Temperaments of different breeds?

[chickenkate]

What are the MOST docile, hostile, friendly, and shy breeds? And can you have a flock of mixed temperaments?

 

[seedcorn]

Most docile...tie between silkies/cochins

Flighty..leghorns

Hostile...standard games roosters/hens; they aren't taking any crap from anyone or anything.

 

[sandypaws]

yes.. as long as you give them a big enough area.. i have several small fenced in areas (keep some pure breeds seperate) and one huge yard for all my other birds... i have chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas all mixed together.. but they are in an area of about 150 feet by about 250feet.. 6 foot chainlink fence and several houses and trees for them..
minorcas, cochins, brown egg layers, EEs, banties etc.. all live very well together..

 

[chickylou]

We researched a little bit before ordering our hens because we have six kids and we want them to have a good part of choring with chickens, naming them and hopefully holding them a bit.

Buff Orpingtons
Austrolopes
Barred Rock

Each site I read, each book I read and people I spoke with and especially folks on this site all mentioned their docile personalities.

We'll find out! We're getting 5 of each of these in April!

 

[Mourningdove]

Quote:
when you say flighty for the leghorns what do you mean? Are they mean? My cousin swears by them and I am thinking about getting a rooster?

 

[moduckman]

Leghorns aren't a bad breed. The entire class of birds is a bit flighty. Leghorns, like Minorcas and Anconas are bred to forage on their own, lay eggs and stay fit and trim. Like the Hamberg's in the continental class, these birds can be a bit more high strung, depending less on humans and more on their wits. Now the production-type leghorns are often easily handled. In short, they are not mean,just scare easily - probably in the shy category. I'll take my chances with leghorns way before I trust an Ancona or Minorca to be gentile.

Standard fighting games are mean, but not the old english bantam variety. Modern games tend to be docile. Cochins and silkies as well as wyandottes have no choice. I think they are more or less lazy. d'anvers can be classified in both friendliest and hostile. My hens are sweetheart. A coule of the roosters bounce off my leg everytime I enter the barn.

Polish... well, their polish. They have the ability if handled to be quite docile

 

[sandypaws]

flighty = not mean, but not friendly... you walk into the house/coop and they will all sqwack and "fly" away from you... you have to CATCH them, and when you do they act like you are killing them....
there are always exception to the rules... but most of the leghorn TYPES are like this.. minorcas, andelusians ect

 

[Mourningdove]

moduckman thank you for the great explaination!!!

 

[Mourningdove]

sandypaws thank you!

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
what sanypaws said.......