When deciding which chicken breeds to get, most homesteaders consider things like how noisy they are or how many eggs they produce. However, one of the most important factors is temperament. You want chickens that are friendly and easy to deal with.
With that in mind, there are several chicken breeds you should avoid, and that is the topic of this video by Becky’s Homestead. She talks about her three least-favorite chicken breeds. Here they are…
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1. Barred Rock
These chickens are just plain mean. It’s not that their noisy vocally, it’s their propensity to just attack. Attack each other and especially smaller ones. And to make matters worse, they attack other chickens if you have a mixed chicken yard.
The amount of stress they cause also interferes with the egg-laying schedule for other chickens in the yard. They’re a disruptive breed and aren’t worth having if you want some peace and quiet on the homestead.
2. Leghorns
Leghorns happen to be very efficient egg layers. When you consider the amount of food they eat relative to their egg output, they’re right up there with the top egg-laying breeds.
However, they have a trait that’s irritating. They’re not as vicious or mean as the Barred Rocks, but they’re very nervous birds. The best word to describe them is “flighty.” They never seem to do what you want them to do and over-react to anything.
If you’re looking for a calm chicken yard, Leghorns aren’t the answer.
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3. Rhode Island Reds
Here again, these birds are really good egg layers but they’re another mean breed — especially the roosters. Rhode Island Red roosters also tend to be very large and can really tear up the chickenyard. They’re good to eat but not worth the trouble.
As far as the hens are concerned, they get egg bound. They’re usually good for the first two or three years, but after that, they usually become egg bound and die. They’re very popular and that may be the problem. They’re so inbred that they’re not as hardy.
So Which Breeds Are?
For more information about these three chicken breeds, along with a couple of suggestions for good chicken breeds, watch the video below.
I totally disagree regarding the Barred Rocks! I have had them many many years, from different hatcherys under different types of conditions. They have never been mean! They are in the top three breeds people SHOULD consider. I highly recommend them!
I totally agree! I have a barred rock and she’s the calmest, most docile thing. The one I don’t like is the buff orpington… I recently got a chick and wanted to see how they’d interact (with close monitoring) and the barred rock left her alone, but the orpington… the orpington immediately started pecking and grabbed her by the neck! The barred rock definitely minds her own business and is no where as greedy and mean as the orpington.
I absolutely agree. I’ve had many breeds over the years and the barred rocks are by far the most agreeable breed in the coop.
I have Barred Rocks and Leghorns . They are great egg producers and the get along with everyone in the yard including the Turkey. The rooster is a different story but that’s just because he’s a roo.
We’ve had both barred rocks and reds, and I couldn’t agree more. Although I’m glad to hear that our reds didn’t get egg bound for any reason other than they are reds. Plus ours seemed a little on the dumb side.
We were given 6 barred rocks and they were awful. We thought maybe it was just because there was a larger group of them than any of the other breeds we had. We got rid of all but 1 and haven’t had an issue. Plus the only broody chicken that ever drew blood on me was a Barred, they do not mess around when they strike. I had to shove her out of the box with a grabber! Only bird I’ve ever had that much of an issue with.
I would also say that unless you are planning to raise them only for meat I would avoid Dorkings. They are good birds, the meat is tasty and you can slaughter them much later and they’ll stay tender. But, they tend to be fragile. We’ve had 3 batches shipped at different times and always got a few dead, they also tend to be fragile and really accident prone. We had one that broke her “Pope’s nose” and another that somehow got something wrapped around her toes… When there shouldn’t have been anything. Good temperament and I’m fond of them, but honestly really not the best.
All of the Rhode Island Red roosters I have had would eat the chicks. Three of three Rhode Island Reds roosters were cannibals, haven’t seen this in Leghorns.
That is so weird. Our RIR are our best roosters and we have 30. Best with the hens and even care for the chicks. We often give one of them the chicks In a separate coop when they no longer need a broader. If a rooster is being picked on we separate it and put it in with our top RIR to bond, after that no one picks on them. They are tough and if they think your a threat they will defend their ladies and chicks. Never run! But if raised right they are wonderful roosters. We rescue aggressive roosters and rooster are so easy to train out of being aggressive. I have one aggressive one now but if a coo at him he hides. They are so funny. Did you get your roosters from a certain breeder? Could just be inbred.
I completely disagree. I prefer my leghorns and rhode islands over most of my mixed flock. They sit with me and let me pet them.
I have had all 3 breeds and that is not true at all. My barred rock is a sweetheart and always broody but never mean. My leghorns weren’t flighty or mean and my reds were sweethearts also.
I have to call FOUL.
Barred Rocks are not mean. Every Barred Rock I’ve had have been great chickens. They’re smarter than other breeds (Wyandottes are dumb as a bag of hammers). They are dependable egg layers and not broody. My Australorps can get broody.
With being smart chickens they also get into trouble more.
I’ve raised Leghorns (13 years), and Old Fashioned Rhode Island Reds (8 years), and I do not fully agree with the main points in the article.
I will probably always raise Leghorns, as they lay through nearly anything (stress, molt, heat). I don’t mind that they are a bit flighty; it’s saved their lives at times from domestic dog attacks. Some are less flighty than others, and I haven’t had to keep a mean rooster.
Old Fashioned RI Reds are so non-flighty that I invariably step on someone’s toes when I walk into their coop, since they gather so closely around me. I haven’t noticed the egg-bound tendency. We have noticed a drop-off in egg production after two years, and find it much more efficient to process them for the freezer once they are not laying. The yellow fat on those old girls is amazing to use for frying, etc. rather than vegetable oils.
I never raised Barred Rocks, but my grandfather did when I was a child. Since the chickens were let out every morning and were not fenced, they had the run of the farmhouse yard. Either my grandfather didn’t have a nasty rooster, or he just didn’t keep them, because we were never warned to stay away from a mean rooster. I do remember that they were good broody hens, and if I had them, I would be happy to know that the hen would protect her nest to the best of her ability. I don’t remember my grandfather getting pecked by his broody hens (and he could put anything from turkey eggs to goose eggs under the setting hen and they would hatch), but I do remember his warning, that the hens didn’t know me, and they could peck us hard if we bothered them on the nest. We respected that and left his broody girls alone. The rest were fine for us kids to “play” with.
I’ve had all of the chickens listed above. The barred we had to give away because of where we lived at the time. The lady we gave it to killed it and ate it because it was attacking all of the other hens. ‘Reds are really aggressive birds. They beat on each other, and will beat on any other hen placed in the coop. They’re good layers though. I’ve never had a ‘Red rooster. The White Leghorns are just as described; really nervous, flighty birds. They tend to spread their stress out on the rest of the coop, too. The Australorp and Buff Orpingtons are the best, overall. They’re docile, good egglayers, and can also be bred for meat. The only drawback to either type of orp is that they ARE big birds and eat more. We have an Orpington rooster as well, and he’s as docile as the hens. He is a rooster though, and will have his way with whichever hen he wants. Orpington roosters are BIG BOYS! He does NOT like the Leghorns; probably because they’re so stressed out all of the time! The Leghorns might also be refusing his advances because he’s just too damned big! As time and hens pass, I will be shifting to an all-Orpington flock. I highly recommend them!
Lol! I happen to love these particular breeds, but my new batch of Columbian Wyandottes are driving me crazy. One pecked my thumb hard enough to draw blood when I was trying to get them back into the coop. When I read about Columbian Wyandottes though, people seem to love them.
I guess it all just depends on the birds and the over all flock composition. White leghorns are super flighty but I liked their spunk. We had a wonderful Rhode Island Red who was a great leader.
I am going to work on loving my current birds “as is.” They are still pretty young. Hopefully they will learn. Thanks for the fun post!
I have a Rhode Island Red chicken with baby chicks as well and the chicken never even touched the baby, Although my Rhode Island Red chicken is a hen and not a rooster like yours I totally disagree.
I have found Ameraucana hens to be total bitches to others. Fine with people but a flock of them is like a mean girl click at school. Our RIR alpha rooster had to pin them into a corner of the coop to keep them from attacking new hens. It was hilarious, he’d escort them to water and food then back to their corner. Every time they tried to escape the coop he’d chase them back in. By the next day,
they got the message. RIR are alphas and like border collies need a big job. OUrs ruled over 15 roosters and a few separate groups of hens. When he got injured by a neighbors dog and needed to be isolated his hen’s pilled outside the coop he was in, we had to escort them to bed at night. He was a good rooster. Sadly we lost all of them in the fires here in Oregon.
I can’t stand my RI Red- Ruby is 2 years old and hasn’t laid more than a dozen eggs the entire time. She is a bully too. I don’t eat my chickens, but I would glady give her to someone that would.
Wow. I have to say I’m surprised at your description of Leghorns. Mine are the least flighty in the flock. They are super friendly, always enjoying attention. One is the leader and I’ve seen her actually stop a fuss, just by walking up to the offending birds.
I totally recommend them!
WHAT!!!, Plymouth Rock breed bad? Perhaps she was referring to the roosters, I have the loveliest disposition hen around, even better than my silkies. Even if a rooster, after a few times of planting his head in the ground he would soon mellow out around you.
I have Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds and they are my favorite pet birds. We have a mixed flock of 12. 4 RIR and 2 BR. We handled the chicks daily from the start and they couldn’t be more docile and friendly.. The other 6 birds are a little skittish at times, but nobody is mean or misbehaves.
I do not agree I’ve had barred rocks and leghorns for years .They are very sweet. Maybe your pen is to small for the amount of chickens you have.
I have 4 of each of these breeds plus 4 Golden Bovans, 2 buff Brahmas and 2 amaurcanas and everyone gets along fine, no issues at all!
We’ve had both Barred Rock and Rhode Island. Our Barred rooster was horribly aggressive, attacking us at every opportunity, he had to go. The barred hens we are fasing out of our flock as they are mean, not to us or our kids but to each other and other breeds. But have to disagree with about the Rhodes. The hens are calm, quiet and a nice flock, their egg production is superb. We have two RIR roosters the leader is adorable, very caring over his ladies, often picking up food and taking it to hens rather then eat it himself and we have never had a problem with either. We have been breeding Red Rock Cross (rhode rooster with barred hen) and are loving these sex-linked birds. Incredibly calm, curious and super egg layers, the hens are quite pretty.
What? Our best roosters were BR, RIR… and Phoenix. We rescue roosters and have had up to 30 at a time. The meanest rooster we had was Bob, he was a buff Orpington. When those guys go mean they are a little harder to quiet down. Bob was fine with my husband or me, but would never forget who ran from him. There is one at a local rescue that’s been there a few years, he has to have his own coop and run.