Is there a breed that you’ve had that you would absolutely not have again?

[chickenenthusiasts5698]

Pretty much any bantams. Especially Polish Cochins and Silkies. They always seem to have poor personalities and don’t seem as hardy as large fowl breeds.

 

[Milkshakeroo]

For the feathered feet reason, I'm not that fond of Cochins. They are lovely, sweet, rather stupid birds but they just don't stay clean. Either it's the messy feet or the messy bums. Even as broodies, which they are happy to do, I'm not a big fan as often they are so large and heavy they crush the eggs accidentally, or trample the chicks. Also, they get hot in the summer. I had one literally keel over from heat stroke one hot summer. I had to hose her under her feathers until she came around. We have plenty of shade, but we also have 95 degree summer days with 98% humidity.

I had that happen to my Isa Brown. She was lying in her side panting in the heat and I thought she would die for sure. Placed her in the sheep’s water trough with her head out for five minutes with her protesting and struggling. Thought the shock of that process would just add to the heat stress and doubly kill her. Placed her wet and soggy in the coop On her side for the night expecting a dead hen in the morning but she was fine. Amazing tough girl. Now days I put a sprinkler on very low pressure out for them in hot weather.

 

[Milkshakeroo]

Mediterranean breeds or any breed with a giant, fleshy comb. My winters are too cold for them. I will say I'm not really fond of the flighty, spooky behavior either. The ones I've had have all been super nice, just a bit dramatic for my taste.

Too true. My Ancona (Italian heritage breed) is really flighty. She has massive combs and wattles but luckily it doesn’t snow in South Australia.

 

[Milkshakeroo]

Not a fan of some just because I've had bad experiances with the roosters.
Black Australorp, and cochin bantam roos, along with polish were the meanest roos I've ever had. I have 2 bantam cochin roos right now that are mean as ever. I don't know if they are just trying to make up for their size or what. Because my large fowl cochin roos were some of the best I ever had. Polish roos ( I've had several) are the same way, but I think polish are just flighty, but beautiful. I have 2 girls right now and they talk a lot, I mean a lot. With the BA I couldn't even leave my porch without a stick (got rid of him real fast). My best experience was with my LF cochin and my white leghorn roo.

Interesting. There is a lot of hate on Black Australorps where I have found them smart, confident and calm. Perhaps it is the genetic lines they come from. I am in Australia and they are an Australian breed so hopefully they are truer in their breeding.

 

[Milkshakeroo]

I just want to say I’m loving this thread! This is my first flock raising chicks. I can already tell you we will be getting rid of a few BR Roos because they take my damn fingers off lol. And I’m very involved with them and have been since day 3 when we brought them home. There’s just too many Roos in the straight runs!!

My girls peck my fingers when I feed them mealworms. It is not malicious, they just think my fingers are big worms. Doesn’t hurt.

 

[AnimalCrazed]

All good! I love reading everyone's experiences!

Let's see... when I first had chickens I had a barred rock who didn't lay very well and had small pointy eggs, so I thought maybe it was the breed. But two years ago I got 4 from a friend and they are way better layers than my first experience so they redeemed themselves... all hatchery stock..

Hatchery cuckoo marans... never fit into the flock super loaners and super mean when broody... the only one I wore gloves with!

My first Australorps were disappointing as far as laying goes... nothing too special... but again hatchery stock

And the silver laced wyandottes I had... well either went broody tons, were pigs, or were ornery with the others... plus I was suspicious that they were the feather pickers because that stopped after re-homing them... hatchery stock again

All of them were nice birds but I sell eggs so I didn't like the inconsistent laying most of all, next time I'll have to try a local breeder for some.

*Breeds I've HAD: barred rock, golden comets, orpingtons, easter eggers, Ameraucana, australorp, wyandotte, cuckoo marans, silkies,
*Breeds I currently HAVE: barred rock, saphire gem, Ameraucana, french black copper marans, golden cuckoo maran, easter eggers, olive eggers
(All from local breeders- except the Barred Rocks and I hatched out the easter and olive eggers)

**I love my French Marans! And I love my Blue Ameraucana rooster... those two together make the most amazing Olive Eggers!!

 

[Naser]

Silkies, I didn't have good success with them
Isa Brown: The lay outside in hidden nests and sleep in nesting boxes, they are so friendly to human they stay outside the door and poo there, they are aggressive to other hens and they stop laying young, that is pity because they are very good layers.
Colombian blacktails: The lay outside in hidden nests and get broody there

 

[AngieDawn]

I was given 10 Ayam Cremanti chicks as a Bday gift a year ago. I found them to be really bigigity and then in the late summer they started dropping like flies. I had beautiful Roos and hens good one day dead or dying the next . Ended up with 2 hens out of 10. And they are goofy. They fly to top of the barn to lay eggs in the eaves ! My coop is new and nest boxes are clean and nice !
my question to you , why would you not have Silkies? I have 12 chicks I’m raising

Silkies. All of my other hens liked a nice high roost which didn’t work for the silkies

The silkies kept to themselves like the snobs in high school.

The rooster was evil. It would come after you from 50 yards away

They always looked dirty

They barely lay

The good points were the hen would happily sit on eggs 365 days a year And they were friendly when they weren’t broody.

 

[BDutch]

I raise Mediterranean-type chickens (Icelandics) with huge combs in Montana just fine. We get weeks of weather under -20. You have to make sure you have a big coop with lots of ventilation. Also, don't keep the water in the coop. (And no, Iceland is not very cold so its chickens don't have special adaptations for living in sub-zero temps.)

I tried silkies and won't get them again. They just couldn't take farm life. I think they are best as backyard pets.

Mediterranean type has to do with the mild climate around the Mediterranean sea. Where I live it simply means breeds from southern Europe. E.g. of Spanish and Italian origin. Like Ancona, Livorno, Minorca and Andalusian.

In general chicken breeds from Mediterranean origine have no foot feathering and big combs.
Iceland is certainly not Mediterranean.

 

[petuniaSD]

... just probably don't get a wheaten maran rooster.

[/QUOTE]
lol!
And sorry it attacked your dad