Chicken Buyers Remorse

[Cattle dog Mom]

For me it would be easier to say which are my favorite breeds because I have raised almost every breed known to man lol. First I love my Ameraucana's from Cackle. They are laid back and friendly, and the black lay deep blue eggs, the lavenders laid green consistently, the offspring from those lay olive eggs. IDK why but I get pretty hens and pretty eggs. Next is my Mottled Java, which are gorgeous and big and friendly. I just love them. Someone gave me two little leghorns that crack me up. I still can't figure out how those little things lay such ginormous eggs! They are lefty and righty which explains their comb angle lol. And I love my Speckled Sussex. They are gorgeous, friendly, curious, and I love them! I wish I could keep more, but these breeds never quit laying this winter. I have never had that happen. So we get an average of 4 to 12 eggs every day and it's just the two of us. So we give them away to neighbors. I plan on crossing my Java rooster (Arnold Schwarzenpecker, who is huge) over the Sussex and Leghorns this year. my Java's hens get very broody, and so do my Ameraucana's.

Past favorites I wish I had more room for are Buff Orpingtons and Deleware. Sweet natured but not total dingbats, and good layers.

Past breeds I will never have again are first and foremost Silkies. I paid a lot of money for show quality Silkies, and they were gorgeous. But in all my years and all my breeds they died left and right no matter what I did. It was horrible, so the few remaining I gave away to 4-H kids. I also did not like the Brahma's, Barred rocks, Wyandottes, and many others that laid poorly or were mean and flighty and this included splash Ameraucana's.

I ordered meat birds this year from Murray McMurray hatchery for the first time and I ended up with what I think is a black Cochin surprise chick. Hope it's not a rooster lol.

Can I see your Java's? (I'm getting 5 Mottled pullets. They will be about 7 months old when they get here.)

 

[icy_flames]

I have a Mottled Java her name is Haja She's very nice but doesn't like to be held. Also chatty!!

 

[CraftyHen]

I have buyer's remorse over my Wyandottes and my Andalusian. My wyandottes never lay and honestly not worth it to me. The one wyandotte that does lay once a week it's ALWAYS in the run and never in the nesting boxes. I can't understand it. She'll be 2 this spring. My andalusian on the other hand, is a MEAN chicken. She literally made my blue splash marans stay in the coop for 2 DAYS in summer because she wouldn't let her out in the run! Thankfully she does lay an egg almost every day in the summer AND it's in the nesting box, but I would NEVER order a Wyandotte or Andalusian ever again.

I understand the frustration and agree Wyandottes are not big layers -at least the ones I've had haven't been. But I am continuously wooed by their prettiness and nice behavior and so there is always going to be at least 1 Wyandotte in the mix. I just adore them.

 

[NatJ]

I'm also going to give Ameraucanas one more chance...maybe if I hand raise them from chicks they'll be kinder? Worth a try.

Maybe try buying them from another source?
Different breeders or hatcheries might have lines with different temperaments.

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

Maybe try buying them from another source?
Different breeders or hatcheries might have lines with different temperaments.

Agree. Especially since a lot of breeders select for disposition, as well as other things.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

She was a boy when I bought her! Craig's List seller said she was a 9 year old male. When I got to know Dylan better, so I could read her leg band, I found out she was hatched in '94. Later, she laid an egg. Lesson, do not believe what guys on CL tell you! But, I have been calling her Dylan since I got her, and she says her name is Dylan, so Dylan can be a girl parrot's name, LOL! She says, "Good Boy", too

We have a hen named Darren. Haha

 

[CraftyHen]

My least favorite breed so far has been California White. They were skittish to a point of being absolute nitwits. Once they were gone, the flock calmed down considerably. Never again.

Had an Australorp at one time and she was the meanest, most hateful chicken I've known. I was disappointed and it put me off Australorps in general for quite a while. I realize though it was just 1 bad bird and will probably try again one day.

 

[shawes]

Silkies.

 

[5templetonchicks]

I don't think I'll get another Orpington. I like our current bird, Sweet Pea, who is a lavender Orpington, but she is kind of a bully to the others and doesn't have much going on upstairs compared to her flockmates haha.

I totally agree. My first Buff Orpington was a sweet hen. So when she croaked, I replaced her with a day old chick. She is the worst hen in my small flock. She torments the others, pecks them, and pecks me if given the chance. She is a good layer, and that is her saving grace. I will not shed a tear if she goes by the wayside.

 

[Avatar Farm]

Wayandottes. EE, and RIR all of them the ones I had were not nice. I had Speckled Sussex to start, had one that was broody, but we had no roo, so I bought some fertile eggs for her to rear. SS did a great job, the chicks were handled a lot. Nasty mean birds. Got a SS roo. He was sweet. Nice boy, they were good layers and got along well. Friendly to people and each other. Roos and hens both, just nice.

Last several years, got into Swedish Flower Hens. Love them too. Pretty than the SS, wait, not prettier, more variety in the pretty. I like them a lot too, personable, beautiful, but they don't lay as well as the SS. not way worse, so no remorse, but a little disappointing, esp as they are less dual purpose, so was hoping for a little more laying.