what do you like about the various rocks, buff orpingtons, astrolorps?

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

We have 3 Buff Orps, 1 Australorp and 1 Cochin

I have two BOs that are the sweetest things. Not shy at all. But my biggest one prefers we not try to touch her. She has ALWAYS been this way. But I have to catch Audrey now. I open the coop or run door and she takes off for the house!

Natalie, our BA isnt friendly, but she isnt shy either. She took over the "rooster" position when we rehomed our Partridge Rock roo a month ago.
I Love holding them all though(even the ones that prefer I not touch them. But Audrey will sit on my lap for hours to be patted. Just like our cats.

 

[chickenlickin8]

I love my black Australorp "Molly". She was my first to start laying at 4 1/2 months old and she is very consistent. Good egg size too. Besides that, she is very sweet. I pet her and she jumps in my lap. My red star lays the biggest egg.....extra large! Also a sweetie.

I raised them all from little day old fluff balls so all my girls are all pretty tame.

 

[sunnychooks]

I have Barred, White, Partridge and Buff Rocks. I don't like the Buffs at all. They are hard to handle and not particularly good layers. The Partridge lay small eggs (they will be 1 year old in March) and I feel that don't want to put that much time and $$$ into a chicken waiting for their eggs to increase in size. The Barred Rocks are really nice. I have one that's a bit "vocal"

. They're very friendly and can be handled easily. My favorites are the Whites. They seem to start laying earlier than the rest (mine do, anyway), their egg size is decent, and they are very docile and friendly. I've had three separate groups of Whites and I've been very happy with all of them (I'll be getting more Barred and Whites this spring). They also tend to go broody and make good Moms.
As with anything, there are always individual variations in charactorists and personality. I've never had BOs, but I'm getting some this spring because I've never heard anything bad about them. It seems that everyone who has them really likes them alot.

 

[donnaIL]

I started with White Rocks, currently have 5 pullets and 1 cockerel. They are docile, and good layers, started laying at 18-20 weeks and egg size got large fast. They continue to lay well this winter. I did not handle them very much when they were chicks, so they do not really like to be handled. The cockerel has tested me a couple times, but he always backs off. They have a sweet, kinda shy personality. I Like them.

I got 2 Barred Rocks from Ideal this fall (along with many other types), I handled these chicks alot more, and they tolerate, some even like being picked up. The BR chicks would look up at me from the brooder, like they were asking to be picked up---they are I think even more docile and sweeter than the WR. I hope they will lay as good as the WR.

 

[HorseFeathers]

Quote:
Our Aussie Olympia fits all descriptions above... except she's light as a feather! Skin and bones, but she eats so much. No she's not sick, just light and always has been.

Our Plymouth Barred Rock Phoebe is awesome and sweet; however the breed had a very loud, piercing high scream when they want something.

We had a BO Brunhilde who was the BIGGEST FATTEST hen I have ever seen, but SO sweet. She didn't lay for us and we only had her a short while but she quickly became flock leader, not because of bullying, but SIZE! She almost never yelled.

 

[cluckychick]

I have australorps and buff orps. My dh prefers the buff orps because they are nice and friendly and easy to catch and like to be held. My aust. are kinda stand offish.

 

[CityChook]

I have 4 Buff Orps, about 8 months old now. They were slow to begin laying (about 26 weeks) but have consistently laid since late November. I vary between 3 and 4 egg days, even with our sub-zero temperatures and low light days. As another poster said earlier, they are BIG birds and eat/drink/poop a lot. Absolutely zero signs of aggression. I adore these silly biddies and hug each one of them every day. They are goofy, but absolutely trainable and very calm.

I have young children too (I have a Nora too) and my recommendation would be to have the kids handle them every day, regardless of what breed you choose. I think it teaches respect - both ways. That said, chickens are remarkably FAST and love shiny things and earrings/eyeballs/red pedicures would fit into that category. Just use your brain and there shouldn't be a problem.

ETA: The lower photo was taken in September and that hen is EASILY 50% larger now. B-I-G.

 

[crazy hen quartet]

I have an Aus, and I must have gotten the oddball out because she is mean, loud and skittish and doesn't lay. We have actually nicknamed her our loudmouthed freeloader and she is headed for the oven or a new home if something doesn't change quick. I'm really tired of her bullying and chasing my dear, sweet EEs and then not even making it worth it by laying. Amusingly she is not at the top of the pecking order, my BR is and she leaves her alone, only picks on the EEs.

Anyway, I'm planning on adding a BO and a CQ to the flock in the next week or two, I'm hoping the sheer size of the BO will put miss Aus in her place but I'm not so sure.

If I could catch her, I would carry her around in front of the other girls...

 

[modenacart]

My BO and BR are both great chickens. I think the BO lay more eggs and larger ones. Both have a dominate one that is very noisy and are mean to the smaller chickens when it comes to food. Otherwise when they are just hanging around they are very nice to each other.

 

[crazy hen quartet]

AH ha ha! Well, I can't believe it but I was outside pulling the weeds out of my dichondra with my DH and he says with astonishment "Wilma (our loudmouthed freeloader) just layed an egg!" and I said no, you must be mistaken, she just likes to eat the alfalfa in the nesting box. I'm sure it is someone else's egg. Well, she hops out of the box and there is a warm, moist little beige egg.. that looks nothing like any of my other girls eggs.
So, Wilma the loudmouthed freeloader is now just Wilma the loudmouth.