Wyandotte Hens

[gottomatoes]

My girls are just now 20 weeks. Not laying yet but I am sure it will be very soon. They are the sweetest breed ever! Just so you know they do fly as I found one on the rooftop yesterday. I felt bad but had to clip their wings as I live in the city. I have a large coop and they do very well being inside it. More than enough room, comfort and etc... I free range them now but only when I can keep a close eye on them as they love to explore. Also, being so close to the age of laying I want to keep this inside the coop. Feel a little bad as they are so social and want to follow me everywhere. The other day one hen got out to check out the neighborhood....It was early morning and I was running up and down the street searching for her in my pj's (neighbors must have thought I was nuts) But what was so neat is that once she heard me calling her and recognized me she came running as if to say, "Oh, Mom thank God you found me!" She flew up on my back and we walked home, much to our relief. This is my first time owning Wyandottes. I got them quite by accident or I suppose you could say it was meant to be?. So far, I have learned they are very sweet but they seem to have just bonded with me and fear others. Maybe that's with all breeds?? (not noisy at all as I was told) I'd love to hear from any other Wyandotte fans!

-Lisa

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I enjoy Wyandotte, I find them to be a beautiful calm breed. Which is funny because I read a lot about how they are mean bullies. Mine free range, so I figured they don't like confinement. Most of mine didn't start laying until 6-7 months. They are a sharp looking bird. This year I have my first Wyandotte rooster, so we shall see how he ends up. What variety do you have? I have a few blue laced red, a few gold laced and a silver laced coming next week to replace the one that I lost a few weeks ago.

 

[AuntNomi]

I love my Wyandottes, they are beautiful! I have 2 Silver laced and 1 Golden laced. I am going to get 2 more tomorrow they will be silver laced. Mine were laying around 6-7 months as well. And I keep seeing people say they are loud, bossy, and bullies...but that has not been the case yet with mine. When I am out in the yard they follow me around, its kinda funny, and very cute. They are on my Fav list along with a few others.

 

[mossyroo]

I guess I got the other kind. Had a friend that was given 5 SLW that were the only survivors out of a flock of 24 and the all have bare butts. Anyway, these SLW were beating up on their flock of Australorps so they brought us for us to try. They went immediately to the bottom of the pecking order in our relatively calm, mixed flock. When we began introducing a new batch of chicks at about 7 weeks old, it was just the SLWs that went after them and a couple of them were quite aggressive. They also tended to be somewhat more vocal than the rest of my flock.

 

[AuntNomi]

I guess I got the other kind. Had a friend that was given 5 SLW that were the only survivors out of a flock of 24 and the all have bare butts. Anyway, these SLW were beating up on their flock of Australorps so they brought us for us to try. They went immediately to the bottom of the pecking order in our relatively calm, mixed flock. When we began introducing a new batch of chicks at about 7 weeks old, it was just the SLWs that went after them and a couple of them were quite aggressive. They also tended to be somewhat more vocal than the rest of my flock.

Oh lord thats rough looking. I have not had any type of problems like that at all from any of my flocks. I have 6 coops, so I don't really intergrate. I keep them the same age group per flock/coop, so they grow up together. In the beginning I tried that, it didn't go well so we just bulit coops. Much more peaceful for me. But Id never be brave enough to put chicks in with a flock of bigger ones. I lot of people on here do it, I just would never get any sleep if I tried it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I got some 4 week old that are about to be integrated. I find it really easy, but my flock lives in a large shed and are never confined. I have zero behavioral problems.

The posts I read about troubles with Wyandotte are mostly in coop and run situations. The smaller the set up the worse the trouble but it seems like any prolonged confinement will make Wyandotte and RIR become feather pickers and bullies. It seems some breeds aren't good in some situations. My Wyandotte aren't even near the top of the pecking order, and they are all mild and laid back.

 

[islandgirl82]

I just got my second SLW last week to replace one I'd lost about a month ago. My first one was over a year old when I got her (about 5 years ago) and she was chatty but not loud. She was the hench-hen to my top hen who's a very mild mannered EE. She made sure that no one got out of line but she wasn't a bully. A little peck to remind them to mind their manners from time to time was all. She was constantly "talking" to me, looking me right in the eye and telling me very serious stories that all sounded like the three stooges to me. When I would mimic the sounds back to her, she would continue her stories. She also used to like to take her midmorning nap with my 180lb Newfoundland (who is also black and white). She would seek him out where ever he was to lay with him.

The new one is 2 years old, very shy and definitely NOT top of the flock. She's a little chatty but not as much as my last one. She does give the cold stare to a couple of my other hens but doesn't peck anyone. I also free range and have a variety of breeds. When I do keep them in the run, the SLW does better than some of the others with confinement but I think they all go a little nuts when they've been kept in for too long.