Shopping Guides. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Makeover Takeover: Colonial Comeback. Treat Your Family to Homemade Cupcakes. Annie Schlechter. Now go get clucking! Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Melinda Josie. EGGS: Expect an annual output of about white, medium-size eggs. EGGS: Expect light-brown to medium-brown eggs each year.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. I got my chickens a little over a month ago, I go to two amercaunas most friendly in my flock, I would highly recommend them.
One Buff Orpington, and one Australorp! Your blog has been very informative, thanks so much for all the help you give to everyone! I have a question that hopefully you or a reader can answer.
About 2 months ago I got some more chicks and raised them in the garage since it was still getting cold at night. Now that it is nicer weather I introduced the chicks to my 3 other full grown chickens. I wanted to introduce them slowly so I made a smaller cage inside my big coop and put the chicks in it.
I have one full grown chicken that seems have a very big interest in them. By that I mean that it is constantly next to the cage looking in and walking around every side. Is this just a motherly hen wanting to take care of them or Is she just waiting for therm to get out so she can attack them?
Even late at night I look out and there she is right beside the cage. BTW I love your website. I have had chicken for about 10 years and still have learned a lot from here. So far my Frizzle, my Blue, and my Cochin have become broody and I allowed them to hatch their chicks. My Wyandotte, Americana, Barred Rock and Polys seem to accept the babies with no problem because they have to come in the coop to lay and thus go right by the babies.
Very interested but not aggressive. My question is when do I allow the moms to tale the little ones out into the fenced yard. Sorry this is long but love your site and hope someone can make suggestions. I always let the Mother Hen decide when the time is right for everything. I live on the coast of WA State. Pacific Beach. Anyway, I plan to purchase a coop at least 10 by 12 with a secured run with roof and hardware cloth tall enough for me to stand up in.
I hope to purchase chicks from a reputable hatchery when the coop and run is ready. I do want a sustainable flock for mainly pets and eggs. Only 10 to start. Welsummer, dark Cornish, buckeye, Dominique, Americauna, cream legbar, Easter egger, barnevelder, new Hampshire.
A welsummer or Dominique rooster. Any comments? My email is ed gmail. Sounds like a solid coop and flock. Chickens can be unpredictable but I find the best advice is to use the experience as your own science experiment. It is good you are sticking to one rooster because two can sometimes be conflicting.
Be mindful of introducing them all as there is a way to do it smoothly. As new chicken owners with kids, we chose a buff Orpington, an Easter Egger, and an Austrolorp. They free range all day in our back garden and have been great beginner chickens! The Easter Egger is especially friendly, the buff is also friendly, and the austrolorp is always running away unless we have treats.
None of them are mean no pecking and they only get loud after laying an egg. Both the buff and Easter Egger are regular layers at 4 months. The austrolorp May be a late bloomer…. Much better food to egg ratio than the Buff could ever be. I also do not recommend the Leghorn because as it ages it becomes mean to remainder of the flock. In this case egg production is negated by temperament. They were recommended to me as my very first chickens.
I got 5 of them. They laid eggs right through the winter and are beautiful in the sunlight. They will carry on a conversation with you and talk your leg off.
They are so much fun to watch, I love my girls. I would recommend the Australorp to any beginner or advanced chicken owner. God bless you and thanks for your site. I keep my eye on it all the time.
We have different breeds together and they get along fine. Ended up with a mixed flock because someone was moving and going to just let them loose in predator heavy area. I took them instead. Great layers,and they get along fine. Took them a few days to establish pecking order and that was it. They are in an enclosed area,good fencing because of predators. But they have plenty of room and no problem. I really want chickens, and I am trying to convince my parents. I showed them your article on five reasons to get chickens and have made lists with everything we would need.
Someone there would be willing to rent us their coop, but would the chickens be OK with the transition to the new coop, especially if we had to bring them back after a few months? We have a little of everything and are excited! So far a think we have a leghorn, a golden comet, and at least one barred rock.
Right now we are just hoping everyone is a hen. I am so surprised how much I love chickens! They really are relaxing to watch a listen to their little clucks. We have a Barred rock and Barham at 5 wks old established in the coop and hen pen… I just got a 3wk old Silver Phoenix for my birthday.
They are our egg-laying pets. Wish us luck and…welcome any advice. I started reading about broody hens. We have an Orpington that we broke within a couple weeks.
We also have 6 young Easter Eggers. The Easter Eggers are not too friendly but I will keep working with them. One got hit in the head with a large hail stone. I thought it had killed her but when I touched her she moved. I kept her separated from the rest for about 3 days because they were pecking at her head.
Thanks for your information! Your post was great and what im looking for would be some easy to keep,friendly,docile and most importantly low laying since we dont eat a lot of eggs.
I have Easter eggers and I am in the camp of they are very friendly! My 9 year old nephew can come over and hand feed them. All of them come running up when they see me, and most will sit on my lap or shoulder, including my roosters.
I only have one young just laying hen day 9 of eggs i worry about her being on her own as she always runs to the fence when she see me the dogs or cats as a bantem does the slow intro still apply.
Wondering why it says to only choose chickens of one breed? If you get them from the same hatchery then they should all have the same exposure to pests. I was looking at Buff Orpingtons, Wyandottes, and Australorps. Last year we started off with 3 light Brahmas one ended up being a rooster. Then 4 weeks later we got 3 Blue Australorps. We had a play pen we kept the Australorps and actually built 2 coop houses more like a Coop Townhouse.
We integrated them slowly. And they all got to free-range during the day. They seemed to do fine until they started laying eggs.
When I investigate the breeds I had read that they both get along with other breeds and were friendly. We raised them from chicks.
Unfortunately one Australorp died of coccidiosis at 6 weeks. When they started laying eggs, Percy, decided there were 2 hens he favored, one was an Australorp. Then the two brahma hens started picking on her.
She ended up having to wear a saddle. When the Brahma hens tried to keep one of the Australorps out of the nesting boxes, I ended up rehoming them to a farm that took all 3 Brahmas. About 3 months earlier I had done more research and had ordered 3 different breeds to get Easter Egger, Barnevelder, and more blue Australorps.
We were able to get them all the same day and they have been all raised as chicks. We got 3 novagens 5 days later and they integrated nicely with the other chicks. She is now raising a mix of 4 chick babies. The other nine 6 week old chickens have moved out to one of the coop houses and are doing fabulously together.
I know it is still early, but they are such a great group this mixed breed flock that I have 2 Barnevelders, 2 Easter Eggers, 2 Blue Australorps, and 3 Novagens. They are also pretty quiet. They come out with me when I work in the garden and have learned to follow me back to their fenced area when I need them too. With all the buzz about farm-to-table dining and organic eating over the past few years, chicken coops became trendy.
But what does it take to start a chicken coop, exactly, and perhaps more importantly, to keep it going? Your email address will not be published. Skip to content Search. Best Beginner Chicken Breeds.
Why Do You Want Chickens? Are you planning on keeping your chickens in a coop or free-range? The final question to think about is what your budget is? Best Egg Laying Chicken Breeds So if you are like us and want to start keeping chickens for eggs, which breed would, we suggest?
Rhode Island Red Rhode Island Reds are synonymous with backyard chicken keeping and one of the most popular chicken breeds around source. They are friendly, easy to keep, and adamant. Eggs: Should produce upwards of medium-sized, brown eggs per year. Hybrid Hybrid breeds such as Golden Comets have been bred to consume small amounts of food and to lay as many eggs as possible. Eggs: Upwards of medium-sized, brown eggs per year. Eggs: Should produce at least medium-sized, light brown eggs per year.
Plymouth Rock The Plymouth Rock , also known as barred rocks, originates from the US and is one of the most popular dual-purpose chickens. Leghorn The Leghorn breed originated from Italy and was first introduced into the US during the s. Eggs: Should produce upwards of medium-sized, white eggs per year.
Eggs : Around medium-sized, brown eggs per year. Related Posts. The Basque region of Spain and France has a rich history and culture that has endured thousands of years in the harsh and rugged terrain. The Basque people view themselves as independent and apart from the countries where they reside. Just like the people of the region, native chickens thrive under conditions that their less hardy cousins would struggle with.
The legs, feet, and skin of these birds are yellow. They have a bright red single comb and narrow, pointed red earlobes. They are found in five color varieties: Beltza black , Gorria red , Lepasoila naked-necked, red-brown , Marraduna golden cuckoo and Zilarra black-tailed white. This breed has recently become a favorite of homesteaders in the United States and Canada.
They are ideal for free ranging, given their hardy ancestry and excellent foraging skills. Basque Chickens are medium-sized, with roosters growing as large as 9 pounds, giving a good amount of meat for the table. Hens lay about — large brown eggs per year. Their best quality, however, is their winning personality. They are very friendly and enjoy human company, allowing themselves to be picked up without a fuss.
Bresse The Bresse is hailed as the best tasting chicken in the world. Similar to French Champagne, birds must be raised within the legally defined area of the historic region of Bresse, in eastern France. To maintain the strictest quality standards, the raising and selling of Bresse chickens is rigidly controlled by the French government.
There are rules about how much land they must have access to, what they must be fed, and how they must be processed. There are only about breeders that producing 1.
When you purchase a Bresse chicken it will have a leg band to prove authenticity. The Cornish was an epic fail in terms of serving its original purpose. What he got was a bird with neither of those qualities. It is a rustic breed and was once widespread throughout the region. Small family farms are common in the area, and the animals traditionally raised there were intended for family consumption.
With the increase of intensive and commercial agriculture, this breed almost disappeared completely, along with other pasture-raised breeds in the area. The Gallina di Saluzzo is a dual-purpose breed. While hens lay about white eggs per year, this breed really shines on the dinner table. Due to extensive breeding and very specific feeding techniques, the quality of their meat is exceptional. They are a classic looking chicken: all white feathers with a red comb and wattles, a yellow beak, and yellow feet.
They weigh about 4 — 6 pounds, making them a medium to small-sized bird. Appleyard is better known for developing the Silver Appleyard Duck. In the Ixworth, he envisioned the ideal dual-purpose breed that would be an active forager, produce eggs, and make a hearty meal.
Both hens and roosters have a stocky body, pure white feathers, white skin, and pea comb. While they are better designed for the table, hens also lay a decent number of tinted eggs. However, it took almost 20 years before they were recognized as a distinct and official breed. There is both a standard and bantam variety, and both can either be flat-feathered or frizzled. Birds have beetle black feathers and grey legs. They have a crest that sweeps to the back of the head, like a well-coiffed hairdo.
Lyonnaise are excellent free-range birds, showing good survival skills when it comes to foraging for food and avoiding predators. They are also friendly towards humans, docile, and quiet. They are a medium sized bird, known for producing excellent white meat. Hens are good layers of medium-sized white eggs, laying about 3 per week. Starting with RIRs, breeders were very selective and intensified traits of early maturity, rapid full feathering, and production of large brown eggs.
These birds are a rich chestnut color, slightly lighter in shade than RIRs. New Hampshires are a dual-purpose breed, but are intended more for the table than for egg production.
They prefer to free range and are known to be competitive with the rest of the flock. During World War I, Myhill had to leave his flock to free range while he left for military service. When he returned home, he discovered that his birds had cross bred with other breeds, and he had to start over again. While he successfully did so, Black Marias did not gain in popularity, so Myhill had the name changed to Norfolk Grey.
This breed all but died out in the s. A private flock of only 4 birds was able to revive it! Norfolk Greys are a heavy breed, but not as large as other birds in that category. They have a single comb, black eyes, slate legs, with black body feathers and silver striped hackles. This breed does well free ranging. Roosters weigh 7 — 8 pounds and hens weigh 5 — 6 pounds. They produce a good roast for the table, and hens lay pale brown eggs per year.
It is one of the older English breeds, but exact time is unclear. The RedCap was bred so much for utility that they are lacking in appeal. Their coloring, wild temperament, and generally unrefined quality led them to fall out of favor by The breed has red plumage tipped with a blue-black, half-moon shaped spangle and leaden blue colored legs. They have delicate meat, and even though they have red earlobes, can lay white eggs.
The Red Shaver is a sex-linked breed from Canada. Female chicks are a reddish-brown color with white underfeathers, while male chicks are white with a few red markings on the feathers. They are a dual purpose breed with a reputation for being quiet and calm. Hens lay up to large brown eggs per year! Because they are Canadian, they are very well adapted to cold. His goal was to create a medium-sized, dual-purpose breed with the same feather pattern as the Lakenvelder. Vorwerks are hardy, adaptable, alert, and active.
They mature quickly, are pretty good at flying for a chicken! This makes them great candidates for free range flocks.
Birds are typically 4 — 8 pounds and hens lay about large cream eggs per year. They are a golden buff color, with solid black head, neck, and tail. They are often confused with Golden Lakenvelders, but are a separate breed. This is perhaps the reason why Vorwerks never gained popularity, therefore they are rare outside of Europe. Color varieties include black, golden spangled, and silver spangled. This breed is mainly ornamental, but hens do lay a respectable number of white eggs.
These birds prefer to range rather than be cooped because they are active and good foragers. Appenzellers are also small bodied enough that they are able to roost up in trees.
The Brabanter is a Dutch breed of chicken originating between Belgium and the Netherlands. They appear in paintings from as far back as the 17th century. The Brabanter is a small bird with a V-shaped comb and a crest similar to the Appenzeller.
Hens lay a moderate number of white eggs and are fairly good winter layers. Brabanters are a calm and intelligent breed that are better-suited for colder climates. The small comb and wattles of the Brabanter make them less susceptible to frostbite.
Crevecoeur The Crevecoeur is one of the oldest breeds in France. Crevecoeur chickens are solid black and have a distinctive V-shaped comb. They are quiet and have peaceful temperaments. They are primarily a meat bird and only lay a moderate amount of white eggs about per year. Houdan chickens were developed in France. They are descended from the ancient 5-toed fowl that were once common in France and Belgium. Houdans are historically held in high esteem for both meat and production qualities.
Houdans have both crests and beards, and are black with mottled white plumage. They also have five toes on each foot. They are moderately hardy but in the right climates can rival Leghorns in egg production. Good looks and good use—this bird has it all! Polish The Polish is immediately recognizable by the crest of feathers that almost covers its entire head. They arrived in America in and became fairly widespread. Polishes were originally bred as productive egg layers of white eggs.
Nowadays they are considered more of an ornamental breed. They are vulnerable to aerial predators because their crests can obscure their vision. Elizabeth Watts, editor of the Poultry Chronicle in London, received the fowls from a friend living in Constantinople. They have a V-shaped comb, crest, beard, muffs, large nostrils, low-carried wings, vulture hocks, feathered shanks, and five toes. Their feathers a pure white and their legs are slate blue.
Sultans have happy personalities. Hens lay large white eggs from March through September. They also make a good table bird. Their personality and dual-purpose nature make them a great bird for backyard flocks! No doubt they are helping fuel the newest obsession with backyard chicken keeping! Cochins were developed in China. They are very large in size up to 10 pounds , have an abundance of feathers, and are calm in disposition.
Like Brahmas, they are very hardy in cold climates. Cochins are known for being very broody, so much so that roosters will occasionally brood chicks! They are even considered the best choice for hatching and raising ducks and turkeys! A Frizzle in the U.
Frizzles are most commonly found in Polish, Cochin, Plymouth Rock, Japanese, and Silkies, but other breeds can possess the Frizzle gene. The feathers curl out and away from the body, giving the birds a unique appearance.
Because of the structure of their feathers, Frizzles cannot trap heat against their body, so they do not thrive in cold climates. They also cannot fly at all, and may have trouble reaching high roosts.
Malay The Malay chicken is an ancient landrace breed. It is supposed to have descended from the great Malay fowls of India. These birds are extremely tall. They can reach heights of up to 30 inches! They are said to be able to eat grain off the dining table! Malays are not suited for egg or meat production. But they have been useful in crossing with other breeds and revitalizing threatened breeds. Many developed breeds of chicken have Malay ancestry mixed in.
Malays have a unique appearance, aside from height. The expression of a Malay is snarky and cruel. The crow of the rooster is more like a roar! They are very hardy and impressive birds.
The Old English Game breed is one of the oldest breeds of fowl, having been introduced to England by Romans in the 1st century! Although their origins were in the fighting ring, today they are raised for their exotic appearance and only for show.
They have compact, muscular bodies with feathers that are hard, glossy, and sit tight along the body. They are known to have fearless eyes and an indomitable spirit.
Old English Games come in a variety of colors. Both hens and roosters have large and distinctive tail feathers. Hens make excellent brooders, although they can be overly aggressive as mothers.
They can tolerate extreme climates, are good foragers, and do well in free range situations. But watch out! Their excellent stamina and flying capabilities make them crafty escape artists. Many Old English Games live as long as 15 years or more. Silkie Silkies are an ancient breed originating in the Far East, most likely China. They were first documented by Marco Polo himself around the year They are the pocket pet of the chicken world, with sweet and friendly temperaments and feathers that feel more like hair.
Because they are so tame, they are easily bullied by other birds. Silkies have black skin and black bones, a walnut-shaped comb, and turquoise earlobes. Their fuzzy feathers come in a variety of colors, but because of the feather structure, silkies cannot fly and are not water proof. If they get wet, they need to be dried off with a towel before they catch a chill.
It originated in the Styria region of Austria and Slovenia and is one of the first identified breeds in Europe. The Altsteirer is a dual purpose breed of medium size. Hens lay — large white eggs per year and rarely go broody. Birds can weigh 4 — 8 pounds, and their round body makes a nice meal for the table.
They are found in a variety of colors, including partridge, white, cuckoo, and black-breasted red. This breed is rare and is considered endangered. If you are looking for an easy to care for and very unique breed, this may be the one for you. You could play a part in restoring the population! The Brussbar is a dual purpose breed, developed by Professor Punnett and Mr.
Pease at Cambridge in the first half of the 20th century. They were looking to create an autosexing breed with the characteristics of a Light Sussex, the most popular breed at the time. Brown Sussex and Barred Rocks were used initially to create the autosexing plumage with utility strains of Light Sussex added to improve productivity.
The breed was officially standardized in Birds are large and well-built, similar to a Sussex. They have a distinctive crele plumage, a copper and gold body color with barring patterns throughout. Originally, the Brussbar came in both a gold and silver variety, though now only the gold variety can be found. Brussbars never caught on in popularity and the breed barely survived the s. Only one farm was keeping this breed alive! They remain very rare today. He wanted a dual-purpose hen laying large white eggs that remained in her egg-laying prime for longer than 2 years.
He crossed a Barred Plymouth Rock rooster with a White Leghorn hen, which resulted in a naturally autosexing breed with grey barred plumage.
Birds are between 4 — 6 pounds, which makes them too large to appeal to commercial egg producers. They were also never recognized by the American Poultry Association. This means they never enjoyed popularity and today are a rare find. These birds are calm, good winter layers, and given the intent of their creator, should produce lots of eggs in their lifetime!
Catalanas were developed near Barcelona in the district of Catalonia, Spain. They are a hardy, dual-purpose breed, with the style, alertness, and forage abilities typical of Mediterranean breeds. They lay large white eggs and rarely are broody. Catalanas are noted for being very heat tolerant.
Ever wonder what happens when a breed goes extinct? The Normande chicken in France did just that. It died out more than a century ago in the late s. This breed closely resembled its cousin, the Gournay. It had the same black and white mottled coloring, but it also had a feather crest on its head. So is it just gone forever? Sort of. This new breed, resembling the old breed, is known as the Dampierre. It was created in France in using Gournay and Crevecouer genetics.
Since then, the breed continues to be improved and standardized with great attention to detail to resemble the Normande as closely as possible. Dampierres are dual-purpose, with fine white meat and delicate bones.
Hens lay a productive number of large white eggs and are willing to go broody. This breed is only just beginning to make an appearance in the U. They are hard to come by and very expensive. If you manage to get your hands on these birds, you must be dedicated to advancing the breed by only raising birds that meet the breed standard.
The Deathlayer Totleger, in its native German is over years old and was once commonly found on German farms. Their popularity declined over the centuries, and now they are considered rare. Why the name Deathlayer? Birds are very striking in appearance, with iridescent greens and purple in their black body feathers and silver hackles. They have cushion combs and large dark eyes.
The hens are super productive, laying medium-sized white eggs. They are very active birds and should be kept free range. They prefer to sleep in trees if given the option. The history of the Dorking is similar to that of the Sussex. An ancient breed with ties to the Roman Empire, the Dorking was developed to be a superior table bird.
As a backyard poultry keeper, this breed would make an excellent dual-purpose bird! Hens make excellent winter layers, and are exceptional mothers. They welcome chicks from other hens and tend to look after chicks far longer than other hens.
A folk legend tells the story of a white Plymouth Rock hen emerging from under a building with a clutch of chicks that were colored solid chestnut to striped. Old-timers tell the tale that the chicks were sired by a pheasant. Iowa Blues are a practical, dual-purpose, homesteader chicken. They are fairly docile but excellent foragers.
Hens have good mothering instincts and roosters are brave protectors of their flock. This breed almost went extinct in the s and are still very rare. Fortunately, they are making a comeback thanks to some dedicated breeders and poultry keepers. Langshans originated in China near the Yangtszekiang River and made its way to England in The breed is valued for being a large bird, with quality meat, that lays a high volume of dark brown, purplish eggs.
Langshans are hearty birds and good foragers. They have tight feathering and can fly better than most other chickens. Hens are not dependable sitters but make excellent mothers once the chicks have hatched. The Marsh Daisy is a very rare breed originating in Lancashire, England, and has not made a name for itself in other countries.
These birds are slow to mature, but once grown, are very hardy and excellent foragers. They flourish in free range environments. Hens lay about cream colored eggs each year. The Marsh Daisy chicken may be one of the rarest chicken breeds worldwide. It never achieved popularity abroad, was never recognized by the American Poultry Association and is little known or seen outside the UK.
The Jaehorn is the only breed of domestic chicken indigenous to Norway. They were developed in near the town of Stavenger. They have only recently made their way to North America and are still a rare find in the U.
They come in two colors: dark brown and light brown. Hens can lay an impressive white eggs per year. Jaehorns are small, hardy, and active birds. They are great flyers due to their size. So be aware, your chickens may fly the coop! Orloffs were previously believed to have originated in Russia, however modern research indicates they first appeared in Persia and were brought to Europe and Asia in the 17th century. The breed became popular through promoter Count Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov in the 19th century.
Orloffs are tall and well adapted to the cold. They are tight feathered, head and neck are very densely feathered, and they have tiny combs, earlobes, and wattles. The hens lay a good amount of light brown eggs and are relatively calm. The Orust is a landrace breed from the west coast of Sweden.
This breed free ranged along the isolated rocky shores and is a proven survivor, eating whatever was available, including fish! They have black and white mottled feathers, and their legs can sometimes have the same pattern. They were used in developing newer breeds like the Polish and the Brabanter.
This breed nearly went extinct. In the s, the total population consisted only of 2 roosters, and one of them was infertile! Very careful breeding programs rehabilitated the breed, however it is still super rare and virtually unknown outside of Russia. This breed is well adapted to its native climate of extreme cold. These tiny birds are only 3 — 4 pounds. They have a v-shaped comb accompanied by a crest, beard, muffs, and completely feathered legs and toes.
They have a pleasant personality being curious, lively, and trustful. The hens only lay about white eggs per year. The meat is light and gamey. The Penedesenca originated in the region of Catalonia, in Spain. They are named after the town Vilafranca del Penedes and were developed from native backyard birds. This breed is known for the very dark brown eggs that the hens produce. They are said to be the darkest brown of any breed.
They come is a few color varieties: Black, Crele, Partridge, and Wheaten. They have white earlobes, red wattles, and an unusual carnation comb.
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