personalities of chickens?

[allpeepedout]

My Barred Rock are extremely bold, friendly, smart, and sensible. My EEs are the opposite ends of the spectrum. The lighter colored EEs, which started small in size but now outweigh the Barred Rock pullets of the same age, are extremely cuddly and curious, really like people, like to be held and petted. My darker partridge type EEs both look wild and act much more wild, although one is coming around and jumped into my lap the other day and no longer struggles when picked up, although runs away to avoid being caught.

I am really happy with these two breeds and they came from the recommendation of a friend who has had a flock of 20-30 birds of many breeds for 20 years. I imagine that in addition to breed the hatchery line has a lot to do with temperament. Mine were from Townline in MI.

 

[wbruder17]

There have been very interesting studies in domestication in animals. One major thing noted was coloration. In foxes, dogs, cows pigs, etc. The more spots and coloration came out in the friendlier, tamer animals. I wonder if this has anything to do with the chickens, as my llighter EEs, buffs are much more friendly than the darker, gamier birds.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I have Buff Orpingtons, they are sweet, gentle and love attention. They lay super big brown eggs and go broody offten! You'll love them! Even my rooster ( who is around 2 ft high! ) is as sweet as can be and will eat out of my hand.

Cochins...well there named almost spells it out for ya! ( Cuddl'in~

)

 

[Batty about Banties]

I have 2 EE who are 10 weeks old and they are the nicest chickens I have had so far. Everytime I walk in the run they both hop on my shoulders and just hang out. One of them though is especially friendly and is fine just walking around with me allday. I didn't spend any extra time with her either. Love them!!

 

[allpeepedout]

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Fascinating! Never heard this. I assumed that my super friendly buff EEs had more genes of heavy production bird, highly domesticated, than the wild partridge ones. (I must add that I'm very happy to have the wilder EEs too, and picked the most undomesticated looking one from the bin of 200 just out of interest.)

Research in humans indicates that redheads are more sensitive to pain. In horses, red colors are thought to be more complex and reactive (beware the chestnut mare! -- but much to love about the red horses and have two), and I have been told that the RIR chickens tend to be more reactive and less people oriented.

 

[teach1rusl]

A lot will depend on your handling them frequently, but of the breeds we share in common: All of my chickens can be easily handled, but my GLW is my most stand-offish. And although she would growl, she never pecked at me when she was broody. My SF - sweet and quirky. My BO - sweet and enjoys lap/petting time. My EE - sweet, enjoyed being petted. My silkies - yet to see, as they're babies now...but I can't recall reading of stand-offish silkies...

 

[Snegurochka]

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That's crazy! My shy EE was partridge, and the calmer one was silver-blue. My rooster's a partridge EE, and he is so easy to startle. Maybe there is something to it!