More Chicken Breeds
Different Chicken Breeds
Chicken Breeds for Cold Weather
If the weather in your area is the cold climate type where temperatures drop below freezing during part or all of the year, it is better to have Standards than Bantams. Standards are hardier and fare better than Bantams. Chicken combs and wattles are an important factor to consider since the smaller they are, the less they will be affected by frostbite.
Common Cold Weather Breed Chickens
- Chanticleers
- Plymouth Rocks
- Langshans
- Sussexes
- Orpingtons
- Wyandottes
Chicken Breeds for Hot Weather
However if your locality regularly experience climates of over 100 degrees, it is best to avoid the big-sized and feathery chickens. In hot weather, most Bantams do well with the exception of the feather-footed varieties, and the following Standard breeds are highly recommended for hot climates:
Common Hot Weather Breed Chickens
- Blue Andalusians
- Light Brown Leghorns
- Golden Campines
- White Leghorns
Egg Production
If you want the best possible egg production, limit your search to the laying breeds. Understand, however, that many people feel the best layers (like White Leghorns) have a tendency to be more inconsistent and nervous and to avoid human contact. Dual-purpose and ornamental breeds are usually more docile and friendly but this is an oversimplified generalization. How friendly your birds are is in large part dependent on how well they have accustomed themselves to human contact and their individual personalities.
Common Egg Producing Chicken Breeds
- White Leghorns
- Stars
- Rhode Island Reds
Common Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds
- Australorps
- Plymouth Rocks
- Marans
- Wyandottes
- Orpingtons
Colorful Chicken Eggs
Not all chicken eggs are the ubiquitous brown and white eggs you normally see at the grocery store there are also blue, green, chocolate brown, and cream-colored chicken eggs. The following chicken breeds are noted for the various colors of eggs that they produce which you may want to consider.
Chicken Breeds and their Colorful Eggs
- Araucanas – Blue Eggs
- Ameraucanas – Green/Blue Eggs
- Barnvelders, Welsummers – Deep Reddish-Brown Eggs
- Cuckoo Marans – Chocolate Brown Eggs
- Plymouth Rocks, Salmon Faverolles – Pinkish Brown Eggs
- Polish, Sussexes – Cream-Colored Eggs
- White Leghorns, Anconas, Minorcas, Andalusians, Campines – White Eggs
- Rhode Island Reds, Australorps, New Hampshire Reds, Delawares, Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes – Brown Eggs
Chicks or Starter Pullets?
You have a choice of starting your flock with chicks or starter pullets (hens that have recently started laying eggs).
If you are really into chicken raising, you’ll love starting your flock with baby chicks; however, doing so requires that you give your flock considerable attention until they are full-grown hens.
You can purchase your baby chicks from a farm supply store (mostly during spring time) but they may not carry special breeds they mostly have a limited selection from which you can choose.
Make sure that you purchase female chicks instead of a mix of male and female as you may end up with a lot of roosters instead of hens! Keep in mind that roosters are not a requirement for hens to lay eggs.
