Isn't a Chicken Just a Chicken?

When I first saw the chickens at the feed store, I wondered what the name on each box meant. Leghorn, Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte. At that time, a chicken was just a chicken and I had NO IDEA that the world is full of chicken breeds.

Before getting your chickens, sit down and give it a moment’s thought. What is it you want from your flock? Eggs? Meat? Both? Just beauty? Then search online; study some breeds on a superficial level. You’ll never be an expert on all of them, but just glancing at pictures and a quick read of their temperament and use will give you a start. Determine what you want to look at when you see your flock. As you study the breeds some things to consider are:

1)    body type

2)  size

3)  temperament

4)  color

5)   type of tail

6)  type of comb

7)   special feathering on legs, head, etc  

You can even go further. Do you want to raise chickens? If so, do you want to breed something super rare or help save a breed from extinction, or help better a common breed?

It might sound daunting, but it’s really quite fun, and doesn’t take as long as it seems. Here’s how the above played out for me:

I knew right away that I wanted breeds that would produce lots of eggs and enough meat for a decent meal. Those desires fit right in with my liking for the round, chunky birds (rather than the strictly egg-laying breeds like the Leghorn). So I focused in on breeds like the Wyandotte and Plymouth Rock. Even better, I also liked the calm, quiet temperament of these breeds over the flighty lighter birds. An additional factor that narrowed my choices was that I didn’t want special feathering on the legs or head.

Color was harder to narrow, and since it is basically like a breed (more on this in another post), I was only down to about 20 different color breeds. Compared to all the birds out there, that wasn't much but it was way more than I would be able to raise. 
After more study, more color eliminations from photos, and a decision that I liked shorter tails, I ordered from a place that had a large selection, getting 2-3 of each kind I thought I was interested in. That enabled me to see the temperament of several different breeds, their size and egg-laying capacity, and the color in real life instead of a photo. I now know that I love the laced breeds, and am planning to work with Gold and Silver Laced Wyandottes, Barnevelders, and a project bird which will basically be a Double Silver Laced Wyandotte.

So that’s an idea how to go about picking your chickens. It’s certainly what worked for me. Chickens can be around for years, and it’s worth a certain amount of effort to find the right ones for you.

Happy hunting!