I have had chickens before. I had some black sexed-linked birds. They were so much fun to watch. I discovered each chicken had its own personality and tone of voice. They also communicate with each other. Unfortunately, they have all died. When I move, I want to get more chickens. I’ve been researching to see what the best breed I want. They are two major types: layers and meat.
Layers are generally smaller and lay more eggs. Meat birds are heavier and don’t lay as many eggs. There are a few breeds that are good for both. Those are the ones that I want to get. I want to learn to cull and prepare a bird for food. If you have ever had fresh eggs, you will never want to go back to store bought eggs again. Believe me there is a difference.
Before selecting a chicken, you need to determine its health and age as best as you can. If you can, purchase from a breeder enrolled in the National Poultry Improvement Plan.
Health: look for bright eyes, smooth shiny feathers, smooth clean legs, and full bright combs. Chicks should be perky. They should not be sneezing or coughing. Look for parasites by peeking under the wings for external bugs. Look at the vent, internal parasites will cause diarrhea that sticks to the vent feathers.
Age: young chickens will look like gangly teenagers with smooth legs, a flexible breastbone, soft muscles, no or short spurs, and papery thin and somewhat transparent skin. Older chickens are more rounded, look finished, rough scales on the legs, a rigid breastbone, firm muscles, and thick and tough skin. An older bird will feel heavier. Also, the longer the spur, the older the bird. Older chickens will lay larger eggs and sometimes have trouble passing them.
How many chickens should you get? Not too many to start. How many eggs do you want will help determine how many birds to get. Figure 2 eggs a day for every 3 hens. It takes 24 to 26 hours for an egg to develop and be laid. A hen will have several eggs in different stages at any one time. If you want to breed and have chicks, then you will need 1 rooster or cock for every 12 to 20 hens. I plan on getting around 10 – 15 birds to start. If allowed where I end up moving, I will get 1 rooster.
Check with your city or county ordinances before getting chickens. In a city, you may be limited to how many you can have and how far from your house they have to be kept. Many cities and towns will not allow roosters. Some will require that the birds be kept in a fenced area. Know what is allowed before you get birds to avoid some hefty fines. You also want to be sure the breed you are getting is good for your climate.
Before getting your birds, be sure to have a shelter where they can get out of the weather. It’s best to train them to go into the shelter at night to protect them from predators. Coyotes, racoons, opossums, rats, owls, hawks, and other birds of prey love chickens. Birds of prey are scared of crows so getting a breed that is black will fool these birds of prey and they are not as likely to attack. I have seen hawks sit in a tree and watch chickens.
Also, be sure to feeders and watering containers for them. You will need nesting boxes for your hens, about 1 box for every 4 to 5 birds. You will need roost for your birds to rest on at night. You may want heat lamps or a small heater in the winter to help keep them warm. Also, you will want some lights for the winter months. Chickens need 8 to 10 hours of sunlight to lay.
Now that their home is ready, do you want chicks or older birds. Many feed stores will carry chicks in the spring and summer. If you can, get them in the spring so they can acclimate to the warm weather. You want them to be older before cold weather hits. How soon you want eggs will help determine what age you want to get. Most hens start laying between 18 and 24 weeks old depending on the breed.
Now, on to breeds. If you want to be able to pick them up then you need to get a breed that is docile. Even though a breed is not know to be docile, if you handle them as chicks and keep handling them, they will be somewhat docile. If you attend your county fair, ask people who are showing where there is a good local place to purchase birds. The color of the ear covering will determine the color of the eggs. Leave a comment and tell me which breed you would pick. These are only a few breeds. There are so many to choose from. These are some breeds that I am considering. I like to have a variety of layer and meat breeds.
Easter Eggers are good layers that lay eggs in different shades ranging from light blue to green. They will lay 4 or more large eggs per week. They are not as docile as other breeds, but I would love to get the different colored eggs.
French Black Copper Maran are good layers and known for their large dark chocolate-brown eggs. They are also docile and will lay 2 to 3 eggs per week.
French Black Marans are large, docile, high egg producing birds. They lay large dark brown or multicolored eggs.
The Salmon Faverolle is a docile bird that lays 4 or more large brown eggs per week. They are light colored birds with a salmon and white plumage. Surprisingly the roosters have black and bronze feathers.
The Brown Leghorn is a high producing layer and will lay 4 or more large eggs per week. Eggs are usually white. They are not as docile as other breeds.
The Rhode Island Red is a great layer producing 4 or more large brown eggs per week. It is the state bird of Rhode Island.
The Barred Plymouth Rock is a large, docile bird that lays large brown eggs. They will lay 4 or more eggs per week
The Buff Orpington is a large, docile, gentle natured bird that lays up to 3 brown eggs a week. They tend to be broody which is good for hatching chicks
The Speckled Sussex is a large, beautiful, speckled bird that lays 4 or more large brown eggs per week. They are not as docile as other breeds
The Black Jersey Giant is a large bird that can reach up to 14 pounds. They will lay up to 3 eggs per week. They lay brown eggs and are very docile.
The Black Sex Link is a hybrid chicken created by crossing Rhode Island Red roosters with Barred Rock hens. They are excellent layers producing 4 or more large brown eggs.
One breed that I would love to find is a Ayam Cemani. This breed is entirely black; from its feathers, beak, and claws to even its internal organs and bones. It’s meat is also black. This is from a genetic trait known as fibromelanosis, which causes hyperpigmentation. Surprisingly they lay cream-colored eggs with a slight tint of pink. They lay 80 to 120 eggs per year. They are small coming in around 4 – 5 pounds. They are calm and docile and make excellent pets.
Leave a comment and tell me which breed you would pick. I’m hoping soon to be able to move and get chickens.
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