The 3 WORST Chicken Breeds

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.

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.

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