When you select a breed of chicken to raise, you must consider the physical size of the breed of chicken. The physical size of the breed of chicken will determine the amount of space and food that the chicken will require to live. Despite the fact that many people believes that all breeds of chickens are of the same size, the size of chickens can vary great between breeds of bantam chickens and giant breeds of chickens.
Bantam breeds of chickens are small breeds of chickens, while giant breeds of chickens are large breeds of chickens. As such, if you are to raise chickens of any breed, you must consider how you can manage your resources, such as space and time, as well as money, in relation to the size of the breed of chickens that you choose to raise. For instance, if you choose to raise chickens of a large breed, you will need to provide more space for the chickens of that breed, as well as provide more money to purchase the feed for the chickens of that large breed.
Pick a Chicken Breed Based on Size, Space, and Cost
In addition to the space and feed that you must provide for the chickens of any given breed, you must also provide infrastructure according to the size of the breed of chickens that you raise. For example, chickens of a large breed will require reinforced infrastructure to support the chickens while they are roosting in their coop; the increased body weight of these breeds of chickens can cause injury to the legs of the chickens if you place them upon a structure that is not constructed to support their weight. Additionally, giant breeds of chickens will require larger nesting area for there breeds than bantam breeds of chickens; because giant breeds have a larger physical footprint than bantam breeds, they require larger areas in which to appropriately rest and sleep.
The size of the breed of chicken also has an impact upon the laying of eggs by the chickens. For example, one of the beliefs of many individuals is that the larger the breed of chicken, the more eggs that the chicken will lay. However, the larger the breed of chicken, the fewer eggs that the chicken will lay as compared to a smaller breed of chicken.
For instance, chickens of a light breed, such as Leghorns, have lean bodies with relatively low amount of body fat. The body fat of these breeds of chickens allows the chickens to lay more eggs, as their bodies can devote more energy to the laying of eggs rather than the maintenance of their bodies. In comparison, heavy breeds of chickens must devote much of their energy to maintain their body weight, and, as a result, lay fewer eggs during the year.
Another factor to consider regarding the breed of chicken that you would like to raise is the type of comb that the chicken has. For example, breeds of chickens that have single combs are common breeds of chickens, but their single combs are more likely to suffer from frostbite if the temperatures around the coop in which the chickens live is low. In areas in which winters are long and cold climates, you may want to select a breed of chicken that has rose combs or pea combs.
These types of combs are low-profile combs, meaning that they are closer to the head of the chicken than single combs. Because these combs are closer to the head of the chicken, they help to prevent the combs from getting frostbite. The size of the breed of chickens will impact the cost of feeding the chickens that you raise.
For example, bantam breeds of chickens are an economical breed to raise, as they require the feeding of less grain than do large breed of chickens. Thus, if you raise many chickens of any breed, the increased amount of grain that the large breeds will require to meet their needs will lead to increased costs in relation to the feed that you must purchase for the chickens. Consequently, you may have to consider whether the increased yield of meat from a heavy, dual-purpose breed justifies the increased costs of the feed that those breeds of chickens require.
Finally, the breed of chicken that you select should fit the amount of space in which you can raise the chickens, as well as your available budget.