What would you say are the BEST tempered, GOOD laying, NICE looking hens?

[Alpine Bobwhite]

Which sorts of chicken would you say have a nice temperament, are good layers and look nice.
I saw that leghorns look nice and lay about 300 eggs per year, but can be unfriendly, what would you say? If they are raised from chicks, will they be friendly?

 

[SourRoses]

I think it would help narrow it down if you prioritized that list.

If temperament is #1, my personal favorite are real Ameraucana and English Orpington.

Many breeds are nice looking if you get good stock... so maybe look into what appearance elements you like the best.
I for one, prefer chickens that don't look like default chickens, so Leghorns were never on my list.
Yet, we ended up raising 8 Leghorns last year and did our best to socialize them without overwhelming them. They turned out to not be skittish as we had been warned, and they grew on me a bit, but they are not personable either. The consistency of lay is cool.
But I still love blue eggs the best!

So, "it depends".

 

[viggo63]

I have 2 leghorn hens. I don't have a lot of birds, so all my chicks got a lot of attention from an early age. The leghorns are the most affectionate of all my hens. I would say that any breed that is raised with lots of human interaction will be friendly.

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

I think it would help narrow it down if you prioritized that list.

If temperament is #1, my personal favorite are real Ameraucana and English Orpington.

Many breeds are nice looking if you get good stock... so maybe look into what appearance elements you like the best.
I for one, prefer chickens that don't look like default chickens, so Leghorns were never on my list.
Yet, we ended up raising 8 Leghorns last year and did our best to socialize them without overwhelming them. They turned out to not be skittish as we had been warned, and they grew on me a bit, but they are not personable either. The consistency of lay is cool.
But I still love blue eggs the best!

So, "it depends".

Okay Thanks!

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

I have 2 leghorn hens. I don't have a lot of birds, so all my chicks got a lot of attention from an early age. The leghorns are the most affectionate of all my hens. I would say that any breed that is raised with lots of human interaction will be friendly.

Okay so they can be friendly if raised from chicks. Do you think if they grew up alongside adult quails they could learn to like them?

 

[SourRoses]

Once the Leghorns have been laying a while they seem to get bossier (in my limited experience). Ours were picking on the mild mannered Ameraucana hens at roosting time until I got tired of it and rehomed all but one which was the most laid back of the Leghorns.
No breed is guaranteed, and sweet individuals can pop up where you least expect it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I really enjoy Appenzellar Spitzhauben. Blue Australorps are very good birds, too, and very pretty. And who can resist bantam Cochin s?

My Leghorn is a nice girl, but she's not a lap chicken. I think that level of friendliness comes from a combination of genetics and handlung.

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

Once the Leghorns have been laying a while they seem to get bossier (in my limited experience). Ours were picking on the mild mannered Ameraucana hens at roosting time until I got tired of it and rehomed all but one which was the most laid back of the Leghorns.
No breed is guaranteed, and sweet individuals can pop up where you least expect it.

Thanks!

 

[Rurumo]

If you like leghorns but want a calmer bird, you might check out Austra Whites which are Australorpe/Leghorn crosses. Any chick I spent plenty of time with has turned out friendly, but some breeds are definitely calmer than others, startle less and are more tolerant of handling.

 

[Alpine Bobwhite]

I really enjoy Appenzellar Spitzhauben. Blue Australorps are very good birds, too, and very pretty. And who can resist bantam Cochin s?

My Leghorn is a nice girl, but she's not a lap chicken. I think that level of friendliness comes from a combination of genetics and handlung.

Thanks! Appenzellars look lovely! They also seem to lay a lot!