Please tell me the top 3 best layers and gentlest hen breed out there.

[Dilly]

I am curious what you guys think is the top 3 best layers and sweetest hens for a lady to get. I am scared to death of roosters, so please the sweetest chickens I can find.

ALso, please tell me if your choices are considered large breed or medium, as I do not want the banties little girls.

DIlly

 

[MissPrissy]

Buff Orpingtons
Barred Rocks
Wyandottes

All heavy breeds that lay nice brown eggs.

 

[Chirpy]

Supposedly there are no large and medium breeds - they are all standards. (Having said that, there's another thread on here talking about show birds that are bred and much larger than their 'standard' counterparts.)

Anyway - the best egg layers are any of the sex-links and leghorns. Other good egg layers are Australorps, Orpingtons and Barred Rock. I know there are other good egg layers and people here will chime in to give their experiences.

As far as the sweetest breeds ... that's a personal opinion question and you will get lots of different answers. My red sex-link, australorps and Rhode Island Red (RIR) are all very sweet and don't mind ever being picked up by myself or my children. I've heard many times that Orpingtons and Barred Rocks are sweet also but I don't have experience with them ... yet.

Also, there are always exceptions to any breed. You may get a known sweet breed and have a rogue hen that's a meanie. Or, you might have a breed that's known to be flighty or less good natured and have a hen that follows you everywhere and wants your attention. My leghorns and SS Hamburg are all three that way - they are flighty breeds but all let us pick them up and 'love' on them.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Best layers are Leghorns and some of the production breeds, like Golden Comets, Red, and Black Sexlinks.

Friendly, it depends...some folks have Leghorns that are friendly,but mine acts like I'm trying to kill her even though she's been here almost 5 years. Brahmas are nice; Jersey Giants, and folks swear by their Orps, Australorps,and Rocks.

They all come in Standard and Bantam sizes.

 

[Featherland]

Any of my Rocks (barred, partridge, buff) are gentle and friendly and great layers.

Black Austrolorpe (gentle and friendly and great layer)

Buff Orpington (my most gentle and friendly and good layer)

 

[wynedot55]

blk austalopes white leghorns an golden comets or cinnomon queens are all heavy layers.

 

[stilwellchick]

Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Cochins (except cochins aren't very good layers) All will be friendly if you handle them a lot as chicks, hand feed them and spend time with them. I have a mixed flock, all very friendly, come when I call them and like to sit in my lap and be pet. The only one that is stand offish I got as an adult from an auction and was not used to a lot of human contact. I know you'll love them, good luck with your new hobby.

 

[HorseFeathers]

Barred Rock
Buff Orpington
Black Australorp

All sweet and calm and great layers!

 

[Cetawin]

Black Australorp
Wyandotte
and
Buff Orpington (large brown eggs)
or
Faverolle (medium brown eggs)

 

[Tutter]

In my flocks, the birds to fit the bill

for both gentle birds and good layers, would be: Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, and Black Australorps.

They are heavy breeds.