C H I C K E N S

laughslikeachicken:

  White Sultan Chicken (Photo by Backyard Chickens)

   Two Rhode Island Reds and one Ameraucana Chicken (Photo by Vickie Frantz)

If you have decided to raise your own chickens, there are some important factors to consider before you purchase or hatch chicks. Is the area where you live warm year round? Will you want a chicken who will rear chicks? Is the color of the eggs the chicken lays important? How many eggs do you expect your chicken to lay per week? These are some things you must consider when choosing the right chicken for you.

The climate where the chicken will be is one of the most important factors. Some chickens are considered “cold hearty”. Others do better in warmer climates. The online site  www.mypetchicken.com has a quick and easy tool to help you make your selection. Just answer six questions and the website will show you a list of chickens that match your choices.

Before choosing chickens to raise, one of the main deciding factors for me was what breed of chicken would do well in cold weather. After doing research, I decided the best breed for me was the Rhode Island Red. The Red’s are birds that do well in cold weather, bear confinement well and have a docile temperament. You will want a bird with a calm temperament if you have children who will be helping with the care of the chickens.

Another breed of chicken that I also decided on was the Ameraucana. These birds also are “cold hearty”, bear confinement well, have a docile temperament as well as one special trait that made me curious. The Ameraucana chickens are known to lay eggs that are shades of either blue, green or pink. The two Ameraucana chickens I own lay green eggs that are two different shades. One drawback is that they only lay an average of three eggs per week as opposed to the Rhode Island Reds which lay an average of 5-7 eggs per week.

Some chickens that are more accepting of warm weather and not as good in the cold are the Houdan and the White Sultan chickens. These birds lay only one or two eggs a week. Due to their ornamental appearance, they are most commonly purchased as show birds. The chickens are raised to compete in 4H competitions.

Depending on the purpose of your chicken, you can choose from one to more than 20 breeds. You can choose a chicken that is good to show, is an excellent egg layer or is strictly to be used for food. The choice is yours.

My best advice for potential chicken owners is to do your research well in advance of hatching chicks or taking chicks home from a hatchery. The more informed you are, the better you will be at choosing the chicken that is right for you and knowing how to best care for them.