With all the numerous, many wonderful chicken breeds on the market, it may be onerous to know the place to begin in selecting your first one. On this article, you’ll study 5 of the very best hen breeds for yard flocks, and in addition get some useful tips about figuring out which one is best for you.
Rhode Island Pink
The Rhode Island Pink is certainly one of—if not essentially the most—iconic and common chickens on the planet, and there are numerous causes for his or her dominance. Sensible homesteaders are drawn to 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 massive brown eggs at their peak.
Extra romantic hen keepers love the Pink for his or her brilliant pink feathers and daring, brassy personalities. These hens might 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 intervals of egg productiveness.
The Rhode Island Pink was first bred within the 1850s and originated in Massachusetts and, after all, their namesake Rhode Island. Due to their New England origins and meant 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 advanced and formed the wants of farmers, than on the hen itself, which is a superb homesteader.
Though they’re now thought-about a dual-purpose hen, within the Nineteen Forties and ‘50s, the Delaware was the dominant broiler within the American hen business. They have been phased out within the late ‘50s and ‘60s as newer, bigger, faster-growing breeds have 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 massive 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 in regards to the Plymouth Rock is their putting and distinctive look, particularly the black-and-white striped feathers that gave the breed its authentic identify, the Barred Plymouth Rock or Barred Rock. Whereas different colours have since been bred into the breed, this barred look continues to be essentially the most iconic and sought-after shade 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 preferred breed in American historical past till the top of World Warfare II. As this recognition would counsel, the Plymouth Rock is a hardy, low-maintenance hen. They lay about 250 massive brown eggs yearly, however are maybe much more notable for the big portions of tasty meat that when made them a preferred industrial broiler.
Better of all for household farmers and yard homesteaders, Plymouth Rocks are comparatively mild, docile birds that shall be simple for brand spanking new keepers to begin with, and nice with children.
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 massive brown eggs a 12 months. They’re additionally famous nearly as good broilers, they usually’ll definitely produce plenty 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 prone 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 the US within the 1870s. We additionally know that plenty of totally different breeds have been launched into the Wyandotte bloodline over time as a result of they arrive in a very beautiful array of colours. The American Standard of Perfection acknowledges 9 normal Wyandotte colours, however the equal European group lists 30.
Probably the most iconic is the unique shade, 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 undoubtedly saved the very best 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 have been bred for small farms within the early days of white Australian settlement, they’re good broilers as effectively; additionally they get up effectively in nearly any local weather you set them in. Plus, their pleasant, mild nature makes them simple to fall in love with as a household pet.
Select Your Chickens
Selecting your first hen breed is a bit like selecting a marriage costume or a brand new automobile. 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 best hen. Nevertheless, with time and cautious considered what you really need, you might be sure that you simply’ve chosen precisely the best one.
When selecting the breed of your first flock, a very powerful issues to bear in mind 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 searching, that’s a very good begin, however then slender 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 if in case you have kids,
- how inclined they’re to sure illnesses and well being issues,
- what number of eggs your loved ones or enterprise will really want, 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 traditional breeds just like the Delaware might be onerous to come back by today.
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 increase your flock as you be taught extra about maintaining chickens and what you need from and in your flock.
