Sunday, August 23, 2015

Some Good Chicken Breeds To Start With!

For the First Time Chicken Keeper

There is a great chart to see all the kinds of chicken breeds.  
It's called Henderson's Chicken Chart.
It lists 60 different breeds.
I'll put a link at the bottom of this post.

Everyone with chickens has their favorite breed.  It's just like with dogs.  
Everyone has their most beloved breed of dog.
There are some chickens that are just known to be more docile and friendly and would be easier if you're just starting out.
After all . . . they will become like pets if you just have a small flock.
You'll name them and talk to them and tell them what good girls they are when they give you an egg!  : ))

OK then!
Here you go.

 The Road Island Red.
They are great layers.  You'll get an egg a day.
They are active and fairly docile.  They are robust and hardy to heat and cold.
The reddish brown is the most common color.

The Barred Plymouth Rock
This is a favorite among chicken owners.
They are calm and docile.  Easily handled and friendly.
Can be easily taught to eat from your hand.
They're cold hardy and lay large light brown eggs.

The Silkie
If you want to try a little bantam (miniature) chicken,
the silkie is a fun choice.
They are friendly, but remember their eggs are also miniature size!
Their feathers are so soft and fluffy they feel like silk.
Care should be taken if introducing bantams into a regular size chicken flock.

Welsummer chicken

The Welsummer chicken is docile, non-aggressive and will easily fit into a mixed flock.
It lays beautiful chocolate colored brown eggs.
It is cold hardy.

The White Leghorn Chicken
This is an "egg laying machine"!
The most common chicken used to lay eggs for production.
It lays large white eggs, is hardy and heat tolerant.
Can be flighty and nervous. though

The Orpington
It comes in a couple different colors but the buff orpington is the most common.
It is docile and easily handled but does tend to go broody more than some other breeds.
It is a good mother and lays large brown eggs.

The Wyandotte
This is a silver laced wyandotte and can also be seen as a golden laced wyandotte.
They lay medium to large brown eggs.  They are calm and docile.
Robust and cold hardy.

The Cochin
The cochin comes in many, many colors.  The special thing about them is their feathered feet.
They are calm, docile and easily handled.  They can go broody easily and make good mothers.
They're cold hardy.  Their eggs are a little smaller and are a yellowish brown.
They come in regular or bantam size.

The Easter-Egger or Americauna

The easter egger is a calm and curious chicken.
Some can be a little stand-offish.
They have tuffs of feathers (muffs) on each side of their face near their beak that reminds you of a chipmunk.
They lay slightly blue to green eggs, medium to large.
A must for a pretty egg basket!!

The link to Hendersons Chicken Chart is here:

Hope you found this useful if you are thinking of getting chickens for the first time or just adding to your flock.

Watch for my broadcasts on Periscope about chickens and my other animals etc.
Link is at the top of the right side bar.

Shirley


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