Over the years I have raised my thousands of chicks. From fertile eggs to laying hens and chickens have a simple life cycle. Chickens are easy to raise and care for if you provide the basic needs of safety and proper quality feeds.
I could be a MILLIONAIRE if someone paid me a nickle for every time I hear from shoppers "which breeds are the nicest" "which breeds like children" "If I get a baby chick will it love me more than a full grown hen? and similar statements.
The basic FACTS: Chickens are motivated by
1) sight 2) sound 3) smell 4) hearing
Your pet chicken is not running to you because it loves you. It instinctively knows that there is food in the bag that you carry, she sees you heading her way! she smell the feed, hear the bag and see you walking to the coop. Your chicken remembers that when this actions occur she will be fed. Then she runs to the coop door and you are pleased that she loves you! (it does not mean that chickens cannot be affectionate it just means that you need to look at the facts too!)
People are always shopping for more and more information about chickens and there is sure a lot of information about "backyard chickens" out there. Trouble is most of it is false or maybe partly true. here is why:
Someone posts on a forum or blog "Hey this chicken breed is very DANGEROUS and attacks people. Do not buy the breed "fill in the blank" So lets all stop purchasing the "fill in the blank breed" because they are dangerous.
So here is how coop rumors get started.
1) A Mother lets a toddler play unsupervised with chickens (not a good idea!)
2) The small toddler with wiggly fingers is nearly eye level to the chicken
3) The chicken sees movement of the small child's fingers
4) The chicken jumps to peck instinctively at the "food" (instinct not aggression)
5) The child is startled and cries
6) The mother soothes the child and begins to write about want a dangerous breed that her chicken has become on chicken forums
New Chicken Rumor Started!
This is how rumors get started. People do not understand chickens behavior.
Bottom line MOST chickens have had real aggression bred out of them over the years. Domesticated backyard birds are not aggressive by nature, Although a broody hen or game fowl can become aggressive but that is by natures design and their instincts primarily.
So choose freely on the breeds that you want for your backyard flock. Its best to start with basic chicken breeds that are strong and hearty with a good immune system.
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