Calmest chicken breed?

[Buffbrahmabantam]

Easier for predators too.

They all have pretty much the same instincts, but only the heavier breeds will have a harder time getting to safety in case of an attack

We put a fence around our property so ground predators are not an issue (also we’re are not afraid to preemptively “defend” our property from ground predators). Hawks are an issue however and the lazier calmer chickens work better because they loiter around the buildings more.

 

[Buffbrahmabantam]

update: here's a photo of the Jersey next to an Easter Egger View attachment 4099394
View attachment 4099395
and another of her next to a Black Sex Link (Jersey on the right)

Where did you get your jersey giants?

 

[Buffbrahmabantam]

I am so sorry you had a bad experience with Speckled Sussex. Ours is my absolute favorite, quiet, calm, curious, and friendly. Not agressive at all. There’s a whole other thread called (Favorite Breed, Relatively Quiet & Calm) that I follow and Sussex have shown up frequently on there as well. Would link but I’m on my cell and the app is wonky.

I know you prefer no feathers on feet, but Cochin chickens are known to be super mellow, if you change your mind!

Where did you purchase your Sussex?

I have always wondered if the Sussex we got from cackle hatchery was at all representative of the breed, other than by outward plumage appearance. There were other traits that she had that were inconsistent with what I had read about Sussex. In general, I am now suspicious about how the large hatcheries select stock for breeding, which is why I only buy from small farms at this point. For the large hatcheries, I would guess that if looks like the picture of a Sussex, it is good enough to sell from their perspective and they aren’t concerned about quality.

 

[sillyduckz]

Where did you get your jersey giants?

Meyer Hatchery, i got all my girls from them! they all have great temperaments, in part due to being handled and socialized since day 1, but also due to good, responsible breeding. if you haven't already found a hatchery, i highly recommend Meyer as they provide great costumer service and are NPIP-certified

 

[Iluveggers]

Where did you purchase your Sussex?

I have always wondered if the Sussex we got from cackle hatchery was at all representative of the breed, other than by outward plumage appearance. There were other traits that she had that were inconsistent with what I had read about Sussex. In general, I am now suspicious about how the large hatcheries select stock for breeding, which is why I only buy from small farms at this point. For the large hatcheries, I would guess that if looks like the picture of a Sussex, it is good enough to sell from their perspective and they aren’t concerned about quality.

Where did you purchase your Sussex?

I have always wondered if the Sussex we got from cackle hatchery was at all representative of the breed, other than by outward plumage appearance. There were other traits that she had that were inconsistent with what I had read about Sussex. In general, I am now suspicious about how the large hatcheries select stock for breeding, which is why I only buy from small farms at this point. For the large hatcheries, I would guess that if looks like the picture of a Sussex, it is good enough to sell from their perspective and they aren’t concerned about quality.

McMurray Hatchery. I’ve had great luck w their birds!

 

[Buffbrahmabantam]

Meyer Hatchery, i got all my girls from them! they all have great temperaments, in part due to being handled and socialized since day 1, but also due to good, responsible breeding. if you haven't already found a hatchery, i highly recommend Meyer as they provide great costumer service and are NPIP-certified

We haven’t purchased from Meyer. Thanks for the tip. I’ve seen other good reviews for Meyer on BYC so it is good to hear another one.

The first couple of years we had chickens we purchased from Ideal poultry and Cackle hatchery. We got our Brahma bantams from Ideal and I love their personalities. The only other large hatchery we ordered from was Cackle hatchery and had a very bad experience.

That experience turned me away from mail-order hatcheries and we’ve been taking road trips to western Washington for hatching eggs since. Western Washington has quite a few small farms which is nice, but finding breeders for special breeds is really hard. I don’t know how to find people selling the breeds I’m interested in (orpingtons, usually) when I want them.

 

[Tonyroo]

Swedish flower hens are a calm breed and friendly. Might be hard to get one though.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

My calmest are my blue laced red wyandottes (but definitely not any other of my wyandotte colors), lavender orpingtons, olive eggers, and australorps.

Obviously every bird is different, but hopefully this can still be helpful even though there are no guarantees

 

[sillyduckz]

We haven’t purchased from Meyer. Thanks for the tip. I’ve seen other good reviews for Meyer on BYC so it is good to hear another one.

The first couple of years we had chickens we purchased from Ideal poultry and Cackle hatchery. We got our Brahma bantams from Ideal and I love their personalities. The only other large hatchery we ordered from was Cackle hatchery and had a very bad experience.

That experience turned me away from mail-order hatcheries and we’ve been taking road trips to western Washington for hatching eggs since. Western Washington has quite a few small farms which is nice, but finding breeders for special breeds is really hard. I don’t know how to find people selling the breeds I’m interested in (orpingtons, usually) when I want them.

i'm so sorry about your experience i totally understand being skeptical of big hatcheries after something like that. what happened, if you don't mind me asking? if you're ever willing to give it a chance again, Meyer has a lot specialty/heritage breeds, including some gorgeous Orpingtons. in particular i've been eyeing their Chocolate Orpingtons and waiting for an excuse to add more birds to my flock, lol. they handle their live shipping well and give the chicks a safe environment, and provide a little cup of GroGel(which provides nutrition and moisture) for them during transit. we only had one failure-to-thrive chick in our batch, and all the rest were very lively and busy immediately upon arrival

 

[Buffbrahmabantam]

Swedish flower hens are a calm breed and friendly. Might be hard to get one though.
View attachment 4099655

I’ve heard of them! We’re did you get your birds from?