Choosing a breed of chicken requires for a person to evaluate a variety of different factors that will influence the type of chicken that is best suited for there requirement. For example, a person must determine whether their goal is to raise chickens for their eggs or for there meat. Breeds with high output for the number of egg that they lay are best for those with egg production as their goal.
However, breeds of chickens that are high in output for laying egg tend to have personalities that is less calmer then other breeds of chickens. For individuals who wish to obtain both eggs and meat from their chickens, dual purpose breeds are available for purchase. Breeds that are specialist in producing meat will grow quickly to reach a heavy weight, but they are not produced with the intention of provide eggs to those who own the chickens.
How to Choose a Chicken Breed
In addition to considering the purpose for which the chickens will be raised, an owner must also consider the temperament of the breeds of chickens available. Some breeds are flighty and movement in their surroundings will make them stressed, while other breeds are docile and are often considered to be better breeds for children due to its calmer temperament. Cold hardiness is another consideration for chicken breed selection.
Breeds that have small comb or rose combs are more resistant to the risk of frostbite, while breeds with single combs are more susceptible to frostbite. Therefore, if individual breed with single combs are to be purchased, care must be taken to provide those chickens with windbreaks or apply petroleum jelly to their combs to protect them from the cold. Other characteristics of breeds to consider include the color of their eggs.
Breeds originating from the Mediterranean tend to produce white eggs, breeds from America tend to produce brown eggs, and certain breeds have a genetic predisposition to produce blue or olive eggs. Additionally, the genetics of the breeds of chickens determines the color of the eggs, so the owner should be aware that the color of the eggs will remain the same for each breed of chicken once they begin to lay eggs. Therefore, individuals who wish to have a variety of egg color within their flock can purchase different breeds of chickens, though breeds with unique colors often produce fewer eggs than breeds that are high in egg output.
Breed characteristics to consider include the amount of space that each breed of chicken requires. If the chickens are provided with insufficient space, they may develop respiratory issue or exhibit aggressive pecking behavior towards other chickens in the area. Each standard breed of chicken requires at least four square feet of indoor space.
However, if large breeds of chickens are to be acquired, more space is required for each bird; each large breed of chicken should be provided with more space than four square feet for each chicken. Each breed of chicken also requires a run that is ten times the size of the indoor space for the chickens to scratch and take dust baths in their area. Each flock of chickens requires at least one nesting box for every four or five hens.
Each nesting box should be placed at a height of eighteen inches off the floor. Additionally, the chickens require roosting areas for sleep. Each roost should be two inches in thickness and rounded in shape.
Additionally, the roosts should be located at a height higher than the nesting boxes to provide the chickens with a sense of security in their sleep. Finally, the coop that houses the chickens requires ventilation to remove ammonia from their droppings, but the ventilation should be provided in a way that does not expose the chickens to cold drafts. A breed chart is available for chickens that can help an individual to make their selection of breeds.
Each breed chart contains information regarding the purpose of each breed, the output of each breed, and each breed’s trait. Breed charts can help an individual determine which breeds have the hardiness to live in the same environment as humans, or which breeds will lay a high number of eggs. An individual can avoid breeds that are rare and dont have a life span that is resilient against common threat to those breeds.
For instance, individual can use the breed chart to compare heritage breeds to commercial breeds. Heritage breeds tend to have more resilience and are better at foraging for food, but have different temperament than commercial breeds. Commercial breeds lay more eggs than heritage breeds, but have shorter life spans than heritage breeds.
When beginning to raise chickens, it is best to begin with a small number of chickens. For instance, four or six chickens are a good number to begin with. During the first week that the chickens are in the coop, one should observe their behavior around one another to determine which chickens are more assertive than others.
Commercial and commercial-grade chickens are fed a diet that contains at least sixteen percent protein, as well as greens and grit to aid in their digestion. One can monitor health by inspecting the chickens’ comb and feathers. For instance, healthy chickens will have bright comb and shiny feather.