what is the best chicken breed for beginners

What kind of chicken is easiest to take care of?

1. Rhode Island Red. Rhode Island Reds are synonymous with backyard chicken keeping and one of the most popular chicken breeds around (source). They are friendly, easy to keep, and adamant.

How many chickens should a beginner start with?

three chickensChickens are extremely flock-oriented, so a good starter flock size is no fewer than three chickens. You should collect about a dozen eggs from three laying hens. A flock of five or six hens is a good choice for slightly larger families.

What breed of chicken is the calmest?

The calm temperament of the birds makes for a contented, well-behaved flock that is a joy to be around. But many other breeds are also known for their friendliness. I've listed the most popular below!...Table of ContentsCochin.Jersey Giants.Brahmas.Barred Rock.Silkie Bantam.Sussex.Pearl Star Leghorn.Easter Egger.More items...•

What is the best chicken to raise?

Best Breeds for Raising Chickens with ChildrenBuff Orpington. The Buff Orpington is my favorite breed. ... Wyandottes. We used to raise Blue Laced Red Wyandottes—a striking breed with rusty red feathers trimmed in a slate blue lacing pattern. ... Cochins. ... Australorp. ... Jersey Giant. ... Sussex. ... Polish. ... Silkies.

Is it cheaper to have chickens or buy eggs?

But is it cheaper to buy eggs or raise chickens? It is cheaper to buy eggs than it is to raise chickens for eggs. It costs between $150 to $300 per year to buy a dozen eggs per week from a grocery store and around $500 per year to raise chickens that will produce a dozen eggs per week.

How many eggs will 2 chickens lay a week?

How many eggs does a chicken lay in a week? Most chickens lay 5-6 eggs in a week. However this number can vary based upon breed, age, and seasonal changes.

What is the best all around chicken?

Best Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds: The Speckled Sussex The Speckled Sussex chicken is beautiful and friendly. The roosters are colorful and very protective and watchful. The hens lay large light brown to beige eggs. They will dress out between 7-9 pounds depending on whether it's a cockerel or hen.

What are the least aggressive chickens?

Jersey Giant chickens are a very friendly, calm, and docile breed. Of particular note with this breed is they are also very friendly with other varieties of birds and even other pets.

Can you mix chicken breeds?

The short answer to this is, yes. Different chicken breeds can live successfully together in what's called a mixed flock. But a mixed flock does take some consideration. For instance, some breeds are known to be very docile and calm, while others have a more dominant personality.

What is the best time of year to start raising chickens?

springIn spring (February through June), you can find the broadest selection of breeds from breeders and hatcheries. Also, baby chicks need a warm space that's dry and free of drafts, so late spring and early summer are optimal times to start chicks.

What is the easy chicken to raise?

The Australorp is often hyped as the perfect beginner chicken, and for good reason. Her most notable quality is her laying ability. Most Australorps lay between 5 and 6 eggs a week, but an Australorp also holds the world record for most eggs laid in a year – 364.

Can chickens be left alone for a week?

You can leave your backyard chickens alone for a few days so long as you see to a few basic needs. 1. They need enough food and water for the duration of your trip.

How many chickens should I get for a family of 4?

To provide enough eggs for a family of 4, you need 4-6 chickens. This will provide you with some extra eggs during the productive summer months and even out the lower production winter months and molting period. Depending on the breed, it's safe to expect a chicken to lay an egg 2 out of every 3 days.

Is it better to have 2 or 3 chickens?

Social Complexity Of The Flock Some might recommend that keeping just two chickens is OK, but one should never keep fewer than three in order to meet the social needs of the birds. The more chickens you have, the more complex and satisfying their social structure will be. Chickens thrive on their social lives.

How much space do you need for 3 chickens?

Try to plan for at least 10 square feet of outdoor space per chicken. But really, the more space you can provide, the happier your chickens will be. In addition to outdoor space, your coop should have roosting bars—preferably at least eight to 12 inches per bird—so they can sleep comfortably at night.

How many chickens do you need for 3 people?

Chickens are social birds and they do not fare well on their own, so you should have a minimum of two. As a very loose rule of thumb, two to three hens per family member should cover your egg needs, or four if your family really loves eggs or plans to give eggs away occasionally.

The 10 Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners

The Plymouth Rock (also known as the Barred Plymouth or Rock Plymouth chicken) is a well-known American breed of chicken, first shown in Massachusetts in the mid-1800s. This medium-sized breed usually has black and white feathers and a bright red comb and wattle.

Are You Ready To Raise Chickens?

Now that you read about the top best chicken breeds for beginning chicken farmers or homesteaders, you want to make sure you are ready to raise chickens. Chickens are intelligent, and how you raise them can help them thrive instead of just surviving. Happy and healthy chickens lay more eggs and make better pets.

Chicken Breeds For Beginners

Raising chickens can be an incredibly exciting project. There are many easily managed chickens that lay a decent number of eggs to start a small business. There are also several breeds of chickens that make great pets.

1. Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Reds are dual-purpose breeds that are suitable for beginners. You can rely on them for egg and meat production. If you want to gather more eggs every week, you can choose production strain chickens. Heritage strain chickens lay fewer eggs, but they can provide you eggs for a longer time.

2. Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock is the best option if you are looking for a breed that you will surely love! This breed is known for its friendly and calm nature. Aside from that, it can also get along with its owners. Your children would also love them because they are cuddly. Plymouth Rocks are also known as one of the best chicken breeds for kids.

3. Buff Orpingtons

Calm and quiet, Buff Orpingtons are highly recommended for beginners. If you don’t want to disturb your neighbors with loud noises, choose to breed Buff Orpingtons. They are the quietest of all breeds. You will also rarely see them in a panic state.

4. Cochin

The original purpose of Cochins is for ornamental use. Although Cochins could not provide you with many eggs, they are good chickens to start with. Aside from their fluffy feathers, Cochins also has a friendly and calm attitude.

5. Australorp

If you have a family-style barn, you should not miss breeding an Australorp. This breed is very suitable for beginners because they are easy to handle. Aside from that, they are one of the best breeds in egg production.

6. Easter Egger

Are you up to some colorful eggs laid by friendly chickens? Then you should have an Easter Egger! For beginners, they are good pets, and they produce a reasonable number of eggs.

7. Sussex

A breed excelling both in egg and meat production, Sussex is one of the best breeds a beginner can start with. These chickens are easy to maintain since they can thrive in any climate. Aside from that, they are very thrifty. These curious and confident chickens love to search for their food.

What is the best chicken for beginners?

The Rhode Island Red is arguably the best chicken for beginners. As the name suggests, these birds are known for their red feathers. They are a standard bird, averaging 6.5 pounds for the females and 8.5 pounds for the males.

How to Determine the Best Chicken Breed for Me?

There are a variety of options for beginners, but it can be hard to decide which breed will work for you personally. There are several things that need to be considered when choosing your specific chicken breed:

What is a silkie chicken?

The Silkie chicken breed is a Bantam breed, which means that they are smaller than other breeds of chicken. They have intricate plumage that comes in a range of different colors, although the most recognizable are white feathers with black skin.

How much does a Plymouth Rock chicken weigh?

This chicken is distinguished by its black and white striped feathers all across their bodies. The hens weigh around 7.5 pounds, whereas the roosters weigh about 9.5 pounds.

How big are Barnvelder chickens?

These chickens are large birds, with the hens averaging around 6-6 pounds and the roosters averaging around 7-8 pounds.

How big are Jersey Giants chickens?

Jersey Giants are one of the largest chicken breeds, with the hens weighing around 10 pounds and the roosters weighing around 13 pounds. These chickens can come in a variety of different colors, although the most common are black, white, and blue.

How many eggs do Plymouth Rock chickens lay?

The Plymouth Rock chicken is known for its longevity, calm disposition, and reliable egg production. In a year, they lay about 200 eggs, and they are known to lay well into their 10th year. They can function well in small spaces or in wide-open spaces, which makes them very adaptable to almost any living condition.

What is the most important thing to know when keeping chickens?

There are birds that lay eggs, there are meat birds, and birds that do both (dual purpose).

What is the color of a New Hampshire chicken?

New Hampshire. This chicken is a heritage bird that never really received the acclaim of their cousin (the Rhode Island Red). The red color of the New Hampshire is a bit lighter than the Rhode Island Red and tends to go whiter during the summer months.

How many eggs do hens lay?

The standard hens weigh between 6-8lb, but with some difficulty you can find bantam sized Australorps.

What is another bird that is all American?

The Buckeye is another all American bird.

Can Delaware broiler eggs lay?

Once the darling of the broiler industry, the Delaware has fallen out of favor with the poultry industry. Like many of her kind she cannot lay enough eggs for them. However in recent years she has risen in popularity among backyard chicken lovers.

Is Dominique a breed?

Dominique. Around since the 1750s, the Dominique is one of the oldest American heritage breeds. Until recently she was in danger of being lost forever. However in conjunction with the Livestock Conservancy, dedicated breeders have brought this charming hen back from the brink.

Is an orpingon a good bird?

This English hen has a worldwide reputation of being a good egg layer and table bird. She is large and fluffy, affectionate and queenly in her behaviors. She will rarely run anywhere, preferring a stately glide across the lawn. Orpingtons are known as a gentle breed and are calm and friendly to their humans.

What is the best chicken breed for beginners?

Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners. 1.) Buff Orpington – This breed was introduced from England in the late 1800s and has become very popular. They are large with a quiet disposition and they lay large brown eggs. They are also great winter layers and excellent setters. 2.)

What breed of hens are good for meat?

So if you’re looking for a breed that will be a good laying hen and then be good to butcher as well, the Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, and White Wyandotte are all good dual-purpose breeds.

What breed of chickens are more flighty?

1.) Predator wariness, which are the breeds that tend to be more high-strung and flighty. Two breeds include Leghorns and Hamburgs. 2.) Color, chickens with dark and patterned feathers such as the Speckled Sussex blend in better and are less likely to be noticed by predators than a white-feathered chicken.

Why are white leghorns not my favorite breed?

White leghorns are not my favorite to look at because they are not as pretty as many of the other breeds but I always have some in my f lock because they are the absolute best layers. They also have a very low feed to egg ratio which makes them one of the most cost-effective breeds to raise.

Why is it important to have a chicken coop?

I think having a chicken coop is important for many reasons such as safety, shelter, and a specific place for hens to lay eggs. But if you are looking for chickens to only be free-range there are a few characteristics to look for: 1.) Predator wariness, which are the breeds that tend to be more high-strung and flighty.

How long does it take for a chicken to butcher?

They are bred specifically for meat and will be ready to butcher in about 4-9 weeks.

What breed of wyandotte is good for butchering?

2.) White Wyandotte – These are good brown egg layers and tend to be non-setters which means they are not likely to sit on a clutch of eggs to hatch them out. This breed is also a great dual-purpose breed which means they are good for egg production and meat if you choose to butcher them. 3.)

What breed of chickens are Easter eggs?

Known for their beautiful rainbow-colored eggs, the Easter eggers inherited their genetics from two different breeds: the Araucana and the Ameraucana.

How much do chickens weigh?

The roosters generally weigh between 8 and 10 pounds while the hens weigh between 6 and 8 pounds.

How big do roosters get?

Roosters generally weigh between 13 and 15 pounds with a height of around 22 to 26 inches. Hens weigh around 11 pounds with a height of around 16 to 20 inches.

Why do you shower chickens with love?

Lastly, shower them with love and care because like other animals, chickens are emotional creatures too.

What is the color of a golden rooster?

The Golden Buff roosters possess reddish-brown plumage with a single comb, dark wings, neck, and tail feathers. The hens are different with soft buff-red plumage, smaller bodies, and short tail feathers. Mature roosters can weigh up to 6 pounds and the hens generally weigh around 4 pounds.

What color are Sussex chickens?

Sussex chickens come in different color variations ranging from light, red and speckled, buff, brown, lavender, and silver. Only two were accepted by the American Poultry Association, which are the white, and the ‘red and speckled’.

Where did the red chickens come from?

This breed originated in the New England states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

What are the Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners?

Now, this is the moment you have been waiting for. We have compiled a list of ten best breeds that you can choose to start your journey into raising chickens. Our selection of these breeds was based on a number of factors key among them being the average number of eggs each breed lays in a year, the character and other unique features that make than desirable.

What is the best chicken breed for cold climates?

If you are looking for a calm, large and hardy breed of chickens then look no further than Brahma. These chickens thrive best in damp or cold climates. The most distinctive feature that makes them stand out from other breeds is their feathered feet. Each hen lays an average of 150 brown eggs per year although this breed was originally meant for meat production. Brahmas are excellent pets and a perfect choice for you if you are living anywhere in the northern climates where the temperature can be an issue.

How to tell if a chicken is a red star?

You can call them Red Star , Black Star or to some extent, refer to them as sex-links if you like it. These chickens are not recognized as breeds but are considered to be popular productive hybrids. As a beginner, you can tell whether your Star is female or male by looking at their respective colors. Both males and females show distinctive coloration differences immediately after hatching. Each hen can lay an average of 260 brown eggs in one year. These chickens are docile, calm and are excellent breed for both new and experienced flock owners.

What is the color of a Wyandotte chicken?

Blue Wyandotte Hen. Wyandotte chickens are wonderful chicken breeds for beginners and you can easily identify them from their beautiful laced color varieties such as blue, silver and gold. Also, these birds are a dual-purpose breed with each hen laying an average of 200 brown or tan eggs per year.

What kind of chickens lay blue, green and pink eggs?

Easter Egg Chicken. The unique thing about Easter Eggers is their ability to lay eggs of different colors. These chickens can lay blue, green or pink eggs. However, they’re not a breed as such but a type of chickens that can lay multicolored eggs despite not conforming to breed standards just like other chickens.

How many eggs do black orpington chickens lay?

This breed boasts of being a hardy dual-purpose breed that comes in an array of colors; lavender, blue, black, buff and even white. They are capable of laying an average of 200 light brown eggs per year.

What are the different types of chickens?

However, it’s important to know that there are three categories of chickens and these are: Broilers. Layers. Dual-purpose breeds. Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns. Whether you are looking for broilers for their meat or layers for eggs, rest assured that you will benefit in one way or the other.