good things about commercial egg laying hybrids

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Is there anything good about them besides their egg laying ability? I do not like mine, they are very mean, if I try to pick them up they scratch and flap for all they're worth. I actually have cuts from them. They avoid me like the plague, and they aren't the prettiest chickens ever.

Whereas in contrast, my Sumatras are very nice for their breed, they flap very little and only scratch if I spook them, and they don't avoid me (yes I know I'm only contrasting to 1 breed but that is the only breed I have a lot of).

Now keep in mind that these birds were raised in the same conditions, so it is their breed (technically the commercial hybrids aren't a breed) that is giving them these personalities.

So my question is: do any of you like the commercial hybrids for anything other than egg laying?

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

I like mine very friendly... are you talking about brown or white egg layers... My browns are the calmest chickens I have seen the white on the other hand are very easly spooked but they are friendly.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

I am talking about brown egg layers. The feed store advertised them as Golden Comets (something like that) but my Red Stars that I have are the same as the the Golden Comets.

 

[wilds of pa]

Hey were they chicks or started birds?? Try given them lots of treats by hand and talking to them while giving.... they will trust you sooner or later. we Have some friends with some red type sex links and he loves um..lots and lots of eggs..but vairy friendly and he hand raised to sort of say..

Charlie

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

These were chicks but they weren't very young. I treated them the same as the other chicks. And I also got an Australorp and a Brahma from the feed store, same age as the hybrids, the Australorp is nice and so is the Brahma.

 

[linebacker]

My production blacks (white egg layers) are very skittish compared to my other chickens. They will take treats out of my hand but hate to even be touched, let alone picked one up. I have read where even the same breed can come from different lines and one line be calm and the other be extremely skittish.

Brad

 

[wilds of pa]

Maybe they are just more high strung..to sort of say..I know my araucana are crazy while growning out, but once adults they seem more easy going after a year or so..

Charlie

 

[patandchickens]

Depends on the line.

FWIW I had 3 (now just 1) ISA Browns, bought as pullets just starting into lay not as chicks, and although they were rather skittish at first and required some taming, were never aggressive at all and turned out to be REALLY sweet friendly nice birds.

I would say you just got unlucky.

Pat

 

[ginasmarans]

I always found my red stars to be friendly,curious birds. Even my white leghorns are fairly calm. Several went broody this year. They make good mothers.

 

[chiknlady]

my RSLs are friendly, good foragers and lay like clock work and one is laying Jumbos!! They were my first chicken babies in more than 20 years so I admit they were spoiled and hand fed. Really interactive.... and they love crickets