Question Breeds you were disappointed in and why.

[KimChick]

For layers, we are not too fussy on the Red Sex Links, we like Black Sex Links better.
I'm finding that the Barred Rocks can be really bossy and nasty sometimes, even with me. And that goes for the mixed Rhode Island Red-Barred Rocks, that I hatched this year, too. But our Barred Rock rooster is a really good bird.
Our Rhode Island Reds are a bit skiddish, and I've been pecked a few times by one or two of them.

[baronrenfrew]

Most people get birds from a hatchery. Hatchery birds are bred to lay eggs; and "purebred" of any breed may be crossbred with something more productive to get egg numbers up. Thus you get birds where feathers might look right but body shape is way off. Hatcheries don't care for other characteristics a bird may have: disease resistance, colour, ability to avoid predators, heat/cold tolerance, body shape and weight, friendliness, etc. The blog from True North - which I can no longer find, the lady had found heavy meaty old fashioned barred rocks - true dual purpose birds - that an old farmer had in his family for decades. This trait is long gone in most birds. A great example is the Kurolia - a modern chicken breed from India that thrives in poor conditions and yet gives decent results for eggs and meat. https://m.businesstoday.in/story/first- ... /5747.html

[WLLady]

Ameraucanas. Specifically the wheaten and blue wheaten. They've been so stupidly inbred that gapped beaks, cross beaks and curled toes are almost impossible to avoid. The birds are small, they do lay nice eggs! I ended up having to cross breed mine out to wheaten marans and then breed out the unwanted "stuff" to get the birds back to anything even resembling SOP. I kept back a few just for coloured eggs, but that's it for me with them.

The other was buff orpingtons. Very pretty, poofy, but they didn't lay worth beans.

And wheaten marans. The birds were gorgeous. blood spots....gah! and not really great fertility (because of the blood spots etc likely). And i could never find the really really dark eggs i wanted.

And now that i have developed 2 of my own lines and then some barnyard mixes, i think i like the colours of the mixes more LOL go figure