Friendliest chickens?

[SoultySpittoon]

When I’m finally able to get some chickens, I want to be prepared. What starter breeds would you personally recommend for someone who really just wants a small flock of friendly little garden companions? Bonus points for friendly breeds that are also decent egg layers with pretty feathers! Any other chicken tips or recommendations are most welcome!

 

[Mountain trapper]

When I’m finally able to get some chickens, I want to be prepared. What starter breeds would you personally recommend for someone who really just wants a small flock of friendly little garden companions? Bonus points for friendly breeds that are also decent egg layers with pretty feathers! Any other chicken tips or recommendations are most welcome!

My suggestion is to get on the McMurray McMurray or Strongbergs website and order one of their catalogs. They have good descriptions of all of their breeds with their pros and cons. That's the way that we buy all of our chickens. Been buying from these hatcheries for probably 25 years.

 

[Amish Heart]

Buff Orpingtons! They are good layers, heavy and mellow birds

 

[Mountain trapper]

Buff Orpingtons! They are good layers, heavy and mellow birds

They also make good meat chickens, a real duel purpose breed.

 

[DWinCO]

I go with Buff Orpingtons. We have a couple Araucana's that are good but the rooster of that breed is not nice.

 

[Amish Heart]

They also make good meat chickens, a real duel purpose breed.

I figure if I don't get meat chickens, it's not a big deal because we have large breed chickens anyway like the Buffs

 

[Amish Heart]

Secondly, I'd recommend Jersey Giants. Great mellow birds and you can eat them, too. Decent layers.
Bad bird award would go to Rhode Island Red Roosters. They are mental.

 

[jazzy]

ive treid a couple different types over the years but alwasy go back to barred rocks. pretty good layers and not mean or uppity

 

[Pearl]

I don't have chickens, but just want to say that I love your avatar!!

 

[Peanut]

I buy ISA browns, tractor supply has them every spring. No fuss trying to order from hatcheries or picking them up at the post office. They are usually labeled pre-sexed layers. Just ask at the store. I stop on the way out of town after getting groceries. Just buy a few and bring them home anytime I wish.

They are a hybrid developed for european laying houses in the 70’s. They have a long track record and will out lay all the heritage breeds, over 300 eggs a year. They are also extremely gentle and will imprint on you quickly. Will think you’re their moma right away.

They are also on the small side, eat less feed but still lay very large eggs. Google "ISA browns", lot of people raise them and have a lot to say about them

 

[rice paddy daddy]

My wife has tried many different breeds over the last 30 years.
Some of her favorites are Buff Orpington, Araucana, Delaware, and Plymouth Barred Rock.

As far as Araucana roosters being difficult, that can happen with any breed. The one we have right now is a mellow fellow. There is no need to put up with mean roosters. I've had to dispatch several over the years.

For good information on the different breeds, go to https://www.backyardchickens.com
They even have a forum.

 

[Mountain trapper]

It's important to pick the right breed for your area, and for what you expect out of them. For our area it's important that we pick only cold hardy birds. We also pick breeds that lay well in cold weather. We don't provide heat or lights for our hens.
Our hens have been laying all through the winter. Some people want the 300 egg per year layers. I don't mind getting hens that lay less. I'd rather have more hens to make up for slightly fewer eggs.
There are countless books out there on raising chickens, and everyone has their own ideas.

 

[Supervisor42]

I buy ISA browns, tractor supply has them every spring. No fuss trying to order from hatcheries or picking them up at the post office. They are usually labeled pre-sexed layers. Just ask at the store. I stop on the way out of town after getting groceries. Just buy a few and bring them home anytime I wish.

They are a hybrid developed for european laying houses in the 70’s. They have a long track record and will out lay all the heritage breeds, over 300 eggs a year. They are also extremely gentle and will imprint on you quickly. Will think you’re their moma right away.

They are also on the small side, eat less feed but still lay very large eggs. Google "ISA browns", lot of people raise them and have a lot to say about them

View attachment 173090View attachment 173091View attachment 173092

I think with pics of them crawling on your legs, you pretty much nailed "friendly" .

(aren't you glad I didn't post my friendliest... is 'fried'? )
oops.

 

[Peanut]

Over the last 20yrs I've tried several other breeds. One year after getting wiped out by a raccoon I hatched out eggs from a neighbor. Don't know what breed they were but looked like a sea gull got in the hen house. Ugliest chickens I've ever seen. None had all the pluses ISA browns have. Especially convenience, I don't have to order by the dozen from a hatchery then meet them at the post office. I just stop by TSC and buy 5, 7 or 10, what ever number I wish and take them home. And they are little laying machines... they crank out the eggs.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Most feed stores have spring chick days, and that's certainly a good place to source your chick's. There's several reasons why we don't buy chick's from our farm/ranch supply store;

1). It's over a 200 mile round trip
2). When they have their chick days we still have cold weather and 4 feet of snow at our place
3). We like to actually hold a catalog and chose only the chick's we want. We plan over the winter sitting by the wood stove at our leisure
4). The hatchery will send our order when it's the best timing for us
5). Our post office is only a 40 mile round trip vs. 200 miles to the feed store
6). We have rarely ever lost a chick through the mail

Everyone's situation is different, so chose what works best for you.

 

[LadyLocust]

I agree with the Buffs but I also like silver laced wyandotte. They are pretty and good layers. Also they have “good” dispositions - not underfoot and not afraid of everything- just nice.

 

[Amish Heart]

We have mostly Buff Orps, Jersey Giants, Americauna, Easter Egger, Russian Orlaf. And a mix of all of them, barnyard mix at this point. I added 5 Barred Rock supposed pullets (hen) from the feed store last year and they all turned out to be roosters. The last of those two will be butchered in a couple weeks along with about 8 more roosters. So, I like heavy weight mellow birds, and I have two very large coops, so at this point, they are barnyard mix babies. Just add in a few newbies from the store here in there.