Which breed is best?

[Hyper_Chicken05]

Hello everyone, I have room for another chicken but i cant decide between these 4. I am looking for Friendliness and how docile they are. Egg rate does not matter that much.

 

[Suzalorp]

Hello everyone, I have room for another chicken but i cant decide between these 4. I am looking for Friendliness and how docile they are. Egg rate does not matter that much.

Hello, I won't vote because I haven't had a Cochin or a Silkie and I've heard that Silkies are adorable and love cuddles, but can't confirm from personal experience! But between a Wyandotte and a Light Sussex I would go for Light Sussex. My Wyandotte is the most flighty and quickest to dodge a pat (less so when being fed). Perhaps those with more experience with Wyandottes can give more advice. I have two Light Sussex at the moment. They were both not so keen to be touched or held as chicks, but now at 8 weeks old, both will hop into my lap when I'm holding food (any food really, doesn't need to be treats), will eat out of my hand and will tolerate being held while I pat them.
Hope that helps.

 

[rebrascora]

Adding a single bird to an existing flock is never easy but a silkie would be particularly vulnerable because they look different and that can cause the others to bully them and also with their vaulted skull, they can be prone to head injury if pecked, so for that reason alone I would not choose a silkie. Of the remaining 3, for friendliness I would probably go with the cochin.... are you intending to get bantam or large fowl and what breeds does your existing flock consist of, as that can be a factor. Adding a bantam to a large fowl flock can work if you don't have more dominant breeds like RIR but it is generally not a good idea to keep a single bantam with a LF flock. If you are intending large fowl, I would probably go with the cochin. Second choice would be the Light Sussex as regards friendliness.

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

Adding a single bird to an existing flock is never easy but a silkie would be particularly vulnerable because they look different and that can cause the others to bully them and also with their vaulted skull, they can be prone to head injury if pecked, so for that reason alone I would not choose a silkie. Of the remaining 3, for friendliness I would probably go with the cochin.... are you intending to get bantam or large fowl and what breeds does your existing flock consist of, as that can be a factor. Adding a bantam to a large fowl flock can work if you don't have more dominant breeds like RIR but it is generally not a good idea to keep a single bantam with a LF flock. If you are intending large fowl, I would probably go with the cochin. Second choice would be the Light Sussex as regards friendliness.

Bantam Cochins? I call
them pekins because they are true bantams. I also call large fowl Cochins just cochins bc thats what they are (Not trying to Offend or insult or be sassy lol). I have a mix breed flock and the only threats to the silkie would be my dominant orpington/leghorn cross, An Orpington cross and future leghorns, dorking, SSH and barnevelder.

 

[KHoward]

I have had all on your list. I like the Wyandotte and the Sussex, but the Sussex more for personality. I agree with the poster above: a Silkie might get beaten up because of their size when introducing them to a new flock. If you raise everyone together, it's fine (I had Silkies, ducks, and a goose in one hatch and they all did fine together into adulthood).

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

The Silkie would be fine for being bullied because it will be raised with barnevelders but in the end i will only keep one of each breed. And if they are introduced an join the flock together then i think it will be fine, but then again having one silkie might be bad.

 

[rebrascora]

Like you, I would normally refer to bantam cochins as pekins (I'm in the UK) and the large fowl version, cochins, but the majority of members here on BYC are from the USA and to them, bantam cochins are bantam cochins and pekins are ducks. I was not sure what they were referred to in your part of the world, so went with the majority term.

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

Like you, I would normally refer to bantam cochins as pekins (I'm in the UK) and the large fowl version, cochins, but the majority of members here on BYC are from the USA and to them, bantam cochins are bantam cochins and pekins are ducks. I was not sure what they were referred to in your part of the world, so went with the majority term.

Oh, i am from new zealand so i would refer to them the same way british people do. (Our english practically comes from you guys. But that majority thing is understandable