Friendly chickens are all around us; we just need to open our eyes to accept these beautiful birds.Most of us who live in the urban areas away from farmland would hardly think about chickens as being good pets. However, that’s a completely wrong idea as these docile birds are usually great pets, especially for the kids.One of the reasons we might never think about having chickens as pets is because we associate them with food. But, there are several breeds that can be kept as pets as they are very friendly birds. And, it isn’t really necessary to have a chicken coop. Instead, you can build a backyard flock in an enclosed space or choose to keep the chicken in your living space if you have an apartment. On top of that, there’s always an advantage of keeping hens, as you won’t ever be out of eggs.So, do keep reading if you’re interested in adopting a pet chicken.If you like this article, why not find out more about the easiest dog breeds to train and birds as pets.List Of Friendliest Chicken BreedsThere are a lot of chicken breeds to look for to keep as pets. But, we found the silkie, Plymouth Rock, Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island red, buff Orpington, cochin, wyandotte, and easter egger to perform the best.To start with, we have the silkie; this docile breed is definitely known for its beautiful feathers, especially the top hat. Along with having silky feathers all over the body, it also has feathered legs, and the plumage tends to be quite heavy. The feathers are usually gray with speckled while, and the chickens also have blue earlobes. It’s also a good chicken to handle as it doesn’t have the ability to fly as well as some other breeds. The hens of these chickens are considered quiet, and you can get the bantam version for easier-to-handle pets. Interestingly, the silkie is said to have black skin, which is visible on the legs when feathers are removed.Next up is the Plymouth Rock breed, which is known for its great egg-laying capacity, along with being a friendly breed. Some hens have been known for laying 280 eggs in a year. Moreover, there are many plumage varieties in these chickens and are well-suited to almost all kinds of weather. If you have a coop, then this breed can be great backyard chickens as it adapts well to a free-range life.Speckled Sussex is an inquisitive chicken breed that will always have your back. You can get chicks in all colors, including buff, silver, and red. If you want to start your own flock, then this breed can be a good start to keeping pet chickens. This chicken would really love some cuddle time with you. When it comes to laying eggs, the Speckled Sussex can give you up to 250 eggs in a year. The hens weigh around 6 lb (2.7 kg), while the roosters tend to be a bit bigger.If you’re fond of chicken breeds that tend to be big and burly, then the buff Orpington would be a great breed for you. It’s fairly easy to guess that these chickens have buff feathers. You should know that this generally calm chicken breed is on the independent side. So, it may not be the first one to cuddle with you, but after a good bond is made, it will come near you for petting. Having said that, you can get around 200 fresh eggs from a hen every year.Rhode Island red chickens are meant for egg lovers as at the right age; hens may lay eggs at a high frequency. In a good year, you can get up to 280 eggs from a hen. It’s a fun chicken breed that likes to go around the backyard pecking for food. Even though it can be a bit noisy compared to other chickens, they are still fun to have around your house.The cochin is a beautiful giant chicken breed that has gentle giant hens that would love occasional petting. The hens may weigh as much as 8 lb (3.6 kg). The body of a cochin chicken is covered in fluffy feathers, and you would surely love to play with the baby chicks. And, even after its large size, the chickens enjoy being on the lap, especially of children.If you admire art, then the wyandotte would be an impressive choice as a pet chicken. The plumage consists of white feathers with black borders, while the tail feathers are black. Compared to other chickens, the wyandotte manages well with being handled by children.Next is a hybrid breed, the easter egger formed by breeding Araucana and Ameraucana chickens. The easter egger hen is known for its egg-laying capacity and can produce up to 250 eggs in a year. Moreover, due to hybrid breeding, the easter eggers can produce different colored eggs, which can be blue, green, or pink. The easter eggers are quite friendly in nature, and you can easily house them in your backyard.What are the best chicken breeds for beginners?If you’re someone who is getting a pet chicken for the first time, then you may want to get chickens from breeds such as Dominique, Australorp, leghorns, jersey giants, and Brahma.Before we start telling you in detail about the chicken breeds, we have to tell you that it’s important to take care of all chickens irrespective of the breed. Hence, when you are a beginner, the first thing that should be done is to do proper research. There can be many reasons for getting a pet chicken, the obvious being its egg-laying capacity. Having said that, you should also think about how the chicken would be kept and if you would like to cuddle with the chicken. Whatever breed you choose, learn about how to handle it and ways to make the space more habitable for the chicken. Do remember, even the nicest and docile breeds may get fussy in living conditions that aren’t up to the mark.Now, coming to the breeds, Dominique is a pretty easy chicken breed to have in your backyard or farm. Along with being a friendly chicken, the hens lay beautiful medium-sized brown eggs. It’s easy to handle these pet chickens compared to other chicken breeds and even like to be handled by the kids. However, one of the things to be wary of is the predators like cats, dogs, or even raccoons, as these chickens aren’t great at fighting with other animals and can quickly succumb to pressure.When you talk with someone who has a farm, they will most likely suggest you enter the chicken world by adopting Australorp chicken. Along with being a hardy breed, these chickens are popular for their black plumage and light brown eggs. These chicks are cold-hardy but don’t do that well in places that get too hot.Want to stock up on pretty white eggs? If so, then think about getting the leghorn chicken. Leghorn hens can lay more than 300 eggs in a year, which is phenomenal. These chickens have cute little baby chicks that grow up to have beautiful white plumage. This is one of the most intelligent chicken breeds out there, and the chickens love to forage. So, if you have a large enough farm or backyard, think about raising the leghorn as a free-range chicken.Next up are the jersey giants, a breed known for laying large brown eggs. This is an attractive breed because of its size, but the beginner-friendly chicken is quite docile and loves to be around humans. It can go through a lot of food quite easily, but when raising chickens as pets, you may need to skip on that aspect.The Brahma is yet another great breed of chicken that is easy to come across in a pet shop. This breed is also known for its attractive fluffy plumage that covers its whole body along with the legs. Children tend to love playing and cuddling with the Brahma chicken, but it can be a bit heavy. This is a cold-hardy chicken breed, so if you live in a place where the temperatures tend to dip quite a bit, think about getting the Brahma.What is the friendliest kind of chicken?Till now, we have mentioned chickens that are quite friendly as pets. However, if we had to select only a couple of breeds, then we would go for the star, polish, sultans, and Barbu D’Uccles.Let’s start with the star. When it comes to choosing friendly chickens, we have seen that the hybrids perform quite well, so if you are into the idea of getting one, think about adopting some star chicks. These chickens are available in the red and black variants, both of which tend to be quite friendly, docile, and welcome to human touch. And, you can easily find out the gender of the chicks soon after hatching, making it easier to find hens.The polish chickens look really good due to the colorful plumage, especially due to the unusual crest. One of the benefits of keeping this chicken breed is that it does well in enclosed environments. So, if you lack a very large area or backyard, then keeping these chickens won’t be a problem. On top of that, the hens have a decent egg-laying capacity, and they can lay up to 200 eggs a year.If you really want the chickens of the kings, then think about getting a sultan chick. Yes, it can be a bit costly compared to the other breeds, but it was specially bred as the Ottoman Empire’s court bird. Anyone who sees your chicken flock will be impressed if you have the sultan. On top of that, a sultan can be the perfect alternative to a lap dog, as it’s super cuddly. You will especially like the leg feathers of these chickens, which makes them look almost like fancy pigeons.Another super-friendly chicken breed is the Barbu D’Uccles. The name may sound a little strange, but believe us when we say that you’ll treasure having these chickens at your home. As a bantam chicken breed, these birds tend to be quite small, making them perfect for keeping in urban areas. And, these chickens get quite attached to the owners and would often hop on your shoulder, begging to be petted.What kind of chickens like to be held?You can hold all kinds of chickens if you have enough time to spend with them. Chickens, like any other pet, cherish those owners who have time for them. Having said that, the best chickens for pets to be held include the Sebright and Faverolle.The Sebright is a chicken breed that was first developed in the 19th century by Sir John Sebright, and he believed it to be the perfect chicken breed. Even though that might not be true, still the Sebright is a pretty great chicken breed, and the best part is its cuddliness. The plumage of this bird is quite unique because of its contrasting black and white feathers or orange and black feathers. The Sebright is a true bantam breed - meaning there is no large version of this chicken. Being a small breed, it’s easy to handle, even for the kids. These chickens can be kept in confinement, and the hens are only able to lay 60-80 eggs a year.On the other hand, the Faverolle is a beautiful chicken breed that’s mostly known for its plumage and fluffy cheek feathers. It’s a French breed chicken that was created during the 19th century and usually has a white plumage with black cheek feathers along with a brown back. Even though these chickens love to be held and are good cuddle buddies, the Faverolle can be picked on by other chickens or animals. Hence, if you’re thinking about creating a pet chicken flock, you might just build it with Faverolle chickens along with other docile breeds. These gentle chickens can lay about 240 eggs a year and usually produce light brown or pink eggs.Other than the above-mentioned breeds, the Speckled Sussex, easter eggers, and buff Orpington can also be great options for chickens that like to be held.While taking care of any chicken, do remember that it isn’t okay to handle the birds all the time. Just like any other pet, chickens also enjoy independent time and have developed personalities. Moreover, it can be quite stressful for a chicken to be held by people that it might not be familiar with. Hence, rather than running behind a chicken, try to give it some time if you want to cuddle it. If you spend more time in the area where the chickens are housed, give them treats, and your pets will jump on you in no time.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the friendliest chicken breeds then why not take a look at the most friendly dogs, or Chow Chow facts?
Friendly chickens are all around us; we just need to open our eyes to accept these beautiful birds.
