Keeping Chickens: Chicken Breeds

There are many different types and breeds of chicken available these days as keeping chickens and other types of fowl has become much more than just keeping a flock fpr consumption or to produce eggs.

The traditional and most common type of farmyard or utility hen is the Rhode Island Red, so called because of its origins and deep red colouration. They are the familiar rusty red type with a bright red comb and tight feathers commonly seen on farms. These have proven to be productive egg layers and are a good choice of bird for the table too. They are also easy to maintain and are a robust and hardy bird that can adapt readily to all types of enviornment. The Rhode Island Red first appeared around the early 1900's and remains the bird of choice for food and egg production.

Good Rhode Island hens can produce 6-7 eggs weekly and possibly more if given a plentiful supply of good quality feed.If you are planning to keep chickens on a small scale or in an urban setting for supplying eggs, the Rhode Island Red will most likely be your first choice too and will also be the most readily available.

An average cock can weigh about 8-8.5 lbs and a hen about 6-6.5 lbs, a good size for cooking if thats what you plan to do with them.

As we mentioned earlier, chicken keeping has gone way beyond keeping them for eating or egg laying. Many more exotic breeds of chicken, also known as ornamental fowl, have been developed over the years through selective breeding for shows and exhibitions and many poultry shows and competitions are held annually with hundreds of different breeds competing for the top spot. There are literally hundreds of different chicken breeds in existence all categorised by various types of plumage, size, colour, number of toes and so on.

• the Sussex
• The California Gray
• The Jersey Giant
• The Marsh Daisy
• The Black Shumen
• The Leghorn
• The Minorca

And many many more breeds besides.