# What Type of Chickens Do You Have , and What Do You Like or Love About Them?



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I love my Jerseys because they are giant, personable, and love hanging out with me.

I love Polish -Lord knows why. Some of mine have been cuddly, even a rooster or two. 

I love Speckled Sussex. They follow me around like I'm so interesting. Nice chickens.

I have One BO and hope to have more, they are sweet and businesslike when it comes to laying.

I'd like some Barred Rocks because they have loads of personality, and want to help you with all your gardening. 

Houdans. I have 3. They are all sweet and like to be held. One calls for me all the time. Then when she's done with being held she pecks me-hard.


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## esnova (Sep 30, 2015)

My austalorps are bullies. Even picking on my favorelle roo. Thought these were nice docile birds. Anyone have similar experience?


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

I have never had Australorps, but my sister has some, loves them, and wants to keep having them now and until e end of time.

My kids and I were discussing what breeds we could kick to the curb, and which ones do we want to keep.

Keepers:
Dominiques, always the top choice. They have excellent personalities, lots of pink eggs and they always look clean.

Spitz, top hats but they can still see, cute personalities, but we only have one pair, and they haven't started laying yet, so maybe you shouldn't listen.

Ameraucana, because they have fluffy faces and tiny combs, and they are cute.

We have decided to get rid of:
My rose comb leghorns. I do REALLY like their laying, and they are very pretty, but the other three breeds above are just plain better.

My Marans, I love the money that they produce, but I hate their hatch rate, and fertility rate, and the horror of having to keep them for a full year before knowing if they should be culled or not. Also, their rate of lay barfs. They are very pretty, and flat and fluffy, but they have large single combs.

As to bantams, we love our Ameraucanas, and our d'anvers and our d'unccles. 

Actually, I hate the single combs and feathered feet of the d'uccles, which is why we are now switching to d'anvers. However, the d'unccles lay very well, AND go broody, and are very cute, the females have all been sweet, most boys have been horrid.


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## WhitecatFarm (Oct 10, 2014)

I have an assortment: Buff Orpingtons, two types of Wyandottes , silkies , sex links, one barred rock (left from a bunch, she is very old) ,Easteregger roos, barnyard bantams, two bantam roos, and some crossbreds. I like my barred rock, and wish I had more EE hens. Lost them last winter. I also have a flock of guinea fowl.


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

We have one RIR hen and one RIR roo, the rest are typical mixmash barnyard fowl although one looks a LOT like a Buff Orpington but I doubt she is full.


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## rosco47 (Jul 6, 2015)

i currently have barred rocks, EEs, brown leghorns, black australorp and some game chickens. all are about 2 months old except for the game birds which are almost fully matured.

i have had golden comets and production reds in the past. neither were real personable and the golden comets really wanted nothing to do with you. production reds seemed to be almost dumb- no common sense. i loved the laying rates of both of these, especially the golden comets. dang near an egg/day.

with my current flock, my barred rocks are my favorite so far because they are the only ones that will walk right up to you and they're going to be very pretty. all the rest are rather shy and avoid you at all cost. i cannot speak to their egg laying, broodiness, etc as they are all still young.

planning on picking up a few more hens in the spring- cream legbars, wyandottes, and marans. although, after reading what Alaskan said, should i rethink the Marans? do you think being in the south would change my experience?


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

I have a RIR, a BR, a BO, a Golden comet, 2 EE's a Cream legbar, and a Cream legbar/swedish flower cross EE. I am still getting to know all their personalities a quirks. I love my 2 EE's for their fluffy faces. My BR and RIR are usually the first to come to me for treats. The Cream legbar mix EE is the oldest of the flock and rules the roost. The BO is more vocal with low chirps The Golden comet is my explorer, She is the one who tries to make a fast getaway anytime the door is open, she is also the one that will let herself be held longest. None of mine are laying yet, so still looking forward to that. Hopefully around the first of the year.


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## esnova (Sep 30, 2015)

Thinking of getting Slw in the spring. County fair had not a single one to be found so my daughter will feel special entering a different breed


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Esnova, what breeds do you have?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Alaskan said:


> I have never had Australorps, but my sister has some, loves them, and wants to keep having them now and until e end of time.
> 
> My kids and I were discussing what breeds we could kick to the curb, and which ones do we want to keep.
> 
> ...


I've only had one pair of D'Uccles and the roo was the only one that my behavior modification didn't work. Every time I turned my back, he slammed his body into my calves.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

Yeah, at least they are little... But most of them are vicious little buggers.


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## esnova (Sep 30, 2015)

I have australorps red stars and a favorelle roo a friend gave us


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

I found favorelles to be super sweet.

Esnova, how is the roo?


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## esnova (Sep 30, 2015)

A chicken haha. He's a big baby. Gets picked on the worst. Acts tough then scurrys away


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

Yeah, I think Favorelles are often lower pecking order and get picked on.

I REALLY like them, but they have feathered feet AND single combs, so I will never get them again.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

My poor Faverolle was a target x2, because she was white. Seems like lighter colors get picked on more often.

I would not mind a roo getting picked on. I have one that I don't even think has done any of the girls. He's such a wuss.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Roscoe, I agree with you about Barred Rock personality.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

My Australorps are amazing. I lost my main rooster to an attack of some sort a few weeks ago and my breeding program has suffered terribly. Getting another in sometime this month with similar lineages. Anyway, mine are big lap dogs to me and keep to their own with the other chickens. They lay great as well - large eggs with good regularity.

I love Orpingtons. I've never had a bad one, the hens are sweet, the boys are calm. Very nice all around bird. My line was a fair layer of medium-large sized eggs.

I have no luck with Polish but they're one of my favourite breeds. I've had 3 lines of them, they lay like crap, have even worse fertility, are flighty as heck, prone to every illness and parasite under the sun and earth, and die easily. But, they have floofy heads so yay polish?

Cochin - standard and bantam. Not great layers but gorgeous birds, broody several times a year, fertility is ok in the standards but you have to AI the bantams, sweet personalities.

D'Anver - little spitfire birds that I simply adore. Fertility is good when they lay lol. Prone to parasites as all muffed or tufted breeds can be, so regular maintenance required.

Black Rosecombs - need to find more of these, I really liked the ones I had. Very elegant birds that show well. Fertility is good, laying isnt.

My naked necks arent a breed, they're a line, but they are wonderful quiet, very friendly, and out lay my production reds.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

I think the Rosecombs always look very polished. I haven't ever had one, but I like the photos I have seen.

I REALLY wanted Nankins, because they are maybe the oldest breed you can easily get. But everyone I talked to said that they do nit do well in the cold....


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

What are nankins.? I have 10 silkies, 7 are roos. I really don't have to say what I like about them. They are easy to like.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

Here are some articles about them.

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/nankin

And

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nankin_bantam


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Ameracaunas- colored eggs
Tetras- personality
EE - colored eggs and pretty
Polish - adorable looking
RIR x Delaware cross- hopefully colored eggs
Silkue5- she is the best broody and very friendly

All mine are super friendly


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