Chickeeaholic]

Nothing more cuddly than by big buff Brahma.

 

[TinyTXFarm]

My Gold Laced Wyandotte named Lacey is the sweetest chicken I have. From a young one, she would fly up and sit on my husband's shoulder when we were in the coop. She doesn't run that often when we are around her - she lets us pick her up. She broke her leg and the bone was sticking out and she sat still while I set it and stayed on the deck in a cat bed away from the other chickens around only us for weeks while the rest of them were out and about. We had another black chicken (no idea what breed) and she was super sweet and used to try and come inside the house with us when she was young, but she has since become wild and just like all the others. My husband's favorite is the Brahma. They are not super personable, but they are gentle giants. The one we like to laugh at the most is my frizzle bantam white rooster (who I saved from another farm that was culling roos). We call him Napoleon and he has little man syndrome and likes to fight the big roosters and terrorize the hens. He's deathly afraid of us and screams like a girl when we catch him. He runs from us like we are carrying knives. Hahaha ...I really like my Bantam Mille Fleur D'Uccle roo also. He makes the cutest noises and we carry him around. I have about thirty breeds here, and for the most part, they are all "just chickens".