What's your favorite/friendliest breed

[TXKukupantsKoop]

My answer is all of mine - lol! Some are grumpy but I still love them. RIRs and Barred Rocks. I'm just a chicken mama. ❤

 

[Okardare]

I hope one day I can have of couple of miniature pekingese hen, they so cute and fluffy.

 

[CharlieBaby]

I have several varieties of Orpington (not just buff) and they are all my favorites! Though their friendliness does seem to vary depending on the line and where they come from. I got a batch of Lavenders last year from a local breeder, and they were incredibly skittish and antisocial. I have hatchery BOs and breeder English Orps (from a different breeder) that are all super friendly. My Barnevelders are also very friendly and my most reliable lap chickens, though they don't like to be touched. I can't pet them, but they will come into my lap on their own and hang out with me. One is my designated mama and she always brings her chicks into my lap, too. I had to socialize them to get here though - their breeder is very impressed and surprised, and says hers keep their distance. Whichever new breeds you get, do spend a lot of time socializing them, for best results (for pet chickens).

Here's my lap mama DSL Barnevelder with her Buff Orpington babies:

One of my super friendly English Orpingtons:
View attachment 3497607

Adorable pic! My Buff Orpington is the cuddliest lap chicken in my flock. We recently got chicks from two different sources and I have been shocked to see how much friendlier the ones hatched at a local farm and feed store are compared to the two from Tractor Supply. Big difference. Our five week old Giant Cochin is both energetic and extremely mild tempered and friendly… she’s a joy!

 

[WoDia]

All of my Seramas (both hens and roosters) love loads of attention. I also have Australorps, Barred Rocks, Easter Eggers, and Buff Orpingtons that are very friendly and come for their daily “chicken mom” attention. I have to add my Silkies to the list as well.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

People keep chickens for a variety of reasons, which impacts their favorites based on their preferences. I'd like to know your favorite and friendliest breed. I know a big part is just their overall individual personality. I've read about the buff Orpington war lol and I love mine and even though she's super sweet, she isn't necessarily the friendliest. I have 3 black Australorps, 1 olive egger, 1 buff Orpington. Two of my black australorps are lap chickens.
I recently added 2 polish, 1 sapphire olive egger, and 1 Easter egger. They're about 5 weeks old.
My Easter egger is SO friendly!! She jumps up on my arm almost on command and loooovvvveees to be held. There doesn't seem to be much information on sapphire olive eggers?
Anyways. If I were to get more chickens........ which I'm trying so hard not to but I just love how sweet this Easter egger is, what would be your suggestion for friendly birds!
I don't care about their laying quantity because I don't eat eggs, they're strictly pets thanks!!

What is the chicken in the back with the wild crest??

 

[gunslinger33]

Hands down of my hens, Bielefelders are the friendliest breed , but in general all of my "heavy breeds" are friendly. My # 2 would be my RIR (Cackle Exhibition). My #3 would be Orpingtons. My colored egg layers are nervous / flighty (CCL , Opal Legbar , Olive egger)

My roosters are very similar , Bielefelder #1 and Orpington #1

I think a lot of their personality has to do with the environment they are in. My birds are pets above production. We interact / spend time with our birds just about every day. My flighty birds I try to handle when they are on the roost and calm. We try to make the interaction positive.

 

[K0k0shka]

I think a lot of their personality has to do with the environment they are in. My birds are pets above production. We interact / spend time with our birds just about every day. My flighty birds I try to handle when they are on the roost and calm. We try to make the interaction positive.

I thought so too, but genetics seems to play a surprisingly large role as well. Not so much breed, as what line they come from, and what the selection pressures were. I ended up with an unintended experiment that showed surprising results. Both last year and this year, I had one of my broodies raise chicks with the flock. My core flock are pets, too, so I spend a lot of time with them. Last year's chicks were English Orpingtons from a breeder who specializes in certain rare colors. This year's chicks (that the same broody is raising) are hatchery Buff Orpingtons. The majority of my flock are English Orpingtons, but from a different breeder, and are the sweetest things ever. But last year's orps were incredibly flighty and timid, despite both my efforts and their mom's efforts to socialize them! She's the broody in my picture above, she always brings me her chicks and tries to socialize them with me. Last year's chicks wouldn't come near me, at any age. I kept one of them and she's the only bird in my flock that I can't walk up to and pick up. She actually lived in the house for 3 days post-hatch, because she had bent toes that I was taping up, and I handled her extensively, but she forgot all that as soon as she went outside. This year's hatchery chicks, were actually meant for meat so I didn't make any efforts to socialize them. I didn't even go near them for the first week or two, trying not to get attached. So week 2 or so I decide to sit down with the flock, and those babies hop up into my lap! I couldn't believe it. They let me pick them up, pet them, snuggle them. They are 4 weeks old now and still nap in my hands. They are WAY friendlier than the Wyandottes I currently have in a brooder in the house, who were meant to be socialized as pets, and who get a lot more attention. That was very unexpected! So I'm thinking of keeping the buffs now and eating the Wyandottes instead... My theory is that the English Orps from last year were so heavily bred for color, that the personality aspect got lost in the process.

 

[gunslinger33]

I definitely agree that genetics, breeder, what the birds are being bred for is also a big factor and sample size.

For example I've only had two Wyandottes , so my sample size is small. Both birds were super flighty. Probably not an accurate assessment of the breed.

Most of the hatchery birds I've had have been foot loops. The private breeders I use tend to have less flighty birds , but again that is a "broad brush" evaluation.

My RIR are from Cackle (exhibition) . The are large (fat) easy to handle and not bullies.

I currently have the following breeds (I know not all are true recognized breeds)
Bielefelder
Orpington
Crested Cream Legbar
Opal Legbar
Austalorp
Brahma
Olive Egger
Dominique
RIR
Black Copper Marans
Lav Marans

 

[Silkie2299781]

I have a few!

#1 Buff Orpington, one of my 3 will gently peck us for attention!
#2 So far my Polish chicks are the friendliest of my chicks.
#3 My black australorps are the SWEETEST things!


But truly depends on how much they are handled as babies! And of course genetics!

 

[LhickenChicken]

People keep chickens for a variety of reasons, which impacts their favorites based on their preferences. I'd like to know your favorite and friendliest breed. I know a big part is just their overall individual personality. I've read about the buff Orpington war lol and I love mine and even though she's super sweet, she isn't necessarily the friendliest. I have 3 black Australorps, 1 olive egger, 1 buff Orpington. Two of my black australorps are lap chickens.
I recently added 2 polish, 1 sapphire olive egger, and 1 Easter egger. They're about 5 weeks old.
My Easter egger is SO friendly!! She jumps up on my arm almost on command and loooovvvveees to be held. There doesn't seem to be much information on sapphire olive eggers?
Anyways. If I were to get more chickens........ which I'm trying so hard not to but I just love how sweet this Easter egger is, what would be your suggestion for friendly birds!
I don't care about their laying quantity because I don't eat eggs, they're strictly pets thanks!!

I have a favorite cockerel who STEP DANCES for me and tries to mate with me like I'm a hen. He is I think plymouth rock? Not very barred more cuckoo. Kind of barnyard mix. His name is Sir Cuckoo.