What are your five favorite breeds and why

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs, you jinked me today ! I got the biggest kick out of your mouse thread (which I cant find now) and not 10 mins ago I seen a mouse run across the room. Scared the crap out of me !
Favorite chickens ? The ones that eat mice !

Haha, sorry, it should be in the pest and predator forum somewhere. T'is the season for mice to be coming in the house. Get out your traps and prepare to be terrified.

 

[CannedMonster]

They're such funny little birds. I just love them. I don't have a run, but they really don't wander far from the coop. They do like to hang out on the deck and they all fight over the first floor apartment of the cat house (they lay in there, exclusively). I know that I will always have room for them in my flock
What variety do you have? I love seeing all the different colors and patterns.

I have a little bantam red Cochin pullet named Cricket.
But I don’t think she’s 100% pure or maybe she’s just poor quality?
I got her from a friend when she was about 5 or 6 weeks old.
She’s my favorite bird in my flock.
She has a very dark head and hackles and then the rest of her is lighter.
It’s hard to get it in pictures but she has very fine red lacing along the edge of each feather on her body.
The back of her comb is wonky and sticks up.
She was bitten by one of my Wyandottes (since rehomed) and it nearly took her comb off.
She’s super smart and very independent.
She does what she wants lol.
I LOVE my bantam Cochins and I’m excited to get more colors and patterns.

The lighting is better in this picture

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I have a little bantam red Cochin pullet named Cricket.
But I don’t think she’s 100% pure or maybe she’s just poor quality?
I got her from a friend when she was about 5 or 6 weeks old.
She’s my favorite bird in my flock.
She has a very dark head and hackles and then the rest of her is lighter.
It’s hard to get it in pictures but she has very fine red lacing along the edge of each feather on her body.
The back of her comb is wonky and sticks up.
She was bitten by one of my Wyandottes (since rehomed) and it nearly took her comb off.
She’s super smart and very independent.
She does what she wants lol.
I LOVE my bantam Cochins and I’m excited to get more colors and patterns.
View attachment 1593177
View attachment 1593179

The lighting is better in this picture
View attachment 1593180

I have a little Pekin bantam Chloe is her name

 

[micstrachan]

Wonderful thread, and I didn’t even know it was featured until reading through it! I don’t have enough experience in knowing different breeds to participate prooperly, so I’m taking a slightly different spin in my answer.
I’ve had ten hens, ten different breeds. I’m going to call out some features and characteristics I noticed in the thread and share three(ish) breeds from my flock... I do realize they may or may not be typical for their breed.

Beauty
• Brown Leghorn - such beautiful plumage, sleek lines, and I love the floppy comb.
• Speckled Sussex - OMG, stunning base color where the black specks shimmer green and purple. Seriously? And feathers are oh so soft.
• Buff Orpington - This is so ironic, because I picked this breed thinking, “Well, they’re kinda plain, but I want a friendly, docile bird in the mix.” But she is gorgeous! Such a pretty, round, fluffy body and that face!

Overall Personality
• Barred Rock - She is such a cool bird. Asserts her place in the pecking order with just a look. Super calm and confident. Friendly with me and a great talker. Also lap sits (when she’s not molting)
• Buckeye - This girl is so curious! Quite the adventure girl!
• Light Brahma - So clumsy and adorable. But she’s not a push over! When a flock mate plucked at her molting fluffy butt, she literally STOMPED on her back and grabbed her comb. Pretty sure it never happened again. She’s also super easy going and sweet with me.

Sweetest/Friendliest (with humans AND flock mates)
• Speckled Sussex
• Barred Rock
Honorable Mention:
• Brown Leghorn - In reality, she is top hen and is not sweet with the flock. She can be BRUTAL to her flock mates. But... if they are not feeling well, she will watch over them and keep them company. I swear this hen has complex emotions like jealousy and empathy.

Best Layers
• Black Australorp - This girl has NEVER taken a break from laying... not even through molt.
• Wyandotte’s (both SL ad BLR)
• Brown Leghorn

Best Lap Sitters/Cuddlers
• Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
• Buff Orpington
• Black Australorp
• And hold onto your hats, people. My number one, top lap sitter, most affectionate bird is... my Brown Leghorn!

Best Foragers
• Barred Rock (she eats lizards, snakes and frogs!)
• Buckeye
• Black Australorp

High In Pecking Order
• Brown Leghorn
• Black Australorp
• Barred Rock
(all three of them were from the original flock, though. From the younger girls, would you believe my Light Brahma and Buff Orp are highest ranked?)

Funny... my Brown Leghorn made almost every list. But I think my favorite is my Barred Rock. Each and every hen has her own endearing qualities and I love them all!

Other breeds I want:
• Barnevelder - because of beauty and sweetness
• Dark Brahma - beauty and sweetness
• Salmon Faverolle - pink eggs, cuteness and goofiness
• Lavender Orpington - beauty and sweetness
• Blue (or any) Cochin - adorableness
• Ameracauna - blue eggs

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Wonderful thread, and I didn’t even know it was featured until reading through it! I don’t have enough experience in knowing different breeds to participate prooperly, so I’m taking a slightly different spin in my answer.
I’ve had ten hens, ten different breeds. I’m going to call out some features and characteristics I noticed in the thread and share three(ish) breeds from my flock... I do realize they may or may not be typical for their breed.

Beauty
• Brown Leghorn - such beautiful plumage, sleek lines, and I love the floppy comb.
• Speckled Sussex - OMG, stunning base color where the black specks shimmer green and purple. Seriously? And feathers are oh so soft.
• Buff Orpington - This is so ironic, because I picked this breed thinking, “Well, they’re kinda plain, but I want a friendly, docile bird in the mix.” But she is gorgeous! Such a pretty, round, fluffy body and that face!

Overall Personality
• Barred Rock - She is such a cool bird. Asserts her place in the pecking order with just a look. Super calm and confident. Friendly with me and a great talker. Also lap sits (when she’s not molting)
• Buckeye - This girl is so curious! Quite the adventure girl!
• Light Brahma - So clumsy and adorable. But she’s not a push over! When a flock mate plucked at her molting fluffy butt, she literally STOMPED on her back and grabbed her comb. Pretty sure it never happened again. She’s also super easy going and sweet with me.

Sweetest/Friendliest (with humans AND flock mates)
• Speckled Sussex
• Barred Rock
Honorable Mention:
• Brown Leghorn - In reality, she is top hen and is not sweet with the flock. She can be BRUTAL to her flock mates. But... if they are not feeling well, she will watch over them and keep them company. I swear this hen has complex emotions like jealousy and empathy.

Best Layers
• Black Australorp - This girl has NEVER taken a break from laying... not even through molt.
• Wyandotte’s (both SL ad BLR)
• Brown Leghorn

Best Lap Sitters/Cuddlers
• Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
• Buff Orpington
• Black Australorp
• And hold onto your hats, people. My number one, top lap sitter, most affectionate bird is... my Brown Leghorn!

Best Foragers
• Barred Rock (she eats lizards, snakes and frogs!)
• Buckeye
• Black Australorp

High In Pecking Order
• Brown Leghorn
• Black Australorp
• Barred Rock
(all three of them were from the original flock, though. From the younger girls, would you believe my Light Brahma and Buff Orp are highest ranked?)

Funny... my Brown Leghorn made almost every list. But I think my favorite is my Barred Rock. Each and every hen has her own endearing qualities and I love them all!

Other breeds I want:
• Barnevelder - because of beauty and sweetness
• Dark Brahma - beauty and sweetness
• Salmon Faverolle - pink eggs, cuteness and goofiness
• Lavender Orpington - beauty and sweetness
• Blue (or any) Cochin - adorableness
• Ameracauna - blue eggs

I have a Barnavelda and she is the most sweetest little girl you ever knew
May I also suggest getting a Sussex also very sweet and a Ancona gorgeous birds and they really do take your breath
Also get a New Hampshire red a really sweet temper
Have fun getting your new stock

 

[fur-mum]

I only have four favorites at the moment, but a huge list of wants...

1) Silkie - sweetest little puppy dog bird would follow me around the yard talking, and the best t-rex run of anyone!
2) Bantam cochin - love the fluffy butts and Charlie Brown run!
3) EE - egg color of course, but... beards and muffs!
4) Orp - sweet, docile, and of course runs like a chubby grandma in pantaloons

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I only have four favorites at the moment, but a huge list of wants...

1) Silkie - sweetest little puppy dog bird would follow me around the yard talking, and the best t-rex run of anyone!
2) Bantam cochin - love the fluffy butts and Charlie Brown run!
3) EE - egg color of course, but... beards and muffs!
4) Orp - sweet, docile, and of course runs like a chubby grandma in pantaloons

That’s hysterical the part about the chubby grandma in pantaloons lol

 

[path.otto]

Best Foragers
• Barred Rock (she eats lizards, snakes and frogs!)
• Buckeye
• Black Australorp

I laughed when I read this cause my sweet, purring, Buff is such a killer! She is the only one I have ever seen eat a frog, a snake and a multitude of grasshoppers and other large insects! She takes such great delight in parading her catch and then being chased by the rest of the flock!

 

[micstrachan]

I only have four favorites at the moment, but a huge list of wants...

1) Silkie - sweetest little puppy dog bird would follow me around the yard talking, and the best t-rex run of anyone!
2) Bantam cochin - love the fluffy butts and Charlie Brown run!
3) EE - egg color of course, but... beards and muffs!
4) Orp - sweet, docile, and of course runs like a chubby grandma in pantaloons

Great descriptions... I can definitely sense the love!

 

[micstrachan]

I laughed when I read this cause my sweet, purring, Buff is such a killer! She is the only one I have ever seen eat a frog, a snake and a multitude of grasshoppers and other large insects! She takes such great delight in parading her catch and then being chased by the rest of the flock!

Occasionally someone finds a potato bug, and it is quite the parade scene! LOL!