Reviews by rmurrayslcut

My BRs are aggressive and loud. I had to re-home one after trying to quell her pecking tendencies for three months. I finally caught her pinning one of my Ameraucanas to the ground and pecking her (would have been to death, had I not checked on them before going to bed). It wasn't even a pecking order battle, just a vicious beat down by the top bird onto the lowest and smallest chicken on the rung. I was glad to see it go and my flock is all the better without her in it.

My BRs lay about 3-4 smaller eggs per week. My RIR, Australorps, and Ameraucanas lay almost every day, and their eggs are 20% bigger.

BRs are weather hardy. I bought them because they're supposedly docile, but that just hasn't been my experience. Stay away from this breed.

I have one Red in my flock of seven. The rest of the six are all pairs of other breeds, but her clutch mate was a rooster that I sold. She's independent, aloof even, but it's a nice mix for my flock. She's not the dominant hen, but takes absolutely no guff from my dominant BRs and Black Australorps. She's medium size, but holds her own and I just never have to worry about her getting pecked.

I get six eggs per week from her. Her eggs are large, brown, and more circular than most eggs. She's not skittish of me, but by far the least interested in being handled. She greets me and interacts with the flock. I enjoy her because she's independent - not an instigator, but doesn't get pushed around especially when she's laying. I live in Utah and we have temperature extremes. She does fine in either hot or cold.

My next flock may very well be all Reds. If I had to have just one breed, it would be Reds or Ameraucanas.

The only downside to her - and it's slight - is that she's my roamer. I have a seven foot high fence that she accesses easily and roosts on. She escaped once and I had to track her down in some hedges (it had gotten dark). I wouldn't consider this a serious concern. It's probably her personality rather than a breed trait.

If you're considering RIRs for your flock, do it! You won't regret it.

I get six eggs per week from my Ameraucanas. They're the best layers in my flock in both volume and size. The eggs range in color from a very pale green to a dark turquoise green. They're beautiful birds, nicely colored with interesting wing patterns. One of mine even has tufts on the sides of her cheeks. Mine are bantam sized - not sure if they come bigger - and they're in a run with two Barred Rocks and two Black Australorps, which are big birds. The result is that they're the lowest of the pecking order. I went on vacation recently, and came back to find one had an open wound, down to the meat on her back, near her tail. The other one had some feather loss in the same spot and I saw her sitting in the dirt getting pecked. I think I've solved that dilemma with an extra feeder, Peck-No-More on the trouble spots, and lots of TLC.

Despite the extra trouble, my Ameraucanas are my favorite birds. My next flock will be all Ameraucana, and perhaps they'll all get along better being the same breed and size. They're egg production simply can't be beat, and there's not a more beautiful chicken in my opinion. I'm a beginner, and they've been an easy and rewarding breed for me.

You won't regret adding these birds to your flock. Enjoy!

My Australorps are my sweetest birds. They're a tad subordinate (pro or con?) but don't get run over by the other birds. They hang back but aren't skittish. One of them would actually run to me when she was real young. They size up well against my other chickens but I have Barred Rocks and RI Reds, so the Australorps assume a more submissive role. I would recommend them for any first-timer, anyone who wants a gentle, weather-hearty and easy to maintain bird, or as a member of a multi-breed flock. They don't cause trouble, but are big enough to handle themselves. They're very productive layers. If I had a small flock or could only have one breed, I would go with the Australorp.