[karne]

I currently have a laying flock of six hens-three barred rock, two Rhode island reds, one Aracuna. The last three were gifted to us last fall. I have to say that I prefer the personalities of my three barred rocks by far. The RI Reds in particular are very assertive, not really aggressive, but bossy with the others. I really love the laid back personalities of the barred rocks. Do you think this is a fluke in this group of hens? I'm thinking about gifting all but the barred rocks to someone else and getting some more BR for myself. Any thoughts?

 

[E.V. Lowi]

I agree with your assessment of the personalities of these breeds. The barred rocks were the best backyard hens because of temperament and egg laying ability. Buff Orpingtons are a good choice. The R.I Reds seem to peck each other too much.

 

[karne]

So, I'm wondering, if I want to re-home the RI Reds, and possibly Aracuna, what's the best way to do this? They're about 2 years old, great layers, but I wonder how well they would handle being moved? Could they go into another flock? Are there health issues? I could probably advertise on CL, I guess.

I'm going to look into Buff Orpingtons-thanks for the tip.

 

[E.V. Lowi]

It's best to move them into the new situation at night when the other hens, (if they are joining a new flock) are sleeping. It's best to keep them locked in the new coop until the bond with their new home, about 5 days. If they are bullied by the original residents of the coop, I would keep them separated if possible.

 

[annethcz]

My reds are definitely the bossiest hens of my flock. Luckily they're not aggressive, or they'd be gone.