( PLEASE NOTE: THIS LIST IS NOT IN ORDER OF FRIENDLIEST, IT JUST LISTS THEM ONE BIG CATEGORY ALSO PLEASE NOTE: THIS LIST, IS INCLUDING ONLY BREEDS, THAT I HAVE HAD PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH ) The Speckled Sussex is a fairly large (roosters can weigh up to 8 pounds while hens weigh about 6 pounds) but beautiful chicken. They should be a high production (200-250 large eggs a year), brown egg laying breed. On my bag, it said to make sure that they are not eating too much when you first introduce it at two weeks along with their actual feed. The two roosters are getting rowdy and messing with the girls The aroma of the chips are causing lung issues for their tiny lungs . Beside, the quick-connect frame allows for easy assembly. Rhode Island Blues are also excellent foragers, and so can confidently be free-range as backyard chickens. My friendliest chicken, by far, is my Buff Orpington. This makes them very appealing to children! Rabbit Hutch is constructed of a solid fir wood that will keep your animals safely sheltered and keep your cage durable for years of use. Overall, the Rhode Island Blue are incredibly healthy birds, and this is largely due to their Rhode Island Red lineage. I have 6 SG (one week old) and have ordered 5 more day old chicks that will be in Friday. I have 10 I hand raised thinking the would be sweet like everyone reported. Does anyone know if these birds go broody? This is a friendly breed, often termed the Golden Retriever of chickens. I'd love to see more pictures of these lovely girls, and hear more about their qualities. Not sure if they're the same but they are great layers. She comes back once a day for food and water but I dont want a skunk or other rodent to eat her and her eggs . Females weigh approximately 4 lbs. She lived 13 years. These blue chickens are a new breed that was developed in the Czech Republic. Comb Type: Rose. Chicks are babies and spend lots of time sleeping. This dual-purpose breed is autosexing so males and females can be identified immediately upon hatching. SILKIE Breeds originally developed for cockfighting tend to be (surprise!) Dont know what to expect, but hoping for some large eggs. Looks like that australorp has been debeaked!!!!!! I use Hydro Hen every other day in it. They really are the sweetest ones I have ever had. Just make sure to check your local regulations before getting chickens as some areas, especially cities, ban them as pets. She wont tower over your Easter Eggers nor cower under the Brahma. 2. They are on flake at night and since they have feathers they are on grass (in a movable pen) during the day. So if you want a chicken that will add a lot of personalities and a lot of eggs, to your flock, the Rhode Island Blue might be the perfect addition to your chicken coop. Rhode Island Blue hens are broody. DOMINIQUE Some are nice. Well, a Rhode Island Blue is not a pure breed, so of course it will be different. In this article, we will be looking at a great example of a breed that has been intentionally developed by taking two exceptional breeds of chickens and combining them into an exciting breed: Rhode Island Blue chickens. In fact, you can only purchase this chick from a handful of hatcheries, and it even appears as though one hatchery has the name Sapphire Gem trademarked. The Rhode Island Red rooster is considered famous, iconic, attractive and one of the most successful chickens in the world. If your flock mainly forages for food, they essentially have to fend for themselves. beautiful girls, Maybe they are not getting the right amount of nutichin. The SGs are also very friendly, which is somewhat of a problem because they will run for an open door to get inside the house. I was heartbroken. Do you have a suggestion for a good rooster breed to mate with them? Sometimes, roosters can be a little bit aggressive. They sure friendly and pretty quiet. The Roos are trying to crow and to cover. Although it comes down to personal opinion, some of the chickens widely considered the prettiest are the Silkie, Frizzle, Welsummer, and Barnevelder. 11 Blue Chicken Breeds - Farmhouse Guide Theyre both very intelligent thats for sure, Breezy the shyer of the 2 gave me my very first egg ON MY BIRTHDAY! That means the female chicks will have 0 copies of the barring and the male chicks will have 1 copy. except when I have food but even then keep their distance. They are big birds though. The Barnevelder can be described as a rectangular body shape, compact with a U- shaped back. Jersey Giant chickens are a very friendly, calm, and docile breed. When they people hear of Rhode Island Blue chickens, they often think of one of the best-known American dual-purpose breeds: the Rhode Island Red, or RIR for short. She purchased a batch of mixed fertile eggs for our DIY home incubator, of 2 different breeds: Speckled Houdans & Crested Polish. Rhode Island Reds were created from Malay chickens, which are known to be incredibly hardy birds. Rhode Island Blues are considered large fowl and are similar in stature and size to Rhode Island Reds, with roosters weighing in at around 8lbs, and hens weighing in at around 6lbs. We have tried numerous things to help their feathers grow back but nothing has truly cured this. If you order less than 10 chicks outside of this period your order will be moved. This cross results in combination blue, red and black chickens. Plymouth Rock Hen. Difference in Easter Egger vs Olive Egger, Advice on breed choice for small flock and egg laying longevity. But my grand mother always said to add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to one quart of water. GIANT COCHIN Some people prioritize traits such as, Well, as with most pets, how the owner treats their flock is just as important in determining chickens temperament as, 2) The best way to tame your chickens when they are a bit older and to build up trust is again to offer your chickens, Its also important to let them know youre the flock leader. I purchased 4 Sapphire Gems from a friend laying size. # 9. Several hop on my shoulders. Sweet, docile, quiet. Also, they were real superstars, as therapy animals, for mentally challenged, developmentally delayed & disabled, wheelchair bound children. Cross-breeding chickens cause this trait. If you want to know more about chickens, quail, and goats, The Happy Chicken Coop is the place to be! Can I move her and the eggs back into the coop so shes safe or will she abandon her eggs if I do ?? While they are a calm variety of chickens, they are also alert and aware of predators, making them even better off if they have the yard run. Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. They love nothing more than knowing their boundaries and sticking to them, which is why these sweet and fluffy giants make excellent backyard pets! Consequently, they dont need you, they dont know what to make of you, and chances are they will avoid you. Rhode Island Red Chicken Characteristics. Another very aggressive chicken breed is the English Game. (They are very smart) Her eggs are giant!!!! I would like to incubate some eggs and I dont want to waste any eggs. They immediately come to us, hop on or arms or into our hands, and dont put up too much of a fight while being held and we love how they follow us or come running when they see us. RHODE ISLAND RED They kept the excellent egg-laying trait of the Orpington and mixed in features from the Rhode Island Red, White Leghorn, and heritage breed chickens, including the Minorca and Langhsan.. WYANDOTTE Rhode Island Red. She was first to produce eggs. I kept him at night in the house in a cage during the day he free ranged in my yard . Two questions in one Is this normal gosling behavior and will they forget me? Ive been raising poultry all my life and have ordered chicks from several hatcheries, all of which were good. So here is my list of friendliest breeds, in my personal experience, over the 50 years I have raised , kept & bred chickens. As soon as she steps foot in the garden little storm is there dancing by her feet asking to be picked up, youd think she was a cat the way she acts. I had a Cochin rooster I got him at 8weeks the first day he started following me around everywhere. Extremely gentle and comes when called. SPECKLED SUSSEX Are you sure you dont have the wrong breed, sometimes hatcheries lie, When your Saphire Gem Chickens first start laying eggs they will be smaller but then they will get bigger as they continue to lay eggs. They are healthy, resilient and will lay plenty of eggs for you. The Jersey Giant pullets are very quiet for now too. It is like it wants attentionwhen the others go about their business. They had some of the funniest personalities.Had one that got lockked in the green house for almost a month during the summer, and she survived without food or water ()it gets too hot for plants in summer). I think shes a little blind because she gets lost (separated from the group) sometimes while free ranging. Claire, I have a mixed flock of brown egg layers and the sapphire gem hens lay extra small eggs , pretty to look at but poor quality eggs. So annoying when theres lightning. My first flock so I dont know if this is normal And both of my rabbits died shortly after introducing cedar bedding to their cages. They had a whole brooder full of them. You can bet that the popularity she has already gained will only continue to grow, maybe even as fast as that of the Easter Egger! Actually, most wind up looking more like a stuffed animal than a chicken. As a little girl, our Speckled Sussex , bantam sized hen Penny ,was a sweet girl & loved sitting in my lap. They are generally calm, peaceful, dignified, and friendly, and excellent layers of light brown eggs. She is my favorite! Sounds like you really know your chickens! She even comes to her name. I just purchased and had shipped 15 chicks from them two weeks ago. Who doesnt want a flock of happy chickens that come running when you approach them? They come in varieties of blue, black, and red colors. Both the cockerel and the pullet sit on my shoulder daily, groom me lol, and hang out while I do chicken chores. The American Poultry Association first admitted Rhode Islands into their Standard of Perfection in 1904. Does the variation in chicken color for each breed affect their personalities? Cedar chips are fine and is commonly sold in the chicken isle of farm stores. She was wonderful, a real pet. A Brief History of Australorp Chicken. My RIB is a calm, sweet girl. This large and beautiful chicken will provide you with 4-5 light brown eggs every week - that is more than 200 eggs a year! When they do go broody, the hens become good mothers and will be highly protective of their baby chicks. Made In the USA: From Rhode Island Red To Iowa Blue - Hobby Farms They never had pullet sized eggs. She lays every day. Another larger-sized chicken, the Orpington, is a good all-purpose utility breed, providing both eggs and meat, and it is also frequently bred for the show meaning they are a great overall chicken. chickens. Some go gaga for these colors, and some seem to turn up their noses. These chicks are autosexable which means that they are easier to sex at day old than most pure breeds. I recently hought 9 baby chicks that are sapphire gems.. this morning 1 had passed and another is very weak and on her way Top 15 Best Chicken Breeds For Egg Laying | Chickens And More Im getting ready to order some in a couple of weeks from Hoovers Hatchery. It keeps flies away more than pine. What exactly are Rhode Island Blue chickens and are they dependable? She loves sitting on my lap and is super smart and social. The hens are beautiful, docile, and friendly. If you decide to have a Rhode Island Blue rooster in your flock, be cautious when allowing children near your chickens. Average weight of a Rhode Island Red rooster is 8.5 to 9.5 pounds with hens a bit smaller, near 6.5 to 7.5 pounds. Ive only had chickens for a year so this is all new to me. Three of the 15 are Sapphire Gems. I just got two Sapphire Gems this spring and they were the first to start laying. The Sapphire Gem Chicken: The Complete Info Guide. I havent gotten any eggs the last 3 days and it finally got in the 100s just this week.Or could there be something else ? We ordered from tractor supply. Some of the chicken breeds that make the best pets include the Golden Campine, Easter Egger, Partridge Silkie, Golden-Laced Wyandotte, Australorp, White Bantam Brahma, Speckled Sussex, and Golden-Laced Polish. They lay huge cream colored eggs. For example, Buff Orpington is usually very docile. This comes from the fact that they were bred as cockfighting birds. Healthy) under THAT name instead of production blue as others call them, I think.. stated as the RIR cross to blue Australorp on their web site. Some of the other chicken breeds known for being friendly that didnt quite make our list include: Again, as we end the list of these several friendly, happy, child-safe chicken breeds, we need to remember that every chicken may show the behavioral characteristics typical of its breed. Rhode Island Reds are a perfect choice if you have a family with young kids. Find full disclosure here. Momo was his name . Not spelled correctly, sorry. old, my mother decided to raise, what were called back in the day, exotics , which later were termed RHODE ISLAND RED/ WHITE LEGHORN LAYING HYBRID About Rhode Island Red Chickens: One of the Most Popular Breeds Rhode Island Blue | All about Chicken Breeds in a Minute JJ Central 8.76K subscribers Subscribe 2.4K views 1 year ago UNITED STATES These are my effort to produce short informative videos. This did not affect our assessment of products. They are excellent foragers and have no trouble finding the tastiest morsels in the yard. However, the remaining 6 (they sent an extra) are doing fine, growing, and are really cute. Three of mine are light gray and the rest are darker. Or perhaps a specific technique that can be used to bring them around? They rely on the flock leader to keep them safe, show them where food is, and keep them comfortable. at 19 weeks and 5-6 lbs. Claire. And all this comes in a lovely little personality too. They dont al have red. The chickens will dust bathe themselves. I use sand. SOOO CUTE! They also pick each others feathers out? We bring all the chicken-related knowledge together in one place to help make your life easier. They are very child-friendly, appreciate human contact, and again despite their size, are often somewhat submissive to other birds, so they are not commonly on top of the pecking order. There are many unique plans available with designs that can be 15 Best Chickens For Beginners: Full Breed Guide. The Sapphire Gem has an upright appearance, similar to that of a Plymouth Rock, due to its genetics, and she sports a single comb atop her alert little head. The nice folks at Jenks said I wasnt the only one who had such trouble, they refunded the money for the dead one and the ones that died. FREE EMAIL BONUSTips & smart strategies to save time and money! The trick is to have a well vented area/coop. They are not flighty but require a lot of space because of their size. I brought her back home after two days of this and have kept her away from the babies. Of particular note with this breed is they are also very friendly with other varieties of birds and even other pets. Hardly hear a peep out of them! Rhode Island Blues are also excellent foragers, and so can confidently be free-range as backyard chickens. #2. One likes to go off alone to sleep. Besides the usual potential health threats that chickens face, like parasites and mites, Rhode Island Blues are an exceptionally active and healthy breed. Rhode Island White Chicken Characteristics & Uses - ROYS FARM Their wings are high on the body, so the bird does not fly well. Let's stay updated! The Personality of a Rhode Island Red Chicken These chickens are curious and have maximum personality! Can I go ahead and mix them together since they are so young or will I have to separate them until they get use to each other? Hope my question makes sense. They get tired quickly and also get cold. Im no expert but everything Ive read says not to use cedar, it gives off toxic fumes. Silkies are also one of the cutest chicken breeds. # 7. Today Brahma hatching eggs cost $3 each and chicks cost $7. In general, Rhode Island Reds are people-lovers and comfortable with human contact and have the bonus of also being friendly with other members of their own flock. Find The Right Chicken Breed For Your Personality I ordered 10 Sapphire Gems from Jenks Hatchery and they will be two weeks old this Saturday (May 1st). #1. Theyre one of the easiest chickens to keep, super gentle, are comfortable being held, and do well with children. The overall body of the chicken look like a longish 'brick' that is rectangular and solid. Top Reasons To Consider The Rhode Island Red Chicken Hence, they are a good choice for the backyard chicken keeper and are handled easily by children. Faverolles are often primarily described as sweet.. Very friendly birds. The roosters are typically blue with a white dot on their head, while the hens are mostly blue with a necklace-like ring of gold or grey adorning her neck. Hi Judi, I know its been a while since you posted this, but Id like to know how your SG chicks did? Eggs average 54g. Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures. Theres so many breeds I cant choose which to breed and also help people with their depression issues and pets for kids I wanted silkies now I read your polish story. Plymouth Rock. It was a great alternative side the last group of chicks I had delivered via the mail 5/6 were DOA. We just got our first batch, various breeds (RI-Reds, leg horns, australorpes, bantams, comets. You'll find it all here. Rhode Island Blues are a medium, production bird - an excellent layer of large brown eggs. She always approaches me, had beautiful brown eyes, and if I figured out which egg is hers right, then shes laying large light brown eggs well starting around 22 weeks. I have two sapphire gem hens and they lay very large eggs almost daily! This is also used in taming aggressive roosters. While there are, of course, exceptions, for the most part, these stereotypes hold. Each feather has a white tip, and the amount of speckles varies from chicken to chicken. They have featherless yellow shanks and toes. At one point in history Brahma chickens cost up to $150 for a pair of chickens - this was mostly due to their spike in popularity in England during the 1800s. Raving fans will happily tell anyone who will listen how incredibly calm and docile this chicken is. But, Catcha Torri hatchery? These gentle giant hens weigh in at about 8 pounds, while the roosters can often tip the scales at about 11 pounds. It may not display this or other websites correctly.