What are the friendliest and best eggs producers

[AUChickenGal]

My Speckled Sussex is by far my friendliest; she's also the most beautiful of my girls. However, she is not a great layer (4-5 eggs per week last summer; she molted in October and has yet to resume laying). I tell her all the time that she's lucky she has other charms.

My best layers are generally my least friendly chickens - my Easter Egger (who was unfortunately killed by a dog a couple of months ago) laid 6-7 per week and only took 2 weeks off when she molted, but she was flighty and not fond of being handled; my Rhode Island Red has only taken three days off since she started laying, right before Christmas (during the shortest days of the year!), and she's quite stand-offish as well.

YMMV

 

[jthornton]

I have 9 Rhode Island Reds 24 weeks old and most of them will nap in my lap, all will hop up on my legs from time to time. I get 9 eggs a day. Not very large yet but they are getting bigger each week.

JT

 

[jeria]

I wonder if it doesn't just depend on the individual chicken's personality, this is my first little flock. I have 2 EE's and a barred rock, all teens and just started laying. The barred rock was the cuddliest as a baby but now as a teen acts like she wants attention but backs away and fusses if you pick her up. One of the EE's actually begs to be picked up and will jump into your arms when I open the coop door. The other EE loves attention but doesn't like to be held much at the moment. The EE roo is friendly and pretty calm he likes to be carried around also, he is being re-homed to a friend's in the country as roos are not allowed in the city. They are all chatterboxes.

 

[jthornton]

My first group the brooder was a top open so when I did cleaning or other chores they all went running. Just before they were killed by a dog I got one RIR to sit in my lap (both Barred Rocks were lap chickens from the get go). Mostly they were scared and would not let me get close.

The current group I changed the brooder so it was front open and entered on their level. This group turned out totally different and I've had 6 on my legs and lap at once.

This shows the modification I did to the brooder.

JT

 

[HoopyFrood]

The current group I changed the brooder so it was front open and entered on their level. This group turned out totally different and I've had 6 on my legs and lap at once.

Great video! And nice brooder! Ours are totally lap chickens, too. Though we can no longer do five at once, obviously... but when they were small!

 

[jthornton]

Great video! And nice brooder! Ours are totally lap chickens, too. Though we can no longer do five at once, obviously... but when they were small!

Nice birds, mine went through a phase when they started laying they would not sit on my legs or lap but that is over with now.

I put my feet on a bucket and they line up like birds on a wire lol.

JT

 

[HoopyFrood]

Nice birds, mine went through a phase when they started laying they would not sit on my legs or lap but that is over with now.

I put my feet on a bucket and they line up like birds on a wire lol.

JT

Too fun! We cannot wait for warm weather to return so we can goof off with them like that again! Enjoy time well spent with your feathered friends