Chicken Breed Behaviors from Experience!

[pecky33]

My Pepper is huge, but lays the tinniest eggs. She’s pretty docile, I enjoy her a lot.View attachment 4017756

Aww Thanks for sharing!

 

[SkyAJK]

To know so much about each individual of our chickens is saying we love them like crazy and spend a lot of time with them. It is so healthy to spend time with our so love chickens because they love us too.

 

[SkyAJK]

My Isa Brown chickens are very personal, some super vocal, tender and love to be held, talk to, give affection and love love to receive affection.

I have a 1 year old hen from Isa brown rooster X Silver laced Wyandotte hen. She is affectionate and very needy for affection, want to be held often, rather demanding it. Whenever I put her down, she looks up at me as if she is say......not enough hugging

My 4 months old hen from Isa brown X Isa brown is independent, jumpy, like to follow me, but not let me hold her. This might change once she started laying egg. Chickens seem to be friendlier once they lay egg.

Now, I mostly have heritage breed, only a few Isa Brown left. I'd love to add that chicken with bear in my flock.

Most likely I will always have a couple of Isa Brown in my flock because they are super sweet, intelligent, vocal, good with communication.

 

[pecky33]

My Isa Brown chickens are very personal, some super vocal, tender and love to be held, talk to, give affection and love love to receive affection.

I have a 1 year old hen from Isa brown rooster X Silver laced Wyandotte hen. She is affectionate and very needy for affection, want to be held often, rather demanding it. Whenever I put her down, she looks up at me as if she is say......not enough hugging

My 4 months old hen from Isa brown X Isa brown is independent, jumpy, like to follow me, but not let me hold her. This might change once she started laying egg. Chickens seem to be friendlier once they lay egg.

Now, I mostly have heritage breed, only a few Isa Brown left. I'd love to add that chicken with bear in my flock.

Most likely I will always have a couple of Isa Brown in my flock because they are super sweet, intelligent, vocal, good with communication.

That’s interesting to me that they are so friendly to you! But I am so happy to hear that, as well!

 

[SkyAJK]

That’s interesting to me that they are so friendly to you! But I am so happy to hear that, as well!

I have an Isa brown came to me about a year old from a rescue farm. She was very nervous and fearful. For many months, whenever I let her out from the run into my general garden, she walked out, then run back into her area, she did not go far from her area. It took her many months to trust that she is in her permanent home now. I am guessing that...she must be feeling sad to have moved from her original home to a rescue farm with many other animals. She was not feeling home there & might be fearful she is losing her home here. She is staying longer outside now, but still get back to her area earlier than the rest.

 

[pecky33]

I have an Isa brown came to me about a year old from a rescue farm. She was very nervous and fearful. For many months, whenever I let her out from the run into my general garden, she walked out, then run back into her area, she did not go far from her area. It took her many months to trust that she is in her permanent home now. I am guessing that...she must be feeling sad to have moved from her original home to a rescue farm with many other animals. She was not feeling home there & might be fearful she is losing her home here. She is staying longer outside now, but still get back to her area earlier than the rest.

Aww. I hope she gets more confident as you nurture your chickens!

 

[SkyAJK]

That’s interesting to me that they are so friendly to you! But I am so happy to hear that, as well!

My Australorp run off whenever I come near her. My Silver laced Wyandotte would say something whenever I try to pick her up, she walks away while saying something...I think she says don't even think about it!

 

[Thorn_shrike]

Hi! I have all sorts of breeds that I’d love to share about! I’m fairly new to chicken keeping but here are all the breeds I’ve owned

-Delaware
-Buff orpington
-Lavender orpington
-Chocolate Orpington (might be an australorp)
-Light brahma
-Silkie
-ISA brown
-EE Wyandotte x
-sapphire gem
-French black copper marans
-bantam mottled cochin
-standard grey cochin
-barred Plymouth rock
-buff chantecler

-Delawares raised inside as chicks from the feed store. The two Delawares are SO sweet and friendly. Both hop on me every chance they get and love to cuddle. Not the biggest I have but definitely flock leaders. Not mean or bullies but can get a little territorial. Not broody, not nest hogs.

-buff Wyandottes were gotten as chicks from the feed store and raised inside. Closer to the bottom of the pecking order, one is always chatting, the other is pretty quiet. The chatty one is friendly and will occasionally jump on my lap to sleep and cuddle, but much more tentative than the Delawares for sure. The second buff Wyandotte does not want to be picked up or held at all and will flap and kick to get away (she’s the biggest chicken I have too, so those kicks and wing smacks hurt). Neither is a bully and will submit to everyone else. My silkie hates them for some reason and they just stand there frozen and let her jump up and peck them on the heads.

-buff Orpington gotten at 8 weeks from a breeder. She was very standoffish at first and was the only one out of her little group that would bite me. As she got older and got used to me she became extremely affectionate and loved to be cradled in my arms and held and talked to. She would fall asleep and purr every time. More skittish than some of my others, tried to bully her sisters the same age but failed. Didn’t like new additions, would chase younger chickens.

-silkies have been hit or miss. I’ve had one out of maybe 15 I’ve owned that wasn’t skittish and actually enjoyed being held. Very broody, to the point of physically harming themselves. Two of mine have gone broody twice in a row and all their flock mates ended up hating them for hogging the nesting boxes. The one I have now is very tiny and nervous, she will run when being picked up but will settle for a little bit and let herself be held. She’s jumped up on me on her own before and fallen asleep, but not often.

-ISA brown, gentle, not cuddly, head of the flock, not a bully. Taught the new girls where to lay eggs, would tidbit for the younger girls, not broody. Was the only chicken I’ve ever had who didn’t bother new additions at all. As long as the didn’t try to take her treats she didn’t care.

-light Brahma, super sweet and cuddly. We call her a pancake chicken because she will get up on your lap and just spread out flat like a pancake. She’ll sit on you all day if you let her. Can be a bully sometimes, but not super bad. Not skittish at all.

-choc orp/auatralorp, one of the biggest of my girls. She’s very curious but not cuddly, it’s like she wants to jump up on me like the others but can’t quite get the courage. Kind of a bully, she hates my silkie and chases her away.

-bcm is about the same as the choc orp but less of a bully. She enjoys being held a little more but won’t jump up on her own.

-both Cochins are very skittish, especially the standard. The bantam bullies younger chickens that will submit but gets picked on quite a bit herself (deservedly I might add lol) neither will jump up on me, the bantam does not enjoy being held at all. Standard is very skittish but likes being held some when you get ahold of her.

-lav orp has one of the best personalities. She’s calm, friendly, cuddly, easy going. She doesn’t get picked on, doesn’t bully, she almost kind of “steps in” when things get too heated between the others. She’s also a lap chicken and will stay on me as long as I’ll let her.

-ee x Wyandotte, very high strung. Paced constantly when not free ranging. Chased all the other chickens for sport. Chased away wild birds in the yard, chased rabbits and squirrels too. She harassed my younger girls so much that I had to rehome her. She didn’t fight or anything, just constantly stressed them out chasing them. She was super sweet when she was younger and would hop up on me and lay over on her side.

-sapphire gem is the only one I’d say doesn’t have a lot of personality. She’s not curious of me at all, will not be held, won’t jump up on me, doesn’t bully, isn’t mean, But is skittish.

-barred Plymouth Rock, lol maybe the funniest girl but also annoying. She’s always under foot and will not run away like some of the others. She just stands there or worse yet she squats and is even harder to move. Jumps up on me all the time, but less interested in “cuddling” it’s a status thing for her. She follows me around and if I stop long enough she pecks me HARD. Hard enough to bruise and leave blood blisters. Not sure what she wants, attention I guess. She was definitely a bully and had to be separated by herself for a few days to knock her down a peg. I thought at one point her fat self would kill my tiny silkie by jumping on her. She’s a lot more meek now thank god. She’s not skittish AT ALL. Out of all my girls she’s the only one that just stands there to be picked up. Even my friendliest chickens walk away a little bit at first. Not her!

 

[pecky33]

Aww ! Thanks for sharing your experience AND the pictures! Your chickens all look very happy and healthy!

I'm so sorry you had to re-home your EE x Wyandott. I've had to do that before and it's heartbreaking after you've raised them.

You didn't mention if your chickens had names, do they?

 

[Thorn_shrike]

Aww ! Thanks for sharing your experience AND the pictures! Your chickens all look very happy and healthy!

I'm so sorry you had to re-home your EE x Wyandott. I've had to do that before and it's heartbreaking after you've raised them.

You didn't mention if your chickens had names, do they?

We sure do love them, they’re all great girls. And yes we’ve named them all!

-Delaware: Willow and Tinkie
-Buff orpington: baby peaches
-Lavender orpington: Luna
-Chocolate Orpington (might be an australorp): Twig (sometimes we call her lemongrab)
-Light brahma: Lilly rose
-Silkie: Gypsy
-ISA brown: Bessie
-EE Wyandotte x: Tillie
-sapphire gem: Eleanor
-French black copper marans: rutabaga (ruty)
-bantam mottled cochin: Stella
-standard grey cochin: noodle bug
-barred Plymouth Rock: Roxie
-buff chantecler: waffle and butters

It was sad, but at that point I was pretty aggravated with her terrorizing everyone else. Everyone was so much happier with her rehomed, they could finally relax.