With all the numerous, many wonderful chicken breeds on the market, it may be arduous to know the place to start out in selecting your first one. On this article, you’ll find out about 5 of the most effective hen breeds for yard flocks, and likewise get some useful recommendations on realizing which one is best for you.
Rhode Island Pink
The Rhode Island Pink is one in every of—if not essentially the most—iconic and common chickens on the earth, and there are numerous causes for his or her dominance. Sensible homesteaders are interested in their versatility as a dual-purpose hen and regular egg manufacturing—a heritage Pink will lay about 200 eggs a 12 months, whereas a extra trendy manufacturing pressure will common nearer to 300 giant brown eggs at their peak.
Extra romantic hen keepers love the Pink for his or her shiny pink feathers and daring, brassy personalities. These hens will be pushy and even aggressive with different hens, however they’re typically docile and pleasant with their people. Rhode Island Reds, particularly heritage (learn: older) strains of the breed, are additionally famous for his or her longer durations of egg productiveness.
The Rhode Island Pink was first bred within the 1850s and originated in Massachusetts and, in fact, their namesake Rhode Island. Due to their New England origins and supposed goal as a homesteader, they’re very hardy and comparatively low-maintenance birds.
Delaware
The Delaware is a helpful, dual-purpose heritage hen breed that’s really on the verge of extinction, however that is extra of a commentary on how industrial hen farming has developed and formed the wants of farmers, than on the hen itself, which is a superb homesteader.
Though they’re now thought of a dual-purpose hen, within the Forties and ‘50s, the Delaware was the dominant broiler within the American hen business. They had been phased out within the late ‘50s and ‘60s as newer, bigger, faster-growing breeds had been launched, and their common decline was so dramatic that the breed remains endangered 60 years later.
Nevertheless, the very issues that led to their decline as an industrial broiler hen are the identical traits that suggest them to trendy yard hen keepers. Along with their scrumptious meat, the Delaware lays as much as 300 giant brown eggs a 12 months. What was a waste of vitality of their industrial broiler days has made them doubly helpful to have in a small flock.
Plymouth Rock
The very first thing to say concerning the Plymouth Rock is their hanging and distinctive look, particularly the black-and-white striped feathers that gave the breed its authentic title, the Barred Plymouth Rock or Barred Rock. Whereas different colours have since been bred into the breed, this barred look remains to be essentially the most iconic and sought-after coloration for the breed, and a few will argue the one true illustration of a correct Plymouth Rock.
Colours apart, the Plymouth Rock is a supremely helpful hen—so helpful, in actual fact, that it was the most well-liked breed in American historical past till the top of World Battle II. As this reputation would recommend, the Plymouth Rock is a hardy, low-maintenance hen. They lay about 250 giant brown eggs yearly, however are maybe much more notable for the big portions of tasty meat that when made them a well-liked industrial broiler.
Better of all for household farmers and yard homesteaders, Plymouth Rocks are comparatively light, docile birds that shall be simple for brand new keepers to start out with, and nice with youngsters.
Extra on Yard Chickens
Wyandotte
The Wyandotte could be essentially the most versatile hen breed there may be. Small flock keepers like them for his or her dependable egg manufacturing—between 200-250 giant brown eggs a 12 months. They’re additionally famous pretty much as good broilers, and so they’ll definitely produce quite a lot of meat. Due to the Brahma affect within the breed’s background, a Wyandotte hen can attain seven kilos, and the roosters can develop to as much as 9 kilos.
Due to their featherless legs and comparatively dense, shut physique feathering, the Wyandotte is hardy in all kinds of climates, even chilly ones, and can also be much less more likely to have issues with mites and frostbite than different birds with flashier feathers.
The precise genetic origins of the Wyandotte are unclear, though we all know it was developed in america within the 1870s. We additionally know that quite a lot of totally different breeds had been launched into the Wyandotte bloodline through the years as a result of they arrive in a really beautiful array of colours. The American Standard of Perfection acknowledges 9 normal Wyandotte colours, however the equal European group lists 30.
Essentially the most iconic is the unique coloration, now referred to as silver laced, which options white feathers with a pointy black edge; the same gold laced Wyandotte has pink and black coloring. These distinctive colorings have helped make the Wyandotte extremely common as a present hen, particularly in Germany.
Australorp
If what you’re searching for is uncooked egg-producing energy, then we’ve positively saved the most effective for final. The Australorp as soon as held the world file for many eggs laid in a single 12 months, with one enterprising hen within the hen’s native Australia laying 364 in a single 12 months within the Nineteen Twenties. That file has since been topped by extra productive trendy hybrids, however the Australorp’s historic dominance stays a key a part of their attraction.
For one factor, although much less productive in sheer numbers than their descendants, a wholesome Australorp will lay for longer than a contemporary hybrid breed. Moreover, as a result of they had been bred for small farms within the early days of white Australian settlement, they’re good broilers as properly; additionally they rise up properly in virtually any local weather you place them in. Plus, their pleasant, light nature makes them simple to fall in love with as a household pet.
Methods to Select Your Chickens
Selecting your first hen breed is a bit like selecting a marriage costume or a brand new automotive. It’s simple to let your head get turned by flashy colours, distinctive histories, or sky-high egg manufacturing numbers, however that doesn’t imply that you simply’ve discovered the fitting hen. Nevertheless, with time and cautious thought of what you really need, you will be sure that you simply’ve chosen precisely the fitting one.
When selecting the breed of your first flock, crucial issues to remember are what you want and want in a flock. If you wish to make your first shortlist by writing down each hen you fell in love with whereas looking, that’s a superb begin, however then slim it down by contemplating:
- what local weather the birds will thrive in,
- how simple they’re to deal with for the extent of expertise you’ve got, or when you have kids,
- how inclined they’re to sure ailments and well being issues,
- what number of eggs your loved ones or enterprise will really need, and
- whether or not or not you want to reap meat in addition to eggs.
You might also be restricted by value and native availability; even basic breeds just like the Delaware will be arduous to come back by lately.
Most of all, keep in mind that selecting one breed now doesn’t imply you’re married to that breed forever. You possibly can change or develop your flock as you be taught extra about protecting chickens and what you need from and to your flock.
