In the first year, my pullets have produced extraordinarily well for their size. I always expect to lose egg-laying abilities once the size of the birds increases, but these have continued to astound me.
They are broody...VERY broody.
We originally had a male that attacked once. That's the only chance we gave him. The second male has been a dream. He runs right up to you, will follow you anywhere and will sit and "talk" to you anytime you are up in the coop. You do not have to worry about turning your back at any time because you can bet he will be talking right beside you.
The hens are sweet as well, and in my opinion, are gorgeous!
The birds were naturally this way. I had very little contact with them when they were growing. They grew in the flock setting and were only handled for routine checkups, dusting, and of course show prep.
It takes approximately 2-3 years for the birds to completely finish growing and I know that my male won't get his tail in completely until the end of his second year. The males only get to around 12-15 lbs. so it is not a meat bird. They were not as heavy as I expected them to be (I thought they were actually sick...wasn't used to the "lightweights") but I wouldn't go back to any other breed after having them.
