I'd love to hear votes for the calmest chicken breed you've owned. Bonus if you suggest a breed that has clean legs and feet (not feathered on the legs/feet)
Here why: We've had chickens for 9 years. I like calm because our chickens have a large area to roam (1/2 -1 acre) and the calm breeds stay closer to home and are less easy targets for hawks. Also, in winter they are cooped up in a 30x30 area due to the amount of snow we get and we are all happier without super active chickens. I'm at the point where I hesitate to deviate from American Orpingtons but am thinking of branching out for a couple reasons. Breeds I've owned include:
Here why: We've had chickens for 9 years. I like calm because our chickens have a large area to roam (1/2 -1 acre) and the calm breeds stay closer to home and are less easy targets for hawks. Also, in winter they are cooped up in a 30x30 area due to the amount of snow we get and we are all happier without super active chickens. I'm at the point where I hesitate to deviate from American Orpingtons but am thinking of branching out for a couple reasons. Breeds I've owned include:
- American Orpington (my absolute favorite - beautiful, calm and loving, and decent layers)
- Easter egger (too active)
- silkie/easter egger cross (too active)
- buff brahma bantam (my second favorite, but their feathered feet get wet in winter, they go broody too much, and have scaly leg mite)
- speckled sussex (too aggressive)
- red star (too active)
- English Orpington (I love them, but they get hot in summer with all the feathers and they are a bit timid)
