What is your favorite chicken breed?

[LabreeskaL]

My favorite is the Barred rock chickens. I love their personality and how easy going they are.

 

[-BOGGS-]

My favorite is SL wyandottes, nice talkative eye candy ...if they are happy they tell you, if there mad they let you know..they can be held but also want there space..now that I think about it..they kinda have the same characteristics as my wife

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My top favorite is Leghorn for tons of eggs excellent free ranger. Can be flighty.
Eye candy is my EE/OE flock and egg color also excellent free ranger. Also flighty.
Marans, social lap birds, beautiful eggs and great dual purpose.
Dark Cornish, they don't lay as well but certainly have a great personality. Docile hardy breed. Never had an issue with roosters and they all are lapbirds. Fair dual purpose more so meat than eggs.
Orps most everyone's favorite. good dual purpose like the English lines better.

 

[mcdaid72000]

I love Faverolle. They are gentle, docile chickens. I have had a couple breeds. Leghorns when I was little. Now have had Faverolle, Ameraucana, Marans, Blue Andalusian and a Production Red, but favorite is still the Faverolle breed.

 

[K813ZRA]

This is not an easy question. I have answered it, in ways, before. I have a fair few breeds of bird and I am not sure I could say I have a favorite because I like different things about different birds. That said...

Easter Eggers: I have only four of these, from TSC, and I love them very much. They are outgoing birds, forage well, are friendly and lay fairly well. I think if I could only have one type of bird it would be these.

Welsummer: This is another breed that I like. Just like my EE's they are friendly, decent layers but not as good as the EE's and forage well. However, mine have proven not to be as hardy. I have lost a few over the past year and they are only going into their second season. That could be poor stock and not an issue with the breed itself, in fact I am sure that is what it likely is (all of my birds are simply hatchery stock). Anyway, I think I like this almost as well as the EE's

Buff Orpingtons: These were my first birds and they are very, very friendly. I mean they follow me around the yard like dogs. They squawk if I forget to let them free range when I get home. They are okay layers at best. Oh, and they eat like a horse! If you want to save money on food then these are not for you. These are a very close third, simply because I like how they act.

Barred Rock: I only have one so take it for what it is worth. She is a very nosy chicken who is always checking out what the other birds are doing (and the dogs and the people too). She lays okay and is quite friendly. Small and seems to not eat as much as the other birds. I'd like to give more of these a go in the future.

Rhode Island Red: These are good working birds. They lay very well, are not flightly but are not overly friendly. They eat a moderate amount compared to my larger Orps but about average compared to everything else, I'd suppose. Not only do they lay well, they lay all year. Maybe they take a few weeks here and there but these are the birds that give me eggs in the winter. If my goal was egg, these would be my go to.

Black Australorp: These birds are about on par with my RIR's in terms of temperament. That is to say, they are not flightly or skittish but not really friendly either. They lay better than the orps but not as well as the RIR's. I could take these or leave them.

Blue Ameraucana: These birds are so very pretty! My Roo is very tolerant of humans and dogs. Never once has he charged or spurred (knock wood). The ladies are very hit and miss though! A few are very skittish, a few are fairly friendly and a few are like "look but don't touch". They are okay layers. I have one that lays in a clay pot on my porch about 4 times a week. I am not sure how I feel about getting these. Very pretty birds that lay nice eggs but hit and miss on the personality.

Light Brahma: These birds are quite friendly but mine have proven to not be very hardy. Poor layers and they tend to get picked on once I let them out into the general population. I have one rooster and he pretends to be friendly but he is sneaky! I'd not get these again even if they are pretty birds.

Brown Leghorns: These birds are insane! Super flighty, not friendly at all. I can not get within 5 feet of them without they freaking out and flying away to the other side of the yard...lol. They lay well but their eggs are much, much smaller than I was expecting. I'd call them a medium to small. They are entertaining but I'd not get these again either.

OEGB: I mean, these are really my favorite but as much as I love my birds I like eggs too so I could not keep just these! Mine don't lay well and the eggs are very tiny--lol. But you want a bird with loads of personality, look no further. I hate that they are straight run only because I always end up with half roos and once their switch flips they are brutal with one another! You have to get them separated quickly! I mean, I have other roos on the property and they will spar a bit if they wonder into the wrong spot but OEGB will run an acre to try to kill the other...Had to get rid off 5 of them right quick! My favorite bird of all is my OEGB roo though! Not human aggressive at all. Will take on the turkey though...

Anyway, that has been my experience with my birds. I am sure it comes down to loads of factors. Where you get the birds/blood line, how they are raised, individual personality and much more. But all in all I guess I'd say OEGB are my favorite and EE's are my favorite if eggs are brought into the equation (and for me they are).

 

[hippiestink]

Cuckoo Malines/Mechelse Koekoek hands down. Docile, decent layers, and from my neck of the woods so used to the weather here. Have the most vibrant personalities, you don't need TV if you have a flock of Malines! Friendly too, mine loved being picked up and cuddled. Heavy slow-growing meat birds that earn their keep in eggs while you grow them out, so fantastic for people who are looking for good dual-purpose birds. Had two, but one caught the eye of an overzealous rooster and he stressed her into an early grave. The other was attacked by a stray cat and didn't make it.

Second string would be Marans, I adore my girl and would have more of her if I could right now. Again docile birds, Marans are sweet and cuddly. Extremely friendly birds, will follow you around the run while you're cleaning up and filling dispensers. Gorgeous egg layers, tolerate cold really well, pretty quiet and unassuming, and the plumage on BCMs is simply stunning.

Both breeds benefit from being fairly spread here in Belgium and the number of breeders has shot up in recent years so there's no short supply. Malines were endangered in Belgium by the influx of cheaper and faster-growing meat birds during WWII but nowadays the Cuckoos are becoming common again. White, Black, and Golden Cuckoo Malines are still very rare. I love these breeds, and when we have better means I'll definitely be expanding the flock to include many more of them!

 

[wvchickenchick311]

I personally like the Buff Orpingtons 1,because they are sweet,kind,funny personalities.2,they lay pretty good. 3, they are beautiful and pose for pictures well. Lol
I also like Rhode Island Reds. 1, very very very good egg layers. 2,they are pretty for a while till they molt. Lol 3,they lay through the winter. Easter Eggers. 1, super super sweet,and probably the sweetest Roos and Pullets you will ever have. 2,blue,green,purple eggs! Olive Eggers. 1,green olive like eggs! 2,super sweet hens. Haven’t had an Olive egger roo before so I dunno about that. 3,medium egg layers. Golden Comets. 1, very sweet sweet hens,and roos. 2, fat and very fluffy( good for meat). 3 good egg layers. Light Brahmas. 1,super fluffy and very very fat. 2 decent egg layers. 3, average weight 20bs
Hens 15+

 

[Dream Gold Farm]

Beginner here: I have 5 four week old Crested cream legbar pullets, a cuckoo maran pullet, a leghorn pullet and a copper maran cockeral?
My favorites are my CCLB's and my leghorn. Inquisitive, friendly and great foragers.

 

[Birds of a Feather]

Dutch Bantams, Bantam Cochins, Orpingtons, and Easter Eggers (which are not actually a breed).

 

[HappyClucker7]

I really love Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and Australorps. They are great egg layers. They're also such beautiful breeds, and they have such great personality!