'Sweetest' / most human friendly chicken breeds

[Titan976]

It will be a while before I get more chickens, but when I do, what breeds have you guys found to be the most human friendly? By that I mean anything ranging from:

Doesn't run from people
to
Likes to follow people around
to
Likes or tolerates human handling

Or is that more of an individual chicken thing versus a breed thing?

Silkies

 

[odchooks]

Our buff Orpington is like a golden retriever. Loves cuddling and she crouches for me pick her up any time I want. She will jump on my daughter’s lap and purr and trill when getting stroked by her ears. My barred rock will follow me around the yard sweetly talking to me but sometimes runs when I try to pick her up. But she will also close her eyes and make sweet trilling sounds when cuddled. The most important thing has been lots of time with them..

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

I saw Silkies at a reptile convention a while back and I love how fluffy they are! I do live somewhere kind of hot so I would worry about that. Buff orpingtons are nice!


I've never heard of most of those! Off to look them up!

Here’s some of my chicks of the breeds I mentioned + Bielefelders and a Wyandotte. They are all wonderful breeds.

Speckled Sussex- Riju

Bielefelder (cockerel)- Mr. Bean

Columbian Wyandotte- Pepper

Welsummer- Cricket (she may be my favorite)

Japanese bantam- Peanut

d’ Uccle (Millie fleur)- Clyde

Easter Egger- Maple (has cross beak)

Oh, and my wonderful langshan, Dolly

 

[Painted Calls]

Bantam Cochins, hands down.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

OEGB hens are vicious. They are loud and chase you and bite when you pet them. I don’t recommend hens. I have had some grad Cochin roos. They have to be given attention a lot. My boy I had would only crow when he wanted me to come hold him. It was ridiculous!!!! 6 in the morning holding this rooster man because he wouldn’t shush!

My OEGB pullet is sweet. Hope she stays sweet. I guess we’ll see.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Bantam Cochins, hands down.

My bantam Cochin cockerel is pretty weary of me, but is still pretty friendly.

 

[Painted Calls]

My bantam Cochin cockerel is pretty weary of me, but is still pretty friendly.

A cockerel should be weary. That means he respects you.

I meant hens.

 

[Lisawbsn]

In my flock my BO, BRs, and Australopes are my lap chickens. GLW is as well, the EEs nope, they are hands off.

 

[Coops Dad]

My EEs are unfriendly and skittish. My New Hampshire Reds, OTOH, are total cuddlebugs who will literally get under my feet until I pick them up and carry them like footballs. Ranking below them are my Marans (Cuckoo and BC), Delawares, Dominiques, Plymouth Rocks, miscellaneous White Leghorn x whatever mixes, the aforementioned EEs and, finally, the sketchiest of all my birds, the White Leghorn. I only have one now. The rest were taken by hawks during the day or owls at dusk. I guess she has reason to be a bit jittery.

I really like the NHRs most of the time. They'll come running when I'm in the pasture and intercept me, run alongside and dart in front of me. Tripping over them instead of stepping square on them is... challenging... especially when I'm toting a bag of feed.

The social butterflies, though, are my turkeys. They're like feathered dogs- the come when called, respond when I bark to them, follow me everywhere (including into the house if they find an open door or window) and beg for treats if we're at the picnic table. Out of 9, two tolerate handling pretty well and one BBB loves being scratched under her wings.

 

[Lilly10310]

I would say my black bantam Cochin. Or my black astralorps. They come running to my every time I go to there pen. And the roosters are friendly to.