Gaah! Can't decide...

[babyblue]

I suspect the average leghorn was bred for production not personality. Roosters can be nasty at times cuz they are protective of the flock and anything that is perceived as a threat can set them off. Though I have a Del roo who is used to me and calm. Since you did n't 'get EE's how can you say? There are exceptions to every rule and my BO's are not the friendliest of my flock, the SLW's are. While they are not crazy they aren't handled as much either. I will grant you that all breeds are not the same. So I advise handle your birds, hand feed them, talk to them, let them get used to you. My girls and Nick all calm down when there is something that upsets them and I come out and sit in the yard. Heck I had to shoo them away when I was using my circular saw in the coop.
I have 2 BO, 3 SLW, 2 GLW, 3 Aus, 2 Dom. ( not so friendly), 7 Del and one Del, roo. I also have 5 CM and 1 CM roo, he is very excitable and he is young. And 1 little bantam friz, Frenchy. I have one Aussie who when I sit outside w/ bread will get up on my knee.
I do sing to them but they tend to pass out a lot.

I have handled and worked with these birds from day old chicks, they were kept in the house for 6 weeks, pampered and spoiled, there is no reason for them to act the way they do. they are still nasty unfriendly birds. I feel put down by you telling me I need to handle my birds more and your assumption that I dont do enough with them. sure there are exceptions to every rule but every breed I deal with or friends and family has owned is the same way.​

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

get Australorps

 

[BriteChicken]

Aahhhh! I am Crazy! I went ahead and ordered

All Pullets and one each of:
Black Australorp
Buff Orpington
Delaware
Barred Rock
RIR
Wynadotte

 

[renrag44]

I have a australorp, golden sex-link, rir, and ee. The australorp is my favorite. she laid her first egg 2 days before she was 4 months old and has layed an egg almost every day since. She is almost a year old now and has probably missed at the most 15 days. Great disposition also.

 

[strega78]

I am having the same problem....Where I am at I can only have 5 chickens and no roosters and I am having a hard time deciding what I want to get. I know EE's for sure but I want some variety and probably will be getting 6 lol. To many to choose from lol. I know they have to be able to deal with heat and cold because it gets really hot here during the summer and cold during the winter. I am glad there are several different breeds it just sucks I can only choose 5.

 

[BriteChicken]

Strega I would definitely get a Buff Orp I've heard they are so gentle and if you want an egg laying machine then that's the RIR's and Red Sex links... HTH's!

 

[strega78]

I have a lil girl thats almost 4 so being gentle has to be a big thing (her and them lol). I think I am going to go with 2 EE's, 2 RIR and 2 Buff Orps. I wish I chould have more then 5. I am going to push it with 6. I hate odd numbers. All I know is I can hardly come on here and look at other pics without wanting some lil fuzzy butts and my daughter agrees with me lol.

 

[Freeholder]

You know, when you are talking about chickens and temperament, it's only recently that pet temperament in chickens has become important to some people. Prior to that they were strictly livestock (and still are to most people -- including me, LOL!). It's not like dogs and cats that have been bred for thousands of years to interact closely with humans. Now, people do cull out nasty, really obnoxious livestock, and probably always have except in breeds used primarily for fighting. But you just cannot totally count on getting pet temperament with poultry no matter how they are handled as you raise them. Maybe someday -- I don't know how many generations of selection it will take.

The other thing that you need to realize is that young poultry are normally going to be skittish -- and they should be. In the wild their survival rate would be low to nil if they were friendly and trusting. As they get older, many, perhaps most, breeds will calm down and become easier to handle, friendlier. So you need to have patience with your young birds, handle gently, move among them gently (and never let anyone chase them or scare them). Also keep in mind that they aren't puppies or kittens, they are birds (with bird brains, LOL!). Love them, but don't expect too much caring and concern back. They'll eat each other on very little provocation, and with no concern whatsoever that I've ever been able to detect. They may behave in ways that an observer thinks resembles affection as we understand it, but I'm pretty sure that it's not quite the same thing.

Sorry if this bursts anyone's bubble, but IMO it's better to have both head and feet in reality when dealing with animals. Both you and they will have a better experience that way.

Kathleen

 

[BriteChicken]

I get it. Move very slowly with them and be very gentle but handle them regularly so they get used to you being around them and don't view you as a predator and when they come running to you they are most likely just coming because you give them treats... so I've done my research but I'm sure I'll have more questions once I get my fuzzy butts.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

You're gonna have so much fun! I think you did it right, by getting several breeds. Bloodlines on certain breeds can really differ, so try not to judge the entire breed on your first experience with them.

My husband and I have quite a few breeds, but our favorites are the Cuckoo Marans. The roosters are the gentlest we've had, even more so than Cochins. We just got a spare roo from a friend. I had him quaranteened and just let him out today. My hubby tried putting him in with a couple of smaller, bonded roos once they started roosting. They bullied him and we took him out right away, they weren't even half his size. Then we just let him roam around the isle in the barn. Even after being upset, we can still walk right up to him and pick him up. They are so darn sweet, even if you never handle them. The only drawback to this breed is, they tend to get picked off my predators pretty easily.

Check out my BYC page. On there is a pic of one of my Cuckoo Marans roos. After we would work in the yard, we'd sit under a shade tree and watch the chickens. This roo would always lay down within a few feet of us and nap.