Raising the right Chicken Breed

By: Cristian Stan
Submitted: 2009-08-28 17:24:47
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There are many chicken species that you can raise. You will want to choose a chicken species depending on the type you want to raise. There are many chickens that look healthy but they have a diminished egg laying capacity. Others may give a lot of eggs each day. So, choosing a chicken breed to raise is a matter of what you want to do with it. 

Nevertheless, before choosing a breed, you need to be aware of a few things.

You must take into considerations a lot of things. First of all, the space you provide them. Do you have a yard? It is big enough for a big number of chicks? Does the space allow them to walk around, exercise and feed?

Besides this, you must consider the weather type. For example, if you live on the equator, you have some extreme warm temperatures all day long. There are chicken breeds that resist better to heat and others don’t.

Think about this aspect before purchasing a chicken breed.

On the market you will find some chicken breeds that are very resistant to all weather conditions. For example, the Reds. They resist to cold temperatures and they are easy to tame. If you live in a cold climate, this breed is perfect for you.

The Bantams breed is known to be a bit stubborn. They like to fly around. The pen, in this case is useless. This breed is very pretty but they are not recommended for people who expect them to lay a lot of eggs. They do lay eggs but in small quantities. If you wish to sell chicken eggs, this breed is not recommended.

Besides this, other very good breeds are the Silkies and the Pekins. They lay a lot of eggs and they have many colors. Experimented breeders have done a crossbreed between a cochin batam and a silkie. The result has been a wonderful breed, very calm, which never bit or clawed anyone. You can do this too.

Besides this, the purebred chickens have a fragile meat. Also they choke on their food and they can have heart attacks for no apparent reason.

If you just want a cheap egg laying chick, take a leghorn. They like to fly and if you don’t want to loose them, clip their wings. Also, they are somehow scrawny and be aware of that. The downfall of this breed is that it is ugly. Also, the leghorn can be high strung. This is why breeders often don’t choose them.

But if you want a sweet chicken, cross breed the Cochin bantams. The breeds that result from the Cochin batams are quite amazing. They are sweet, calm and they are very suitable for exhibitions.

Another top breed is the Barred Plymouth Rocks. It is all in just one package. Why is that? Well, during the summer they like to lie down all day long. They have a good weight and they are quite healthy. Also, they look good and they don’t have bad behaviors.

A breed that is recognized for its beauty is the Americaunas. Their feathers are amazing and they are in dark and golden. The beaks look like the falcon’s beaks, very curved. They are also quite robust and they can withstand harsh temperatures. The only downside is that they don’ lay many eggs. They only lay a few.

Consider all these aspects before choosing a chicken breed. Take them all into consideration. Also remember that the unusual breeds need much more attention than the regular ones. Their survival needs are a bit different.

Article source: Expert Articles