Reviews by floodthelast

I adore my Mottled Cochin Hope. She is absolutely the sweetest bird. Happy to be held and petted even by children. Shockingly soft and fluffy and gorgeous. I would love more but she has gone broody and I cannot break her of it.
She is low in the pecking order because of her gentle nature and tends to hide out.
She did very well in the cold weather and didn't suffer any frostbite.

My Cleo was close with me until the new chicks came and I protected them from her. Now she tolerates me. She'll eat from my hand but will peck if reached for or if I collect eggs under her. No more flying to my shoulder everyday.
She is tough as nails and high ranking in the pecking order despite her size. I was surprised by her cold hardiness. Her wattles and comb got quite blue but didn't suffer frostbite like some of my other hens.
She is a good layer gets along well enough with the bigger hens although she tends to pick on the bantams.
I am impressed with her laying and egg size compared with her size/weight. She is a compact little thing that really packs a punch. The personality is distrustful, they prefer chickens to people. Smart birds though.

I have three EE's and they are all sweet and docile. Personality plays a part but on the whole each is very calm and approachable. Mine will fly to my arms to get treats or say hello. My three lay blue and teal eggs every other day at a year old. Lately they are going broody and I'm having trouble breaking them of it. At least they aren't holding all the getting pulled of the eggs against me.
These are my favorite to watch develop plumage since they have three patterns as they age. They are really good flyers but have done well in my covered coop with high roosts.
My rooster got aggressive and had to go even though he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and had been handled throughout his chick hood.

I adore my D'uccle Hazel. She can be picked up by anyone and is very happy to see me and hop to my arm when invited. She lays nearly everyday at a bit over a year old now. NO issues with frostbite despite my cinder block coop.
She does struggle with the bigger girls especially the more aggressive ones but is not at the bottom of the pecking order despite being the smallest.

I love my Appenzellers. They are very sweet birds and will fly to my shoulders to say hello and check on me. They don't mind being picked up at all even by children. They do well in my covered run with high roosts. They do very well in the cold and suffer almost no frostbite with their tiny combs. They often lay back to back days but more often every other day at one year old. My light is somewhat shaded at the coop though.
They are also very very loud and would not do well in a situation where quiet is needed. They make odd amazon bird like calls. They are very good fliers and would probably do well free range though. They get along very well with my other birds and are on the small side so don't take up much room. I would gladly have more.

Matilda was a jumper from the first minute out of the box. She likes to be up high. She still flies to my shoulder to say hello some days. She wants to come to me not the other way around. She avoids being picked up and doesn't like being reached for. She uses the nesting box and lays about every other day at a year old. I am very very pleased with her. She is happy in my smallish covered run but I do have a small flock and many high roosts which she prefers. She doesn't cause trouble with the other girls and stands somewhere in the middle of the pecking order.