Friendly chicks and chicken temperments

[Bokbok]

I was wondering if people noticed some breeds of chicks were friendlier than others. For example, the Buff Orpingtons are so friendly they emmediately walk up and sit in my hand. The Australorps are curious but wary, and will eventually also perch on my hand, but never with the comfort and calm of those yellow little Orpingtons (the Orpingtons will put up with just about any amount of petting). And the auracaunas that I thought were going to be the friendliest just about lose their minds if I stick my hand in the box. I specifically got that breed just to have a friendly bird. Do things change later in their lives, or is this the basic temperment of my chickens from here on out. Any thoughts?

 

[kstaven]

There is a tendancy with different breeds to be friendlier. But like with any animal, time, patience, trust and slow no threatening movements can make a huge difference. Of course you always get the odd one that is never going to settle.

Orpingtons I have been in contact with tend to be like big friendly puppies.

 

[TheBigWRanch]

My Delaware was the friendliest bird to me, he would follow me around, and sit in my lap, but if anyone else came into the barn yard, he would go crazy and attack them! I thought it was funny, but of course no one else did.

 

[PDJTP2006]

Quote:
I had a Delaware hen she was the sweetest thing. But yea I have a 5 week old Buff Orp and shes the nicest of all of them

 

[speckledhen]

You just can't beat Buff Orps and Barred Rocks. My Barred Rocks, including my BR rooster, are very sweet birds. I have different color Orp chicks in the nursery coop right now that are four weeks old and they are nowhere near as friendly as the Buffs, which surprised me. BUT, hands down, I adore my Barred Rock girls above all. Even the chicks that I have that are crossbred BR's, all with BR moms and two different roos as dads(Cochin and Phoenix dads) are extremely bright, friendly, inquisitive and are all over me when I walk into the nursery coop. I plan to concentrate on the BR's and Orps almost exclusively in the future. Great layers as well.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

I would have to go with my favorite ex-large brown egg layer my black sex-link she is the friendliest.

 

[bigzio]

Bokbok, My favorite is the Light Brahma they are the best!

Any movements one makes around chickens needs to be in slow motion.
Moving fast in any way freaks them out. When I reach into nest talking softly
and letting them know in advance seems to help.

bigzio

 

[mudhen]

Bokbok , I have had a Danish Brown Leghorn that was adopted from an animal shelter for about three years. She is sweet and friendly (and now a good mom to the MM chicks).
IMHO, with what little I have experienced so far with my 10 day old chicks:
The Buff Orpingtons seem to be the smartest and friendliest and most easily adaptable!

 

[Bokbok]

Now the chicks are 6 weeks old, and I still love those Buff Orpingtons the most. They are still quite friendly and want to know what I'm doing all the time. And they are the best looking, I am surprised at how soft the feathers LOOK. The texture is very pretty. What I find most unusual is how different all the "Ameracaunas" or "Auracanas" (whatever they really are, who knows) look from each other. Some are practically black, some look just like a hawk, some have gorgeous orange feathers with longish looking ones that hang about the neck. Some are just brown and homely. I really rather expected them to be more uniform, but as I do more research I find that the "Ameracauna" breed is ambiguous at best.

 

[cookie_chick]

i dunno

my chick started following me around without a noise in the last 4 days

she even sits on mi shoulder from her coop to the laundry where she sleeps

i dont know what breed she is

i got her for a school assiment

she was golden but now shes going red
so i think its the way you raise them not the breed



Cookie_Chick