A Guide to Breeds
A Guide to Breeds
Once you have decided which is more important to you, egg production or quality of meat birds you are ready to browse the breeds. Remember that there are hundreds of possibilities so don’t limit yourself to one specific breed. We are going to break them down by egg production, meat production and dual purpose birds.
Dual Purpose Birds
Rhode Island Reds – The RIR is one of the more popular breeds for beginning poultry farmers. They have a gentle disposition and handle both cold and hot weather well. They are usually solid dark red in color and lay brown eggs.
Rhode Island Red
Plymouth Rock – They are a great bird for beginning poultry farmers to start with. They are friendly and easy to care for. There are two varieties of the Plymouth Rock, the white and barred. This distinction is more to do with coloration than temperament or egg production. They are weather hardy and make a good addition to any flock.
Plymouth Rock
Buff Orpington – These chickens are beautiful golden yellow fluffy specimens. They tolerate cold climates well and don’t mind being picked up and handled. You can even pick one up and hand feed it. They lay brown eggs and grow to a decent harvest size. They take confinement well and that is a good thing. Their docile nature makes them more vulnerable to predators.
Buff Orpington
Australorp – This bird is a relative of the Orpington and although they are known as superb egg producers, they also make good meat birds as well. They are a solid black in color with some green and purple tints to the feathers when the sunlight hits them just right. Their eggs are brown and considered large. They are tolerant to all weather patterns.
Australorp
Wyandotte – The Wyandotte come in varied colors, (golden laced, silver laced, red and black) and make a great choice for a dual purpose bird. They are cold tolerant, handle confinement well and docile. They lay brown eggs.
Silver Laced Wyandotte
Brahma – Like the Jersey Giant, these birds grow to be close to 14 pounds. There are several varieties of Brahmas to choose from. They are friendly and tolerate handling and confinement. They handle any type of climate. They lay brown eggs.
Brahma
Turkens (Naked Necks) – These birds were a favorite on the farm. Mostly because of their appearance. Their necks are well, naked. There are no feathers. They resemble turkeys, (hence the name). They lay (brown) eggs regularly but you have to make sure that the hens don’t get a taste for eggs. They are calm, handle confinement and are quiet.
Turken chicken
Speckled Sussex - The Speckled Sussex is tolerant of all climates. They are particularly docile birds and get along with other chickens well. The Sussex hens make excellent mothers for young chicks. Their coloration is a dark brown with white speckles. They lay very large brown eggs.
Light sussex
Delaware – The Delaware is a beautiful white chicken with speckled tail feathers. They are tolerant of all climates and are friendly, but easily excited. The major drawback to the Delaware chickens is that they tend to be rather noisy. They lay large brown eggs.
Dorking – One of the more rare of all chicken breeds. They are a delight to own because they are friendly and easily handled. They lay large white eggs.
Egg Production
Leghorns – These chickens are a solid white in color and yes, are the inspiration for Foghorn the cartoon rooster. While their egg production is what makes them ideal for this purpose, their small size means a limited amount for meat purposes. One drawback to this breed is that they are sometimes noisy.
Leghorn chicken
Ameracaunas – If you have never seen an Ameracauna you are missing out! These birds have a fluffy ‘beard’ of feathers that surrounds their face. They make great pets and can take to holding and petting easier than some breeds. They lay blue or green eggs and plenty of them. Ameracaunas make great mothers and can be stubbornly broody at times. They do not make for good meat birds.
Faverolles – Like the Ameracaunas, these birds sport a beard on their ‘chin’. They are typically calm and docile like their cousins. They are tolerant of all climates. They lay light brown to cream colored eggs.
Sex Link – Sex Links come in a variety of colors from golden to black and everything in between. They do well in cold climates and tolerate confinement well. They lay brown eggs. They can be dual purpose birds but their egg production is very high. They are not known for becoming broody however.
Barnevelder – This is one ideal chicken for your neighborhood backyard. They are quiet and don’t mind being confined. The hens lay a good number of large brown eggs.
Black barnevelder
Andalusian – Andalusians are great egg producers with many varieties and colorations. While they take confinement well, they are rather noisy and probably not a good fit for a neighborhood back yard. They tolerate both hot and cold climates. They lay white eggs.
Silkie – Silkies are the smaller chickens with excessive plumage that surrounds their heads like a Vegas showgirl. While it is not prolific in egg production, their popularity is based on their personality and appearance. They are show birds and a prize winning silkie can be worth a lot of money. The eggs are surprisingly larger than you would expect from a bird that size, but they are still not as large as others.
Silkie chicken
Meat Production
Jersey Giant – These birds are extremely popular in fairs because they are often heavier than twelve pounds. There are several color varieties available.
Cornish Cross – These birds are the most utilized for meat of all chickens. They tolerate all climates and are calm birds that don’t get stressed when confined. They are not technically a breed of chicken; they are a cross between Broilers and Cornish. As a hybrid of different breeds for meat production, many time these birds inherit health problems making them vulnerable to heart attacks. Most don’t survive longer than nine months. They lay brown eggs of a smaller size than most, and the laying is not consistent or regular. They don’t typically become broody often leaving the mothering to other breeds in the flock.
Cochin – These are beautiful birds that come in many different colors and varieties. They are popular because of their temperament being so gentle and friendly. They are rather small for meat production and their egg production is not the greatest. They are tolerant for both hot and cold weather.
Ornamental
There is a fourth purpose for certain breeds and that is one of an ornamental nature. In other words, these won’t make good egg producers or meat producers but they look nice. If you get an egg or two and are interested in breeding these birds, you may find some buyers in your area.
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