What type of hens should I stay away from?

[skand]

We have the 'golden girls', one americanna(sp), a buff orp and an idunno...plus more, but, out of those three, big bird, my americanna, is the one to look at you with those begging eyes, wanting your lap, shoulder,etc. After big bird hops up, then comes fuzzy foot,(the buff), then poor goldie girl is all whinny cause there's not much room for her.
Just spend time talking to them, loving on them, I think it's really not always the bird, but the human's skittishness with them that makes the bird skittish.

 

[goldnchocolate]

Well, I bought a Golden Campine hen last spring and if I even so much as look her way she "runs for her life"

. I think she is very pretty and she lays a med/small egg everyday but she is as nervous as they come!

 

[Birch Run Farm]

There are so many good breeds, some are better layers than others. If eggs are most important concentrate on that. Tame birds come from being worked with in most breeds though some are more nervous than others.

The calmest birds I have had have been hands down red stars. After them true araucana (surprised me), barred rocks, orpingtons, giants, marans and RIR. Though with in each type some hens were more tame or interactive than others. Best layers of my group are the red stars, big and numerous eggs, RIR close behind. My araucanas lay a lot of eggs but they are not XL.

Some of the other big breeds are very mellow but not as productive in the nest. Leghorns are power layers of really big eggs but they tend to have nervous personalities.

I have a Polish cockerel, he isn't flighty at all. He's the only one of that breed I have had though. I have an EE cockerel that is a complete train wreck and he was handled a lot as a chick.

I think a lot depends on personality at hatching, some are just more 'fun' than others.

The best thing to do is enjoy your choice, chickens really are a lot of fun.

 

[cyanne]

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I'm not sure you have to really worry about ANY hen actually 'attacking' you. Usually it's only the naughty roos who do that and any of them that do you can introduce to the stew pot. Hens usually don't attack anything unless they are guarding their chicks.

There are, however, plenty of chickens that are skittish and act like you are coming to kill them every time you go near. I have a few of these myself...thanks to the hubby who HAD to have some leghorns! Those things are so goofy! You'd think I beat them on a daily basis because they freak out anytime I get too close.

And, while they will take treats from my hands along with the rest of my chickens, the leghorns won't just calmly walk up and take the treat...Oh no, they have to come running and flapping in (usually trampling the others) and snatch the treat as fast as possible.

What this means for me is that they try to grab and run, usually missing the treats entirely and instead biting the crud out of my fingers. And they are in such a hurry and so desperate to get away that they seem to bite down 3 times as hard as the others so they can snatch a piece of whatever I'm holding and tear it off quickly. Ouch!

I've had these since they were day-olds and handled them frequently in an attempt to win them over but obviously it has not worked!

On the other hand, my australorps hen is a sweetheart and they are supposed to be great layers.

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

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BROODY ONES. Or you could lose a finger.

 

[packinaglock]

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My RIR's are very nice also.

 

[cyanne]

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BROODY ONES. Or you could lose a finger.

 

[Renee]

I would stay away fron Silver Campines. They are nice birds, but more nervous than my Wyandottes or Sussex.

 

[miron28]

Well I have narrowed it down to 4. Rode island reds, white leg horn, Brahmas chickens, Buff Orpington now I just have to find were to order them from? Do any hatcheries have any baby chicks at this time of the year?

 

[skand]

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all I know of is that murray mcmurray has mostly males...Ideal has had a problem with thier buff orp hatch this week. (we had to get black sex-links instead of our order of buff orps).