What breed will you never have again? Me? It's...

[bunnibird55]

Gee, someone said they don't like golden comets - they are some of the nicest hens I own - particularly Spice Girl, Lacey and Myrtle - they just want to be held all the time. My New Hampshires are the sweetest birds - well except when Mama wants to be held, it does not matter what you are doing, you stop and hold her. NH's Penny, and Meg are sweethearts too! My roos, wonderful fellows to people and the hens alike. King Strut is the daddy to Ike and Mike and the King keeps everyone in line. Mike is my personal favorite and just loves to be carried all over the farm! We did have one NH roo, Mistew Woostew who turned out to only like my DH and me. He met his demise when I had my foot operated on last winter and my DD had to come in to take care of everyone for me. Mistew Woostew flew at her to spur her one time too many - when she had the metal feed scoop in her hand - she swung it and that was all for him. She was terribly upset, I was devastated, but his son King has all of the good qualities plus he knows I am the leader and he will NEVER take people on as long as you don't hurt his hens. He headed at me once and I stalked him and stared him down and he has never done it again. I have some Bantam Buff Cochins - and lets just say all seven of the roos are named Clarence 1, Clarence 2 and so on - my father in law lives in a mobile home on our farm, his name is Clarence, he is 95 years old, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet and is the orneriest, most disrespectful man to women I have ever known! Now you understand why all the snotty little Cochin roos are named after him!!!! My little Cochin hens are a bit shy - wouldn't you be too if you had a bunch of Clarences running around?! My one little cochin hen, Princess (my granddaughter named her) is sitting on a nest of eggs and we have an understanding - I won't bother her and well, I won't bother her! I have 30 more that are not named and are a bit on the shy order, they follow me everywhere but don't like to be held as much, so I think it just depends on the individual. Look at the differences in the human race- some people are just born mean, or shy, or loving, or gentle - it's all in the genes!

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I've seen a few bash, red sex links and I think they are great, nice and friendly, great layers! I would love to have more of them. I think it's all personal experience and how the bird is raised. Thanks

 

[mom2to]

i hated my polish roo. he was scared of everything. couldn't do anything with him. once he flew on top of the coop about 15 ft high and wouldn't come down when it was time to go back in the coop. i got the lead but he decided to come down before he got the diet. i sold him and he was rehomed to the cooking pot. no more polish

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

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Hey, at least he wasn't agressive!

 

[chickenzoo]

I love all my Polish, Silkies & Salmon Fav...................... the only breed I wouldn't really have again and I've had a lot of breeds...... even though I like them, are probably Frizzles. It seems like every Frizzle I own gets picked on by their straight feather companions...............it's hard to find the right pairing with a mate that won't pick them to death..... but other than that I love them....

 

[chickenguru]

I don't think I will bother with the polish again. I got 5 from my SIL last year. Her and her husband said after they got them their chickens quit laying. So, I went and picked them up
and put them in my quarintine pen when I got home. 30 days later and no eggs from the polish, I moved them to the pen with my SLW's who are daily layers. My hens quit laying the next day.
After another week or two of getting no eggs from either the polish or my SLW's I gave the polish to a good friends son who really liked those "cool chickens." Within the week my SLW's were back to laying and the friends were getting all the eggs they needed out of the polish that I had about decided were roos.

 

[Gallus_domesticus]

Barnevelders from Ideal. Poor coloring, temperament, laying ability, egg color. Oh, and one of them is the loudest hen I've ever had, honking and carrying on all day. I will eat my words if they keep laying all winter, but I doubt it...

I've heard wonderful things about REAL Barnies though, but these have left such a bad taste in my mouth that I don't think I will bother.

 

[Illia]

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Shouldn't that go for ALL hatchery birds?

 

[fowlman01]

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Generally REAL examples of a breed (bred to the ABA/APA Standards) Look different, act different and out produce these hatchery mongrels. Doesn't anyone notice that they are skinny, have shallow bodies are too tall for the breed and the tails stick straight up in the air? In the old days when chickens were used for the family food, those kinds of chickens were considered "un-thrifty" and were immediately culled. If you have a chicken that is shallow and narrow, it does not have the proper capacity for the organs and just does not do well. Along with that, hatcheries don't really care about temperament, so you end up with these loony birds. Real breeders consider temperament, since no one likes a mean chicken.

Walt Leonard

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Shouldn't that go for ALL hatchery birds?

NO, it shouldn't. My dark brahmas are some of the finest-looking, best temperment dark brahmas I have seen anywhere. I have had poultry judges confirm my suspiciions that my dark brahma roo is show quality. I won't ever show him, because I don't want to put him through the stress or risk disease being introduced to my now closed flock.
It is entirely possible that the breeder of certain birds, that supplies eggs to the hatchery, are concerned about the standard for that breed and are working on improving their line.

Please don't turn my thread into a debate on breeder vs. hatchery quality. I already acknowledged in my first post that my SFs are hatchery quality.