What is your favorite breed of all time and why?

[mrskenmore]

I love my RIR-only have one and she is very curious and friendly. I have one silver laced wyandotee- she's sweet. I also have Swedish Isbars, cream legbars and German Bielefelders, and 55 Flowery hens. My RIR is a great layer and so are the Bielefelders and cream legbars.

where did you get yours? such unique breeds!

 

[mrskenmore]

My favorite breed is Welsummers because that's all I've ever had.

Are they chatty?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Are they chatty?

Very quiet this winter since egg laying stopped, but some of them are very chatty when they are laying eggs. One of the roosters joins in sometimes, which can be very nerve racking. Sometimes they all start hollering for no apparent reason (practice drill?). If I lived near anyone I would want quieter birds, but on the positive side I think their noise unnerves some predators. I once saw them chase a bear away with their squawking.

 

[Sleepytime]

I like to compete at poultry shows, so my favorites are those that are pretty (to me anyway), easy to handle, good layers (to raise the next generation of show birds) and healthy. I've shown several breeds over the years but have pretty much settled on modern game bantams as the favorite and old English game bantams as second. The moderns are by far the friendliest chickens I've ever owned. I like their small size and the fact that I don't need to bathe them for a show. However, they aren't cold tolerant being that they have so little body fat. The old English can tolerate more cold and come in a huge number of varieties. Most are friendly, in fact, my little pet, Peggy Sue, lives in my house. She's introduced a LOT of local people to just how friendly a chicken can be. She goes to every show with me (to supervise ) and has never spent a night away from me. She went on vacation to the beach with me one summer. My parents buy her a Christmas present every year. I haven't ever owned chickens just for eggs, but got some black large fowl orpingtons last year in a trade and they have laid massive amounts of eggs. They're friendlyish but I haven't spent a whole lot of time with them. I feel like they would probably be very tame if only I had more time. This info might not help you at all, but I was enjoying reading the other posts and thought I'd add my two cents.

 

[mrskenmore]

I like to compete at poultry shows, so my favorites are those that are pretty (to me anyway), easy to handle, good layers (to raise the next generation of show birds) and healthy. I've shown several breeds over the years but have pretty much settled on modern game bantams as the favorite and old English game bantams as second. The moderns are by far the friendliest chickens I've ever owned. I like their small size and the fact that I don't need to bathe them for a show. However, they aren't cold tolerant being that they have so little body fat. The old English can tolerate more cold and come in a huge number of varieties. Most are friendly, in fact, my little pet, Peggy Sue, lives in my house. She's introduced a LOT of local people to just how friendly a chicken can be. She goes to every show with me (to supervise ) and has never spent a night away from me. She went on vacation to the beach with me one summer. My parents buy her a Christmas present every year. I haven't ever owned chickens just for eggs, but got some black large fowl orpingtons last year in a trade and they have laid massive amounts of eggs. They're friendlyish but I haven't spent a whole lot of time with them. I feel like they would probably be very tame if only I had more time. This info might not help you at all, but I was enjoying reading the other posts and thought I'd add my two cents.

Are you kidding? I love your post! I think it is so interesting all of the breeds that are out there and what breed is a favorite and why. I love that you have a chicken named Peggy Sue- she sounds pretty special

And as for Christmas presents... my girls buy both my mom (grandma hen) and my husband (dad) a present every year (a photo calendar of them lol) it is a big hit and everyone looks forward to receiving it. Our girls get one Christmas present from Santa that lasts them the year- 5lbs of mealworms! It is a big hit and well received every year

thank you for sharing your favorite breed!

 

[mrskenmore]

Very quiet this winter since egg laying stopped, but some of them are very chatty when they are laying eggs. One of the roosters joins in sometimes, which can be very nerve racking. Sometimes they all start hollering for no apparent reason (practice drill?). If I lived near anyone I would want quieter birds, but on the positive side I think their noise unnerves some predators. I once saw them chase a bear away with their squawking.

That is pretty funny HenOnAJuneBug!

We once had a very very loud BSL that would scream her head off when she was in the coop and we were in the house and wouldn't let her out. It came to the point where I would crawl on the floor under the windows so she wouldn't see me and start up.

So to say I am a little nervous when someone says the breed is chatty is an understatement! I would love a welsummer- but not if they are going to scream all day long lol!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That is pretty funny HenOnAJuneBug!
...
So to say I am a little nervous when someone says the breed is chatty is an understatement! I would love a welsummer- but not if they are going to scream all day long lol!

I've never noticed that about Welsummers. I really liked them and the dark eggs. However, a Welsummer is the only breed I've lost to heat.

 

[mrskenmore]

I've never noticed that about Welsummers. I really liked them and the dark eggs. However, a Welsummer is the only breed I've lost to heat.

Good to know- chatty and egg songs I can handle- but not goose like screaming! Are they good layers?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

So to say I am a little nervous when someone says the breed is chatty is an understatement! I would love a welsummer- but not if they are going to scream all day long lol!

I don't think one would be a problem. I have close to 30, so sometimes it seems to go on for too long. And btw the roosters are the ones who are the real noisy ones.

 

[blackandtan]

I love brahmas!
Planning on breeding my blue buff columbians, lemon Pyles and golden partridge Brahmas this year.
They are very quiet, friendly, docile, cold hardy, great with kids, make excellent broodies being able to cover lots of eggs as they’re so big, great layers, excellent mother hens and they’re just darn right stunning.
Gentle giants they are!

Here’s some pics of mine
I’m thinking of switching over to brahmas for size and cold hardiness; can anyone tell me how they are in heat? Muddy weather?