I am new to chicken-raising, and due to some unfortunate events, we have lost (or killed and eaten) 7/12 of our first flock of chickens. We are now left with 4 RIR pullets and 1 unknown rooster, all six months old. We will be ordering six more chickens from Murray McMurray. We live in Massachusetts, so we are going to get winter-hardy birds. (Barred Rocks and Wyandottes). Now to my question: is there a behavioral difference between Golden Laced Wyandottes and Silver Laced ones? I am one of three kids, both my sisters are under 10, so we need a docile and friendly breed of hen. Which one should I pick?
Never had a wyandotte! Kid friendly breeds I have experience with: Brahma Cochin Plymouth Rock Silikies Orpington (I have heard from other people)
So sorry for your loss. I have a SLW and a GLW, both are sweet though the SLW is a bit more independent. There is always a pecking order though, regardless of what type of hen it is. My head hen is my BR. And she can be quite the wench, especially with the younger wyandottes. Honestly, I think in pretty much in many breeds, it depends on how much human contact they get, and their unique personalities. Good Luck!
I have a silver-laced and a golden-laced wyandotte, and I don't see any difference in their personalities. They are both fairly aloof, even though they've been handled a lot. They are tame and calm, though, and seem like they'll both be pretty good layers. Our youngest child is 6 years old, and they're no bother to him. As far as I'm concerned, the golden-laced is much prettier...
Quote:I wanted to get some Orpingtons, but since I live in MA when it's cold, I decided that they might not do well in the cold weather. I can't do Silkies because they often go broody. Since Cochins have feathers on their feed, I can't do that, either...
If you check through the posts on breeds, you will find a post that lists Henderson's breed chart. This chart lists Orpingtons as a cold hardy breed, and also a breed that lays eggs well as long as they have adequate light. A friend has a whole pile of Orps, and his are doing fine. They are friendly and gentle. I have Brahmas that are also docile and cold hardy, and are laying like crazy. My cousin has Barred rocks, which also are a cold hardy gentle breed. Hers are molting right now. BTW, we are all in Maine. Hope this doesn't confuse you. Good luck......
