What are your five favorite breeds and why

[chickenmama109]

lol i may be a little late but mine are.

d,uccles

leghorns

barred rock

rhode island reds

bantams

easter eggers.

lol cuz they are good layers and they are so cute. I really like all types of chickens lol I don't thick theres one that I would turn down.

 

[Conan]

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.
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She's beautiful! I love her color. They really are great little bun butts.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

I haven't met it yet.

My favorite chickens were 50 % red sex link and 50 % araucana.

* Perfect size - small enough to be light-bodied, agile and healthy, but large enough that a rooster actually beat off a hawk.

* Layer of many large eggs of interesting color (greenish).

* Not inclined to go broody.

* Rose comb, which is perfect around here where frost bite is an issue.

*No weird feathering that makes life harder, such as pesky leg feathers that increase the likelihood of mites, dirt sticking and so on; feather crests that obstruct the view and possibly increase the chance of brain damage; silkie feathering or frizzling that compromises the weather hardiness - just plain good ol' normal feathers.

* Completely unaggressive roosters that were tame enough to be picked up.

* Brownish color that probably camouflaged them.

I'd like to make a read breed of them one day! The... Redacauna? The Henrik hen? The... Hmm... I'm open to suggestions...

 

[olayak]

You should get some Belgian Bearded D'anvers. The other roosters don't care a bit about them, ant they have HUGE personalities, despite their tiny size.

Very cool! Thanks!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

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

Nice. You must thing about chickens as much as I do.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

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.
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She's adorable, I've always loved the color red in chickens.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I served scrambled eggs with mini sausages this morning, my husband smiled at me after breakfast... I have a new meaning for "egg tooth."

 

[Clubber1234]

My favourite breeds are:

Silkies (just so cute!!)
Pekin bantam (Nice and cuddly)
Buff Orpington (So big and fluffy)
Cream legbar (they lay blue eggs)
White leghorn (only because I recently had one and it got eaten by a FoX!)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My favourite breeds are:

Silkies (just so cute!!)
Pekin bantam (Nice and cuddly)
Buff Orpington (So big and fluffy)
Cream legbar (they lay blue eggs)
White leghorn (only because I recently had one and it got eaten by a FoX!)

Aww, sorry about your leghorn. Nice group of chickens though.

 

[Folly's place]

Love this thread! I've finally read through it, wonderful!
I have so many favorites, it's not possible to rank them.
Belgian d'Uccle bantams, my first birds in 1992, and still have an ongoing little group.
EE bantams, an unexpected delight that I'm working on, with slate legs and beautiful small aqua eggs.
White Chanteclers, my only white birds, good dual purpose.
SS hens, friendly and beautiful too.
Wyandottes, just about any color.
French Marans and big EEs.
Mary